saffron

American  

[saf-ruhn] / ˈsæf rən /

noun

• saffrons
  plural

1. Also called vegetable gold. a crocus, Crocus sativus, having showy purple flowers.

2. an orange-colored condiment consisting of its dried stigmas, used to color and flavor foods.

3. Also saffron yellow a yellowish-orange color.

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saffron British  

/ ˈsæfrən /

noun

1. an Old World crocus, Crocus sativus, having purple or white flowers with orange stigmas

2. the dried stigmas of this plant, used to flavour or colour food

3. another name for autumn crocus

4. another name for safflower

5. 1. an orange to orange-yellow colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      a saffron dress

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• saffrons
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of saffron

1150–1200; Middle English saffran, saffron Old French safran < Medieval Latin saffrānum < Arabic zaʿfarān

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Compare meaning

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

• safflower vs. saffron

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Explanation

Saffron is a deep yellow-orange colored spice that's commonly used in Middle Eastern and South Asian food. Because it's quite expensive, saffron is usually sold in small quantities. Saffron looks like short, feathery threads — it's made from dried crocus stigmas, the thin stems at the center of the flower. A pinch of saffron, sometimes soaked in water, gives food a subtle sweet, grassy flavor and often a hint of orange or yellow color. This color itself is also called saffron. The word saffron comes from the Old French safran, by way of the Medieval Latin safranum, ultimately from the Arabic root az-za'faran.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

saffron saffrons

The night I went, the menu included eggplant purée, linguine alle vongole and sea bass with saffron.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

At the Mubarakiyah market, Iranian vendors hawk sweets, including delicacies infused with saffron and tahini-based treats, drawing a steady stream of customers.

From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026

The saffron risotto I had that night taught me the meaning of the word risotto.

From Salon ● Jun. 3, 2026

We hovered over saffron tea surrounded by other young Southern Californians, and we looked like friends.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2026

And for dessert she has fried dough balls in rosewater syrup, and baklava, and saffron cookies stuffed with cinnamon, sugar, and walnuts—all of it she baked over the weekends.

From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri

Costumes are colored tights in purples, greens, saffrons, with unobtrusive matching jackets.

From New York Times ● Feb. 2, 2018

How quickly the subtle browns and saffrons and vermilions fade!

From Musical Portraits Interpretations of Twenty Modern Composers by Paul Rosenfeld

The effect was exquisite, the window a veritable masterpiece, glowing, flaming, and burning with a hundred tints and colours—opalescent, purple, wine-red, clouded pinks, royal blues, saffrons, violets so dark as to be almost black.

From The Octopus : A story of California by Frank Norris

On that evening, I remember, the reds and saffrons in the sky were of an astonishing richness.

From In and out of Three Normady Inns by Anna Bowman Dodd

It thrives in a sandy loam or leaf soil, in a sunny part, and increases itself at the roots like the saffrons.

From Hardy Perennials and Old Fashioned Flowers Describing the Most Desirable Plants, for Borders, Rockeries, and Shrubberies. by John Wood

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