# finocchio
## English
### Alternative forms

* (ending in '-o') fennocchio, fennochio, fenocchio, fenochio, finnocchio, finnochio, finocchio, finochio
* (ending in '-a') fenochia, finnochia, finocchia, finocha, finochia
* (ending in '-ie') finochie

### Etymology

Borrowed from Italian finocchio (“fennel; (derogatory) male homosexual”). Doublet of fennel.

### Pronunciation

* (Received Pronunciation) enPR: fĭnŏʹkĭō, fĭnōʹkĭō, IPA: /fɪˈnɒkɪəʊ/, /fɪˈnəʊkɪəʊ/
** Audio (Southern England):(file)
* Rhymes: -əʊkiəʊ

### Noun

finocchio (plural finocchi or finocchios)
* A fennel cultivar with a bulb-like structure at its base, used as a vegetable; Florence fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum).
    Synonym: Florence fennel
** 1974, Ali-Bab (author) and Elizabeth Benson (translator), Encyclopedia of Practical Gastronomy, page 41
    Finocchios are shoots of the fennel, an odoriferous plant of the Umbelliferae family.
** 1981, Country Life, volume 170, page 1,057:For the first time, finocchio, or Florence fennel, has performed for me as it should and has swollen out into bulbous protrusions at the base of its leaf stalks.
** 1983, Theodore James, The Gourmet Garden, page 44:The strong anise odor of finocchio repels many insects from other vegetables.
** 1994, B. Rosie Lerner, Beverly S. Netzhammer, Possum in the Pawpaw Tree: A Seasonal Guide to Midwestern Gardening, page 43:Also called Florence fennel, finocchio has long been a popular vegetable in Europe but has somehow fallen out of circulation from most American gardens.
* (derogatory, slang) A gay man.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:male homosexual
** 2008, Edward Anthony Gibbons, A Cultural Affair, page 6:On many, a cold freezing night, of temperatures hovering near zero, the finocchios tease and try to encourage Tedesco to join in their warm body orgies.
** 2009, Paul MacKenzie, Redemption Comes to Brooklyn, page 172:Not to mention, he and Julie were finocchios; but at least Larry was a smart finocchio.
** 2010, Suzanne Corso, Brooklyn Story, page 182:“Don’ stand next to any finocchios who might try’n grab your best friend,” Vin cracked. Richie roared as Tony made his way to the men’s room.
** 2011 August 19, Jane Espenson, Torchwood: Miracle Day, episode 7: “Immortal Sins”, 23:51–23:57
    Salvatore Maranzano: Rumour is you two are a pair of finocchi. Captain Jack Harkness: That’s not a rumour; that’s a boast.

#### Translations
### References

* “‖ Finochio” listed on page 237 of volume IV (F and G), § i (F) of A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles [1st ed., 1901] ‖ Finochio (finǫ·kio). Also 8 fenochia, -io, -occhio, finocha, finochi, 8–9 fin(n)ochia. [It. finocchio: — popular L. fēnoclum: see Fennel.] The sweet fennel (Fœniculum dulce); also called the dwarf or French fennel. [¶] 1723 R. Digby Let. to Pope 14 Aug. How spring the Brocoli and the Fenochio. 1767 J. Abercrombie Ev. Man own Gardener (1803) 658/1 Finochio, or French fennel; for soups, sallads, etc. 1796 C. Marshall Garden. xvi. (1813) 267 Finochio is a sort of dwarf fennel. 1847 Craig, Finnochia, a variety of fennel.
* “‖finochio” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2nd ed., 1989]

## Italian
### Etymology

From Late Latin fēnuculum (contracted to a later Vulgar Latin form *fenuclum), from a diminutive of Latin fēnum. The slang sense is of Tuscan origin and probably derives from the archaic meaning “worthless person”, although many different folk etymologies exist.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fiˈnɔk.kjo/
* Rhymes: -ɔkkjo
* Hyphenation: fi‧nòc‧chio

### Noun

finocchio m (plural finocchi)
* (botany) fennel
    Synonym: (Venetian slang) fenocio
* (slang, vulgar, derogatory) queer, poof, nancyboy, faggot [from 1863]
    Synonyms: omosessuale, (Venetian slang) fenocio, frocio, ricchione
* (archaic) bungler (incompetent or worthless person)

#### Derived terms

* finocchiaccio
* finocchiella
* finocchietto
* finocchino
* finocchiona
* finocchione

#### Related terms

* fieno

#### Descendants

* → Albanian: finok
* → English: finocchio
* → Greek: φινόκιο (finókio)

### References

* ↑ Giovanni Dall'Orto ((Can we date this quote?)) “Finocchio”, in Storia di undici termini relativi all'omosessualità

### Further reading

* Finocchio on the Italian Wikipedia.Wikipedia $^{it}$

### Anagrams

* fiocchino