garlic

IPA/ˈɡɑːlɪk/
KK[ɡˈɑrlɪk]IPA/ˈɡɑːrlɪk/

garlic — noun

1. a small white plant bulb with a strong sharp flavour and a very noticeable smell

1.nounA2
Definition

a small white plant bulb with a strong sharp flavour and a very noticeable smell; you break it into small sections and use it when cooking to give food a richer taste.

Example

Soraya added three cloves of garlic to the tomato sauce for extra flavour.

collocation: clove of garlic

The smell of garlic and onions filled the small kitchen as Nila cooked dinner.

collocation: smell of garlic

Common collocations
  • clove of garlic
  • crush garlic
  • mince garlic
  • garlic press
  • garlic bread
  • garlic butter
  • raw garlic
  • roasted garlic
  • smell of garlic
  • garlic clove
  • garlic bulb
Synonyms
  • allium

    the botanical family name; very formal, rarely used in everyday cooking contexts

Grammar Patterns

a clove of garlic

a bulb of garlic

Usage Note

Garlic is uncountable in standard English. To count it, use 'a clove of garlic' for one segment, 'a bulb of garlic' (or 'a head of garlic') for the whole item. 'A garlic' alone is non-standard.

Common Mistakes

I bought two garlics at the market.
I bought two bulbs of garlic at the market.
garlic is uncountable; use 'bulbs' or 'heads' to refer to individual whole items.
Idioms

garlic breath

idiom

the strong smell that comes from someone's mouth after they have eaten garlic.

Karim brushed his teeth twice to get rid of his garlic breath after lunch.

Word family

  • garlicky
    adjectiveB2
  • garlic bread
    nounA2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Onion, shallot, leek, and chive are all members of the allium family, like garlic. Onion is the most common substitute — it is milder and sweeter when cooked, while garlic has a sharper, more intense heat. Shallot is closer to garlic in pungency but smaller and sweeter, often used in dressings. Leek is much milder and softer, typically used in soups and stews rather than for strong flavouring. Chive is the mildest of the group, with thin green leaves used fresh as a garnish, never cooked whole like garlic. For example, you can swap one minced shallot for two cloves of garlic in a sauce, but replacing garlic with chives would give almost no heat.

onion ↗shallotleek ↗chive ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • garlic clove
  • garlic bulb
  • garlic bread
  • garlic butter
  • garlic sauce
  • garlic press
  • garlic flavour
  • garlic smell
  • garlic taste
  • garlic powder

Phrases

  • a clove of garlic
  • a bulb of garlic
  • with garlic
  • smell of garlic
  • taste of garlic

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'garlic' comes from Old English 'gārlēac', a compound of 'gār' (spear, referring to the shape of the plant's leaves) and 'lēac' (leek). So it literally meant 'spear leek'. The name has stayed remarkably similar through Middle English ('garlek') into modern English.