cumin

American  

[kuhm-uhn, koom-, koo-muhn, kyoo-] / ˈkʌm ən, ˈkʊm-, ˈku mən, ˈkyu- /

noun

1. a small plant, Cuminum cyminum, of the parsley family, bearing aromatic, seedlike fruit, used in cooking and medicine.

2. the aromatic fruit or seeds of Cuminum cyminum.

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cumin British  

/ ˈkʌmɪn /

noun

1. an umbelliferous Mediterranean plant, Cuminum cyminum, with finely divided leaves and small white or pink flowers

2. the aromatic seeds (collectively) of this plant, used as a condiment and a flavouring

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Etymology

Origin of cumin

First recorded before 900; Middle English comyn, cumin (from Old French comin ) from Latin cumīnum, from Greek kýmīnon, from Semitic (compare Arabic kammūn, Hebrew kammōn cumin); replacing Old English cymen from Latin, as above

Compare meaning

How does cumin compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• black cumin vs. cumin

Example Sentences

Prep Day works because I don’t have to stop every 15 minutes to measure cumin or double-check how many eggs go into the batter.

From Salon

I imagine they may have leaned on warming spices like cumin, turmeric, and cardamom, which are obviously not often thought of as companions to hollandaise.

From Salon

His gumbo recipe, for example, calls for two pouches each of smoked clams, oysters and mackerel along with white rice, oregano, cumin and chile peppers.

From Los Angeles Times

Try some chili crisp or a subtler note with a warming spice, like cumin or garam masala.

From Salon

"We used to plant wheat, barley, cumin and cotton. Now we cannot do anything. And as long as we cannot cultivate these lands, we will always be in poor economic condition," he adds, clearly frustrated.

From BBC