saffron

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The odors of the precious spices the Monaldeschi stored in this pantry pervaded the air--saffron, cardamom, pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon.

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Definitions (29)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A corm-producing plant (Crocus sativus) native to the Old World, having purple or white flowers with orange stigmas.
  2. noun The dried aromatic stigmas of this plant, used to color foods and as a cooking spice and dyestuff.
  3. noun A moderate or strong orange yellow to moderate orange.

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This word has been looked up 110 times.

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Etymologies (3)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English safroun, from Old French safran, from Medieval Latin safrānum, from Arabic za'farān.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. Formerly also saffran; from Middle English saffron, saffroun, saferon, safforne, saffran, safrun = Dutch saffraan = Middle Low German saffarān = Middle High German safrān, German safran = Swedish saffran = Danish safran, from Old French safran, saffran (also safleur, saflor, later English safflower), French safran = Provencal safran, safra = Catalan safra = Italian zafferano = (with the orig. Arabic article) Spanish azafran = Portuguese açafrão = Walloon sofran, from Arabic (later Persian) za′farān, with the article az-za‘faran, saffron, from Arabic (later Turkish Persian) safrā, yellow (as a noun, bile).
  2. Formerly also saffran; from Middle English saffronen, from Old French saffraner, French safraner = Spanish azafranar = Portuguese açafroar = Italian zafferanare, saffron, dye saffron; from the noun.
 

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/ˈsæfrən/
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