1. A Eurasian plant (Raphanus sativus) having a fleshy edible root and white to purple flowers clustered in a terminal raceme.
2. The pungent root of this plant, eaten raw as an appetizer and in salads.

[Middle English radiche, from Old English rædic, from Latin rādīx, rādīc-, root.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.