The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. 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.
n. Any of many bulbous plants, of the genus Allium, related to onions and garlic
the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English
n. A genus of plants, including the onion, garlic, leek, chive, etc.
The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
n. The largest genus of plants of the natural order Liliaceæ, of about 300 species, natives, with few exceptions, of the northern temperate zone.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. large genus of perennial and biennial pungent bulbous plants: garlic; leek; onion; chive; sometimes placed in family Alliaceae as the type genus
Word Usage
"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."