melongena

noun

mel·​on·​ge·​na

ˈmelənˈjēnə

1

plural -s : eggplant

2

a

capitalized : a genus of tropical marine mollusks (family Xancidae)

b

-s : a mollusk of this genus

especially : a large edible Caribbean mollusk (M. corona) that resembles a whelk

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Italian dialect melongiana, melangiana, from Arabic bādhinjān

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