Definition of "allium" [al•li•um]

• Any of numerous, usually bulbous plants of the genus Allium in the lily family, having long stalks bearing clusters of variously colored flowers and including many ornamental and food plants, such as onions, leeks, chives, garlic, and shallots. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Garlic, the most potent member of the family called allium that includes onions, shallots, chives and leeks, known for hundreds, if not thousands of years as a tool to ward off evil, may have gained this reputation for its wide-ranging health benefits."
• "It puts forward the idea that Earth is a globular allium and "pain and fear" are the lachrymatory agents that provoke all the tears."
• "When the fire's good and hot, run the allium up and down the grates with a fork to remove the residue."