Skip to content
ontologydriven
Sign out

Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

konjac en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈkɒn-/
  • /-d͡ʒæk/ spelling pronunciation
  • /ˈkəʊn.jæk/

Etymology

From the Latinized binomial name for the plant, Amorphophallus konjac or Arisaema konjac in earlier texts, from Japanese 蒟蒻, 菎蒻 (konnyaku) or Korean 곤약 (gonyak). The Japanese term probably derives from Old Japanese, in turn from Middle Chinese 蒟蒻 (MC kjuX|kjuH nyak). The plant is not native to the Japanese archipelago, and was imported from China.

Meanings

  1. (uncountable, usually) A foul-smelling plant grown in Asia, Amorphophallus konjac.
  2. (uncountable, usually) Any of various food products made from the plant, including a flour and a gelatin, used to make noodles and candies, and as a food supplement for weight reduction.
    • Waitrose buyers are predicting the growing popularity of konjac, an Asian root vegetable which has an edible tuber already used to make pasta, lasagne sheets and “rice” noodles and, increasingly, vegan versions of faux fish and seafood. Konjac powder – renowed for its distinctive “fishy” smell – along with pea and potato starch and alginate (extracted from seaweed) is a key ingredient in the new vegan “smoked salmon” product. 2019 January 5, Rebecca Smithers, “Something smells fishy. Is it the vegan smoked salmon – made with potatoes?”, in The Observer, →ISSN:
    • Vrimp – a plant-based take on shrimp […]. Made from seaweed, peas and konjac root and shaped using specialist moulds, it is being trialled in its native Switzerland first. 2021 October 16, Zoe Wood, “Faux fish: vegan alternatives set to take UK market by storm”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
konjacs Number=Plur lexicographic
konjaku alternative lexicographic
konnyaku alternative lexicographic
konjak alternative lexicographic

Relateds

glucomannan

Synonyms

snake palm · devil's tongue · voodoo lily · elephant yam

Translations (29)

vi khoai nưa (Amorphophallus konjac) · bg конджак (Amorphophallus konjac) · de Konjakpflanze (Amorphophallus konjac) · bg коняк (Amorphophallus konjac) · ko 곤약 (Amorphophallus konjac) · bg коняк (food product) · sv konjak (food product) · es konjac (kóniak) (Amorphophallus konjac) · vi nưa (Amorphophallus konjac) · de Teufelszunge (food product) · ru конняку (Amorphophallus konjac) · sv konjakknölkalla (Amorphophallus konjac) · cmn 魔芋 (Amorphophallus konjac) · bg конджак (food product) · fi konjak (food product) · cmn 蒻頭 /蒻头 (Amorphophallus konjac) · my ဖျံ (Amorphophallus konjac) · ru конджак (food product) · pt konjac (Amorphophallus konjac) · ja 蒟蒻 (Amorphophallus konjac) · vi nưa trồng (Amorphophallus konjac) · th บุก (Amorphophallus konjac) · de Konjakwurzel (food product) · de Teufelszunge (Amorphophallus konjac) · pl konjak (food product) · cmn 蒟蒻 (Amorphophallus konjac) · fi mukulapökkövehka (Amorphophallus konjac) · ru конджак (Amorphophallus konjac) · ru конняку (food product)