Jerusalem artichoke
noun
1.
Also called
girasol
. a sunflower,
Helianthus tuberosus,
having edible, tuberous, underground stems or rootstocks.
2.
Also called
sunchoke
. the tuber itself.
Origin
1635-45;
alteration of
Italian
girasole articiocco
edible sunflower. See
girasol
,
artichoke
British Dictionary definitions for
Jerusalem artichoke
Jerusalem artichoke
noun
1.
a North American sunflower,
Helianthus tuberosus,
widely cultivated for its underground edible tubers
2.
the tuber of this plant, which is cooked and eaten as a vegetable
See also
artichoke
(sense 1),
artichoke
(sense 2)
Word Origin
C17: by folk etymology from Italian
girasole articiocco;
see
girasol