from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
eggplant \egg"plant`\, egg-plant \egg-plant\, n.
1. (Bot.) A plant ({Solanum Melongena}), of East Indian
origin, allied to the tomato, and bearing a large, glossy,
edible fruit, shaped somewhat like an egg; mad-apple. It
is widely cultivated for its fruit, commonly eaten as a
vegetable.
Syn: eggplant, aubergine, brinjal, eggplant bush, garden egg,
mad apple, {Solanum melongena}.
[1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]
2. The fruit of the {eggplant[1]}.
[PJC]