Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Asparagus \As*par"a*gus\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, ?; cf. ? to swell
   with sap or juice, and Zend ?paregha prong, sprout, Pers.
   asparag, Lith. spurgas sprout, Skr. sphurj to swell. Perh.
   the Greek borrowed from the Persian. Cf. {Sparrowgrass}.]
   1. (Bot.) A genus of perennial plants belonging to the
      natural order {Liliace[ae]}, and having erect much
      branched stems, and very slender branchlets which are
      sometimes mistaken for leaves. {Asparagus racemosus} is a
      shrubby climbing plant with fragrant flowers.
      Specifically: The {Asparagus officinalis}, a species
      cultivated in gardens.

   2. The young and tender shoots of {A. officinalis}, which
      form a valuable and well-known article of food.

   Note: This word was formerly pronounced sparrowgrass; but
         this pronunciation is now confined exclusively to
         uneducated people.

   {Asparagus beetle} (Zo["o]l.), a small beetle ({Crioceris
      asparagi}) injurious to asparagus.