swedes
swedes Lexical Profile
swedes Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Natives or citizens of Sweden, or people of Swedish descent (usually capitalized as 'Swedes').
"Many Swedes celebrate Midsummer in June by gathering with family in the countryside."
British The large, round, yellow-fleshed edible roots of Brassica napus (var. napobrassica), a hardy cruciferous plant of the mustard family cultivated as a winter root vegetable and livestock fodder.
"The traditional winter stew was made with diced beef, carrots, and mashed swedes."
Word Nuance & Usage
Do not confuse 'swede' (the root vegetable or nationality) with 'suede' (leather with a napped finish).
• Rhymes for swedes
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the late 16th century from Middle Low German 'Swede', ultimately from Old Norse 'Svíþjóð' ('the Swedish people'). The vegetable sense arose in the early 19th century as a shortening of 'Swedish turnip', after the root was introduced to Scotland from Sweden around 1781.