allium

noun

al·​li·​um ˈa-lē-əm 

plural alliums

: any of a large genus (Allium) of bulbous herbs of the amaryllis family that includes the onion, garlic, chive, and leek

Examples of allium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There's no garlic, there's no onions, no alliums of any kind. —Bon Appétit, 16 Oct. 2024

But just because the alliums aren’t in attendance does not mean there’s a lack of flavor. —Bon Appétit, 28 Sep. 2024

Garlic, onions, and other alliums emit a strong, sulfur-like fragrance that repels a wide variety of common carrot pests, including carrot flies. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Aug. 2024

To keep pests from intruding in your vegetable beds, plant a ring of alliums around the perimeter of the garden or train melons to climb vertically on trellises to free up additional space in nearby soil for pest-deterring alliums. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, genus name, going back to Latin ālium, allium "garlic," of uncertain origin

Note: Compared with Latin āla "wing," if the cloves of a garlic head are comparable to wings, though neither the derivational relationship nor the analogy are more than speculative.

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

allium

noun

al·​li·​um ˈal-ē-əm 

1

Allium : a genus of bulbous herbs (as an onion, garlic, or leek) of the amaryllis family distinguished by a characteristic odor, sheathing, mostly basal leaves, and clusters of usually white, blue, purple, pink, or red flowers

2

a

: a plant of the genus Allium

b

: the bulb of garlic formerly used in medicine especially as an expectorant and rubefacient