water chestnut
• noun
The crisp, white, edible corm or tuber of an aquatic sedge (Eleocharis dulcis) native to Asia, widely cultivated and used as a crunchy vegetable in Chinese and other East Asian cuisines.
"She added sliced water chestnuts to the stir-fry to give the dish a satisfying crunch."
The edible, uniquely shaped seed of unrelated aquatic plants of the genus Trapa (such as Trapa natans), often bearing hard, horn-like projections and considered a problematic invasive species in many North American freshwater habitats.
"The local conservation team worked tirelessly to remove the invasive water chestnut from the river to protect native aquatic ecosystems."
The grass-like aquatic plant (Eleocharis dulcis) itself, which grows in freshwater marshes and produces the edible underground tuber.
"Farmers cultivate the water chestnut in flooded paddies similar to those used for growing rice."
Word Nuance & Usage
The term 'water chestnut' is commonly used to describe two botanically unrelated aquatic plants: the Chinese water chestnut (Eleocharis dulcis), prized for its crisp tuber in East Asian cuisines, and the water caltrop (genus Trapa), known for its thorny seeds and recognized as an invasive weed in North American waterways.
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Historical frequency of usage in published text.