1. Egg-shaped vegetable having a shiny skin typically dark purple but occasionally white or yellow; SYN. aubergine, mad apple.
2. Hairy upright herb native to southeastern Asia but widely cultivated for its large glossy edible fruit commonly used as a vegetable; SYN. aubergine, brinjal, eggplant bush, garden egg, mad apple, Solanum melongena.
Perennial plant, Solanum melongena, a member of the nightshade family Solanaceae, originally native to tropical Asia. Its purple-skinned fruits are eaten as a vegetable. egg-plant