parsnip, n. [OE. parsnepe, from a French form, fr. L. pastinaca; cf. pastinare to dig up, pastinum a kind of dibble; cf. OF. pastenade, pastenaque.].
The aromatic and edible spindle-shaped root of the cultivated form of the Pastinaca sativa, a biennial umbelliferous plant which is very poisonous in its wild state; also, the plant itself. [1913 Webster]
Cow parsnip. See Cow parsnip. -- Meadow parsnip, the European cow parsnip. -- Poison parsnip, the wild stock of the parsnip. -- Water parsnip, any plant of the umbelliferous genus Sium, the species of which are poisonous.