garlic

The word “garlic” means a plant related to the onion, grown for its strong-smelling, pungent bulb used widely in cooking.

“Garlic” is pronounced GAH-lihk (/ˈɡɑɹlɪk/ in IPA).

Here is “garlic” used in a sentence: “Add two crushed cloves of garlic to the pan.”

“Garlic” is a noun.

The word “garlic” comes from Old English. From Old English gārlēac, literally "spear-leek" — a reference to the plant's sharp, pointed leaves.

“Garlic” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.

Both belong to the onion family, but garlic grows as a bulb divided into small segments called cloves and has a strong, pungent flavour, while a shallot looks like a small onion and tastes milder and sweeter. They are used differently in cooking as a result.

A whole head of garlic is called a bulb, and each of the small individual segments inside it is called a clove. A recipe that calls for a clove of garlic means one segment, not the entire bulb.

Garlic and onion are related plants, but garlic has a much stronger, more pungent flavour and grows as a cluster of small cloves, while an onion is a single larger bulb with a milder taste. Recipes usually call for them in different quantities.

Common substitutes for fresh garlic include garlic powder, granulated garlic, or garlic paste, used in smaller amounts because they are more concentrated. Related plants such as shallots or a little onion can also stand in when needed.