bulbous herb of southern Europe widely naturalized; bulb breaks up into separate strong-flavored cloves
"The pungent aroma of the garlic filled the kitchen as I peeled its individual cloves from the broken bulb."
A plant, Allium sativum, related to the onion, having a pungent bulb much used in cooking.
"The chef chopped fresh garlic into the sauce to add its characteristic pungent flavor."
In plain English: Garlic is a strong-smelling vegetable with white cloves that people often cook into food to make it taste better or use for medicine.
"The chef added some chopped garlic to the sauce for extra flavor."
Usage: Garlic is an aromatic vegetable widely used as a flavoring agent in savory dishes and sauces. It should not be confused with onions or shallots due to its distinct sharp taste and strong odor that lingers after consumption.
To flavour with garlic
"The chef sautéed onions and then added minced garlic to flavour the sauce."
The word "garlic" comes from Old English gārlēac, which literally meant "spear-leek." This name described the vegetable's sharp, tapering leaves that resemble a spear.