Zucchini

Zucchini is a whimsical term from aromantic and asexual communities for a queerplatonic partner, meaning someone you share a close, committed, intimate relationship with that is neither straightforwardly romantic nor sexual. It began as a joke, and that is the point: the word was chosen precisely because a vegetable has none of the assumptions that come with 'partner,' 'boyfriend,' or 'significant other.' By starting from a blank, silly word, people can define the bond on their own terms. It reflects a broader effort in aromantic and asexual spaces to build language for meaningful relationships that mainstream culture has not named.