Word
coriander
Phoneticsco·rian·der
US/ˌkɔɹiˈændɝ/
UK/kˌɒɹɪˈændɐ/
Definitions
01the fresh leaves
n. the green leaves of a plant used as a fresh herb in cooking.
n. the fresh leaves of Coriandrum sativum, widely used as a garnish or ingredient in diverse cuisines. Uncountable in this sense.
“She chopped some fresh coriander to sprinkle over the spicy curry.”
“The recipe calls for a generous handful of chopped coriander to be added just before serving to preserve its bright, citrusy aroma.”
British English
Usage
In British English, 'coriander' refers to both the leaves and the seeds.
Teaching tip
American English speakers almost exclusively call the fresh leaves 'cilantro' and reserve 'coriander' for the dried seeds.
Synonyms
02the dried seeds
n. the small, round seeds of the plant, usually ground into a powder and used as a spice.
n. the dried fruits or seeds of the coriander plant, used whole or ground as a warm, aromatic spice.
“The recipe says to toast the coriander seeds in a pan before grinding them.”
“Ground coriander provides a foundational earthy sweetness to many spice blends, including traditional garam masala and various dry rubs for roasted meats.”
Usage
Often used in the plural when referring to the whole seeds, or as an uncountable noun when referring to the ground powder.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“Finish with coriander, letting it wilt in the heat of the stock.” Etymology
From Middle English coriandre, from Anglo-Norman coriandre, from Old French corïandre, from Latin coriandrum, from Ancient Greek κορίανδρον (koríandron), of uncertain origin. Doublet of cilantro. cognates, etc. Compare Ancient Greek κορίαννον (koríannon), κορίαμβλον (koríamblon), Mycenaean Greek 𐀒𐀪𐁀𐀅𐀙 (ko-ri-a2-da-na), 𐀒𐀪𐀊𐀅𐀙 (ko-ri-ja-da-na), 𐀒𐀪𐀊𐀈𐀜 (ko-ri-ja-do-no), 𐀒𐀪𐀍𐀅𐀙 (ko-ri-jo-da-na), Akkadian 𒌑𒄷𒌷𒌝 (^úḫurium) Aramaic כסברה (kusbara, “coriander”), Classical Syriac ܟܽܘܣܒܰܪܬܳܐ (kūsbartā, “coriander”) and Arabic كُزْبَرَة (kuzbara). Beekes supposes that cluster -dn- implies a Pre-Greek word, and hypothesizes that koriaⁿdro- may have dissimilated to koriaⁿdno-.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/coriander