Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An annual plant, Sesamum Indicum, natural order Pedaliaceœ, a native of India, but largely cultivated in most tropical and subtropical countries for the sake of the seeds and the oil expressed from it.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun (Bot.) The name of two plants (Sesamum orientale and Sesamum indicum), originally Asiatic; -- also called oil plant. From their seeds an oil is expressed, called benne oil or sesame oil, used mostly for making soap. In the southern United States the seeds are used in candy.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun botany sesame

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun East Indian annual erect herb; source of sesame seed or benniseed and sesame oil

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Wolof and Malinke bene.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Malay.

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Examples

  • They came to America from Africa and the Nigerian name for them, "benne", stuck.

    Archive 2006-04-01 2006

  • They came to America from Africa and the Nigerian name for them, "benne", stuck.

    Benne (Sesame) Seed Wafers 2006

  • By Minikonyha, amiben minden benne van « Tech hírek on July 2, 2009 at 7: 44 am

    Mini Kitchen for a Small Apartment by Joongho Choi 2009

  • Africans, who called it “benne,” brought it with them to the United States in the 17th century during the slave trade.

    2008 February 17 « bollywoods most wanted photographerno1 2008

  • Africans, who called it “benne,” brought it with them to the United States in the 17th century during the slave trade.

    Spices and Herbs -Bandra Bazar Road « bollywoods most wanted photographerno1 2008

  • Today, benne wafers -- thin cookies/crackers made with sesame seeds -- are closely associated with Low Country cooking, a style of cooking centered in Charleston, South Carolina.

    Archive 2006-04-01 2006

  • Today, benne wafers -- thin cookies/crackers made with sesame seeds -- are closely associated with Low Country cooking, a style of cooking centered in Charleston, South Carolina.

    Benne (Sesame) Seed Wafers 2006

  • Of course, sesame is traditional in Japanese cuisine, and Arabs use tahini in everything, not to mention the benne seed wafers of my youth!

    Archive 2007-09-01 Mercedes 2007

  • Of course, sesame is traditional in Japanese cuisine, and Arabs use tahini in everything, not to mention the benne seed wafers of my youth!

    How to Make Friends in the Middle East Mercedes 2007

  • * The secret password for the mice's counsel is "Egy aprócska kalapocska, benne csacska macska mocska" (pronounced "Edge ah-proe-tschka kala-poe-tschka, benne tchatchka matchka moh-tchka") (meaning "A tiny little hat with a silly cat's dirt in it").

    Archive 2006-06-01 Michelle Collins 2006

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