fennelFoeniculum vulgarefen·nel (f?n??l) n. 1. a. A Eurasian plant (Foeniculum vulgare) in the parsley family, having pinnate leaves and clusters of small yellow flowers grouped in umbels, cultivated for its aromatic seeds and edible stalks. b. The seeds or stalks of this plant. 2. A variety of fennel whose seeds are used as flavoring. Also called sweet fennel. 3. A variety of fennel whose bulbous, celerylike stalks are eaten as a vegetable. Also called finocchio, Florence fennel. 4. See giant fennel. [Middle English fenel, from Old English fenol, from Latin f?nuculum, variant of faeniculum, diminutive of faenum, f?num, hay; see dh?(i)- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] 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.fennel (?f?n?l) n1. (Plants) a strong-smelling yellow-flowered umbelliferous plant, Foeniculum vulgare, whose seeds and feathery leaves are used to season and flavour food. See also finocchio2. (Plants) another name for mayweed[Old English fenol, from Latin faeniculum fennel, diminutive of faenum hay]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014fen?nel (?f?n l) n. 1. a plant, Foeniculum vulgare, of the parsley family, having aromatic feathery leaves and umbels of small yellow flowers. 2. Also called fen?nel seed`. the aromatic aniselike fruit of this plant. 3. finochio. [before 900; Middle English fenel, Old English fenol « L f?niculum=faeni- (comb. form of faenum hay) + -culum -cle1] Random House Kernerman Webster’s College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.