Solanum melongena n 1: hairy upright herb native to southeastern Asia but widely cultivated for its large glossy edible fruit commonly used as a vegetable [syn: {eggplant}, {aubergine}, {brinjal}, {eggplant bush}, {garden egg}, {mad apple}, {Solanum melongena}]
Solanum \So*la"num\, prop. n. [L., nightshade.] (Bot.) A genus of plants comprehending the potato ({Solanum tuberosum}), the eggplant ({Solanum melongena}, and several hundred other species; nightshade. [1913 Webster]
Mad-apple \Mad"-ap`ple\, Mad apple \Mad" ap`ple\, n. 1. (Bot.) The eggplant bush ({Solanum melongena}). See {Eggplant}. Syn: eggplant, aubergine, brinjal, eggplant bush, garden egg, {Solanum melongena}. [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5] 2. The fruit of the eggplant bush, a large egg-shaped vegetable having a shiny skin typically dark purple but occasionally white or yellow. Syn: eggplant, aubergine. [WordNet 1.5]
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]