ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD RHUBARB
From Old French reubarbe, from Medieval Latin reubarbum, probably a variant of rha barbarum barbarian rhubarb, from rha rhubarb (from Greek, perhaps from Rha ancient name of the Volga) + Latin barbarus barbarian.
WHAT DOES RHUBARB MEAN IN ENGLISH?
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is a species of plant in the family Polygonaceae. They are herbaceous perennials growing from short, thick rhizomes. They have large leaves that are somewhat triangular, with long fleshy petioles. They have small flowers grouped in large compound leafy greenish-white to rose-red inflorescences. In culinary use, fresh raw petioles are crisp with a strong, tart taste. Most commonly, the plant's leaf stalks are cooked with sugar and used in pies and other desserts. A number of varieties have been domesticated for human consumption, most of which are recognised as
Rheum x
hybridum by the Royal Horticultural Society. Rhubarb is usually considered a vegetable. In the United States, however, a New York court decided in 1947 that since it was used in the United States as a fruit, it counted as a fruit for the purposes of regulations and duties. A side effect was a reduction on imported rhubarb tariffs, as tariffs were higher for vegetables than fruits. Rhubarb also contains glycosides—especially rhein, glucorhein, and emodin, which impart cathartic and laxative properties. It is hence useful as a cathartic in case of constipation.
Definition of rhubarb in the English dictionary
The first definition of rhubarb in the dictionary is any of several temperate and subtropical plants of the polygonaceous genus Rheum, esp R. rhaponticum, which has long green and red acid-tasting edible leafstalks, usually eaten sweetened and cooked. Other definition of rhubarb is the leafstalks of this plant. Rhubarb is also a related plant, Rheum officinale, of central Asia, having a bitter-tasting underground stem that can be dried and used medicinally as a laxative or astringent.
CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO RHUBARB
PRESENT
Present
I rhubarb
you rhubarb
he/she/it rhubarbs
we rhubarb
you rhubarb
they rhubarb
Present continuous
I am rhubarbing
you are rhubarbing
he/she/it is rhubarbing
we are rhubarbing
you are rhubarbing
they are rhubarbing
Present perfect
I have rhubarbed
you have rhubarbed
he/she/it has rhubarbed
we have rhubarbed
you have rhubarbed
they have rhubarbed
Present perfect continuous
I have been rhubarbing
you have been rhubarbing
he/she/it has been rhubarbing
we have been rhubarbing
you have been rhubarbing
they have been rhubarbing
Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The
present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.
PAST
Past
I rhubarbed
you rhubarbed
he/she/it rhubarbed
we rhubarbed
you rhubarbed
they rhubarbed
Past continuous
I was rhubarbing
you were rhubarbing
he/she/it was rhubarbing
we were rhubarbing
you were rhubarbing
they were rhubarbing
Past perfect
I had rhubarbed
you had rhubarbed
he/she/it had rhubarbed
we had rhubarbed
you had rhubarbed
they had rhubarbed
Past perfect continuous
I had been rhubarbing
you had been rhubarbing
he/she/it had been rhubarbing
we had been rhubarbing
you had been rhubarbing
they had been rhubarbing
Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,
FUTURE
Future
I will rhubarb
you will rhubarb
he/she/it will rhubarb
we will rhubarb
you will rhubarb
they will rhubarb
Future continuous
I will be rhubarbing
you will be rhubarbing
he/she/it will be rhubarbing
we will be rhubarbing
you will be rhubarbing
they will be rhubarbing
Future perfect
I will have rhubarbed
you will have rhubarbed
he/she/it will have rhubarbed
we will have rhubarbed
you will have rhubarbed
they will have rhubarbed
Future perfect continuous
I will have been rhubarbing
you will have been rhubarbing
he/she/it will have been rhubarbing
we will have been rhubarbing
you will have been rhubarbing
they will have been rhubarbing
The
future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.
CONDITIONAL
Conditional
I would rhubarb
you would rhubarb
he/she/it would rhubarb
we would rhubarb
you would rhubarb
they would rhubarb
Conditional continuous
I would be rhubarbing
you would be rhubarbing
he/she/it would be rhubarbing
we would be rhubarbing
you would be rhubarbing
they would be rhubarbing
Conditional perfect
I would have rhubarb
you would have rhubarb
he/she/it would have rhubarb
we would have rhubarb
you would have rhubarb
they would have rhubarb
Conditional perfect continuous
I would have been rhubarbing
you would have been rhubarbing
he/she/it would have been rhubarbing
we would have been rhubarbing
you would have been rhubarbing
they would have been rhubarbing
Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.
IMPERATIVE
Imperative
you rhubarb
we let´s rhubarb
you rhubarb
The
imperative is used to form commands or requests.
NONFINITE VERB FORMS
Past participle
rhubarbed
Present Participle
rhubarbing
Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The
present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The
past participle shows the action after completion.
4 QUOTES WITH «RHUBARB»
Famous quotes and sentences with the word
rhubarb.
John Glenn's father, known as Herschel, was mostly deaf from injuries in World War I. To help out at home, young Glenn sold rhubarb all over town from the family garden.
If I could eat only one thing for the rest of my life, it would be rhubarb fool, which I make with ginger and a hint of elderflower cordial.
