a plant of the dock family with large fleshy leaves and edible stalks, that are usu cooked with sugar and eaten as a dessert
any of several species of plants of the dock family that have large fleshy leaves with edible stalks: genus Rheum
the thick succulent greenish red leafstalks of this plant, usu cooked with sugar and eaten as a dessert
Brit a noise made by actors, traditionally by repeating the word rhubarb in a low voice, to suggest the sound of background conversation
chiefly Brit, informal nonsense or rubbish
chiefly NAmer, informal a heated or noisy dispute
[Middle English rubarbe via French from medieval Latin reubarbarum, alteration of rha barbarum, literally ‘foreign rhubarb’]