celery

noun

cel·​ery ˈse-lə-rē 

ˈsel-rē

plural celeries

: a European herb (Apium graveolens) of the carrot family

specifically : one of a cultivated variety (A. graveolens var. dulce) with leafstalks eaten raw or cooked

Examples of celery in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Spread peanut butter on toast, dates, or crunchy celery sticks for a satisfying mid-morning snack. —Lauren O'Connor, Health, 5 May 2025

For growing celery, turnips, or spinach, drop seeds into the nine yellow holes. —Miles Walls, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2025

Substitute other vegetables for the celery if need be—thinly sliced kohlrabi, bok choy, or savoy cabbage would work well—but celery really does work well here. —Laura McLively, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2025

Both raw, whole celery and celery juice contain similar nutrient profiles.9 The fiber per serving is the main difference between raw, whole celery, and celery juice. —Hannah Coakley, Msph, Rdn, Verywell Health, 21 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French céleri (17th-century celeris, sceleri, Middle French scellerin), borrowed from an Upper Italian form (as Ligurian sèlarʼu, Lombard sèleri), altered from Vulgar Latin *selinum (Late Latin selīnon), borrowed from Greek sélīnon, perhaps from a pre-Greek substratal language

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing celery

• celery cabbage
• celery root
• wild celery

Kids Definition

celery

noun

cel·​ery ˈsel-(ə-)rē 

plural celeries

: a European herb related to the carrot and widely grown for the thick edible stems

also : the stems of celery used for food