Crossword Genius

Leafy herb stocks halve then plunge (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

endive

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'leafy herb stocks' is the definition.
Although both the answer and definition are singular nouns, I don't understand how they can define each other.

'halve then plunge' is the wordplay.
'halve then' becomes 'en' (I can't justify this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'plunge' becomes 'dive' (synonyms).
'en'+'dive'='ENDIVE'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for endive that I've seen before include "Envied (anag.)" , "Curly-leaved plant used as salad" , "Salad plant related to chicory" , "Envied the salad green badly" , "Edible plant" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.