sesame
n. uncountablen. small, flat seeds that come from a tropical plant and are used in cooking for their nutty flavor.
n. the small, oval, oil-rich seeds of the tropical plant Sesamum indicum, widely used as a food ingredient and a source of oil.
I love the taste of toasted sesame seeds on my bread.
The chef sprinkled black sesame over the tuna to add a subtle crunch and visual contrast to the dish.
Cultivated for thousands of years across Asia and Africa, sesame remains a staple crop due to its ability to grow in arid conditions where other plants fail.
From late Middle English sisamie, from Latin sīsamum, sēsamum, from Ancient Greek σήσαμον (sḗsamon), from Aramaic שושמא (šūššmā), shortening of שומשומא (šumššumā), from Akkadian 𒊭𒈦𒌑𒈬 (šamaššammū, “oil plant”), compound of 𒉌𒄑 (šaman, “oil”) and 𒌑 (šammum, “plant”). The modern pronunciation is perhaps influenced by (transliterations of) Greek σησάμη (sisámi). Doublet of sesamum.
Usually uncountable when referring to the plant or the crop; countable when referring to individual seeds ('sesame seeds').