parsley

Etymology

From Middle English persely, from Old French peresil, from Latin petroselīnum, from Ancient Greek πετροσέλῑνον (petrosélīnon, “parsley”), from πέτρος (pétros, “rock, stone”) + σέλῑνον (sélīnon, “celery”). Displaced Old English petersiliġe, which goes back to the same root.

noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A bright green, biennial herb, Petroselinum crispum, having many cultivars.
2. (uncountable) The leaves of this plant used in Middle Eastern, European, and American cooking.
3. (by extension, loosely) Any herb resembling parsley, such as cilantro (Chinese parsley) or chervil (French parsley).

verb

1. (transitive) To add parsley to.
   parsleyed potatoes
   Put a layer of mashed potato on one side and also on the other after peppering, salting and finely-chopped parsleying it to taste. 1923, William Teignmouth Shore, My Cook Book, page 46