I got two older brothers and two younger sisters, and we grew up in the country, and we were a little feral. So as long as the car didn't end up in the rhubarb and you didn't get caught for doing whatever you were doing, you were fine.
Well, Art is Art, isn't it? Still, on the other hand, water is water. And east is east and west is west and if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste much more like prunes than rhubarb does. Now you tell me what you know.
10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «RHUBARB»
Discover the use of
rhubarb in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to
rhubarb and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
Eleanor Rigby is tiny, blind, left behind, and led by her zealous, overprotective guide dog, Warren, coursing constantly through the places she knows.
The farm animals learn that their possessive love for their dog friend Rhubarb is exhausting her and that friendships must be shared.
Stephen Cosgrove, Robin James,
1995
3
Rhubarb: More Than Just Pies
Preface 7 Acknowledgements 8 Introduction 9 Rhubarb: The Genus 70 A Word of
Caution 7 1 Nutritional Value of Rhubarb Fibre 14 Rhubarb Soup with
Strawberries, Mango, and Passion Fruit 15 Rhubarb Soup 16 Rhubarb and
Strawberry ...
4
Rhubarb in the Catbird Seat
Here is Red giving major play-by-plays of his own life and career with characteristic wit and integrity.
5
Kedgeree and
Rhubarb Crumble: Recipes from a Cosmopolitan ...
Jehan S. Rajab has produced an enchanting portrait of domestic life and cooking based on memories from a vanished world.
6
Death By
Rhubarb: When Her Ex-Husband's New Girlfriend Is ...
Kansas City caterer Heaven Lee turns amateur sleuth to save her business when a local lawyer drops dead from poisoning in the middle of dinner at Heaven's trendy new restaurant, Cafe Heaven. Original.
7
Great
Rhubarb Recipes: Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletin A-123
The words "rhubarb" and "pie" are so synonymous that it's no wonder rhubarb is also known as pieplant.
Marynor Jordan, Nancy C. Ralston,
1991
8
Elephant's Nest in a
Rhubarb Tree & Other Stories
Readers who have discovered the delights of the British master storyteller H.E. Bates will welcome this third collection. Gathered here are twenty stories written between 1938 and 1964 which are gems of human observation.
Herbert Ernest Bates,
1989
Newbie hint Rhubarb mulch: Cut a slit to the center of a rhubarb leaf starting from
the stem end. Then turn the leaf face down and gently guide it around the stem of
any seedling. The rhubarb collar will keep the soil moist until the seedling is ...
10
Great Garden Companions: A Companion-Planting System for a ...
A Companion-Planting System for a Beautiful, Chemical-Free Vegetable Garden
Sally Jean Cunningham. Rheum rhabarbarum • Polygonaceae Rhubarb -3' X
Space crowns 3' apart in a single row 3pina.Cn • ty/noc/a oleracea ...
Sally Jean Cunningham,
2000
10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «RHUBARB»
Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term
rhubarb is used in the context of the following news items.
Bear Breaks into Pie Shop and Devours 38 Pies, Skips the Rhubarb
It was a great day to be this Colorado bear yesterday. After breaking into a local pie shop, Sir Bear helped himself to some pie. Matter of fact, he helped himself ... «Gizmodo, Jul 15»
Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon Burgers with Rhubarb Chutney
Burgers are an All-American classic and when you are ready for something special with exceptional flavors, try our recipe for Wild Alaska Sockeye Salmon ... «The State Journal-Register, Jul 15»
Doing the impossible: Improving on strawberry-rhubarb pie
A basic strawberry-rhubarb pie is a delightful and iconic part of summer, but why let it rest at that? This summer we decided to crank it up and take this pie to a ... «The News Journal, Jun 15»
Rhubarb: more than meets the pie
We had been on the hunt for a rhubarb plant and were fortunate to be given two transplants from different people. Last fall we transplanted our potted rhubarb ... «The Independent News, Jun 15»
Rhubarb rewards with chutney two ways
I've been blessed with friends who have a giant rhubarb patch and couldn't care less about its existence. It sits, flourishing, just beyond their back fence, a thicket ... «National Post, Jun 15»
JULY FOURTH: Recipe for raspberry-rhubarb cream pie with …
The raspberries get arranged over a simple but deliciously tart-sweet rhubarb compote. And we didn't stop there. We layered all of that over a vanilla pudding, ... «Brandon Sun, Jun 15»
Andrea Honaker: Getting to know rhubarb
At any given farmers market or grocery store, customers will likely find produce they've never tried before. If rhubarb is one of your mystery plants, now is the ... «SouthCoastToday.com, May 15»
Savor the stalk: Give rhubarb a try in more than pies
If you've never indulged in rhubarb, this year you should: High in vitamins C and K (which plays an important role in bone health), and a good source of dietary ... «Miami Herald, May 15»
Rhubarb hummus recipe
The idea for this slightly unusual hummus popped into my head one day on when I was considering the similarities between rhubarb and the vibrant spice ... «Telegraph.co.uk, May 15»
Stalking spring: Ontario forced rhubarb now in season
Fresh rhubarb is shown in a handout photo.With the snow barely off the ground, consumers might be surprised to see rhubarb in markets and grocery stores. «Globalnews.ca, Apr 15»