Word
cumin
US/ˈkjumən/
UK/kjˈuːmɪn/
Definitions
01the spice
n. a warm-smelling spice used in many dishes, especially in Indian, Mexican, and Middle Eastern food.
n. the aromatic seed of the Cuminum cyminum plant, used either whole or ground as a culinary spice.
“I added a teaspoon of ground cumin to the chili to give it more flavour.”
“The chef toasted the whole cumin seeds in a dry pan to release their essential oils before grinding them for the spice blend.”
02the plant
n. the small plant that produces the seeds used for the spice.
n. a small, slender annual herb in the family Apiaceae, native to the Irano-Turanian region.
“The farmer decided to grow cumin this year because the climate was dry enough.”
“Cumin thrives in well-drained soil and requires a long, hot summer to ensure the seeds reach full maturity for harvest.”
Technical
Usage
Usually refers to the species Cuminum cyminum in botanical contexts.
Real-World Examples
“In a bowl, mix the cumin and carrots with the remaining oil, a half-teaspoon of salt and lots of pepper.” Etymology
From Middle English comyn, from Old English cymen (which is cognate with Old High German kumin) and Old French cummin, both from Latin cuminum, from Ancient Greek κύμινον (kúminon), a Semitic borrowing ultimately to be traced to Akkadian 𒂵𒈬𒉡 (Ú.GAMUN /kamūnu/, “cumin”). Possibly related to caraway.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/cumin