spring onions
• noun
Young, immature onions in the family Amaryllidaceae harvested before a large bulb forms, having long, hollow green leaves and a mild white base, widely used raw in salads, as a garnish, or cooked in savory dishes.
"She finely chopped a handful of fresh spring onions to sprinkle over the steaming bowl of noodle soup."
Word Nuance & Usage
In British, Australian, and New Zealand English, 'spring onions' refers to slender, immature onions with long hollow green leaves and unformed bulbs, which North Americans typically call 'scallions' or 'green onions'. In North America and parts of the UK, 'spring onions' can also specifically denote young onions that have developed a small, round bulb with a slightly stronger flavor than standard scallions.
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Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.