ETYM French céleri, cf. Prov. Italian seleno, seler. Parsley.
Old World plant Apium graveolens of the carrot family Umbelliferae. It grows wild in ditches and salt marshes and has a coarse texture and acrid taste. Cultivated varieties of celery are grown under cover to make them less bitter.1. Stalks eaten raw or cooked or used as seasoning.
2. Widely cultivated herb with aromatic leaf stalks that are eaten raw or cooked; SYN. cultivated celery, Apium graveolens dulce.