ETYM French chicorée, earlier also cichorée, Latin cichorium, from Greek.
1. The dried root of the chicory plant: used as a coffee substitute; SYN. chicory root.
2. Perennial Old World herb having rayed flower heads with blue florets cultivated for its root and its heads of crisp edible leaves used in salads; SYN. succory, chicory plant, Cichorium intybus.
3. Plant with crisp, spiky leaves with somewhat bitter taste; SYN. curly endive.
Plant Cichorium intybus, family Compositae. Native to Europe and W Asia, it has large, usually blue, flowers. Its long taproot is used dried and roasted as a coffee substitute. As a garden vegetable, grown under cover, its blanched leaves are used in salads. It is related to endive.

ETYM French endive (cf. Pr., Spanish Portu., and Italian endivia), from a deriv. of Latin intibus, intybus, endive.
Widely cultivated herb with leaves valued as salad green; either curly serrated leaves or broad flat ones that are usually blanched; SYN. witloof, Cichorium endivia.
Cultivated annual plant Cichorium endivia, family Compositae, the leaves of which are used in salads and cooking. One variety has narrow, curled leaves; another has wide, smooth leaves. It is related to chicory.