Meaning
Any member of the species Cynara cardunculus of prickly perennial plants which has leaf stalks eaten as a vegetable, related to the artichoke.
Etymology
Origin: Middle English
From Middle English cardoun, from Old French cardon, from Late Latin cardōnem, from Latin cardus, alternative form of carduus (“thistle”). Respelled on analogy of -oon nouns. Doublet of cardon and chard.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
artichoke thistleground thistleprickly artichoke
NYT Puzzle Appearances
No published puzzle dates on file for this word yet. It is part of the official NYT Spelling Bee word list for 2023, 2026.