chic·o·ry (ch?k??-r?)n. pl. chic·o·ries 1. A perennial herb (Cichorium intybus) of the composite family, native to Europe and widely naturalized in North America, usually having blue flowers. Also called succory.2. Any of various forms of this plant cultivated for their edible leaves, such as radicchio.3. The dried, roasted, ground roots of this plant, used as an adulterant of or substitute for coffee.[Middle English cicoree (from Old French cichoree) and French chicorée, both from Latin cichorium, cichor?um, from Greek kikhoreia, pl. diminutive of kikhor?.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.chicory (?t??k?r?) n, pl -ries1. (Plants) Also called: succory a blue-flowered plant, Cichorium intybus, cultivated for its leaves, which are used in salads, and for its roots: family Asteraceae (composites)2. (Cookery) the root of this plant, roasted, dried, and used as a coffee substitute[C15: from Old French chicorée, from Latin cichorium, from Greek kikh?rion]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014chic?o?ry (?t??k ? ri) n., pl. -ries. 1. a composite plant, Cichorium intybus, having blue flowers and toothed oblong leaves, cultivated as a salad plant and for its root. Compare endive (def. 2). 2. the root of this plant used roasted and ground as a substitute for or additive to coffee. [1350?1400; Middle English