turmeric

[ tur-mer-ik, too-, tyoo- ]

noun
  1. the aromatic rhizome of an Asian plant, Curcuma domestica (or C. longa), of the ginger family.

  2. a powder prepared from it, used as a condiment, as in curry powder, or as a yellow dye, a medicine, etc.

  1. the plant itself.

  2. any of various similar substances or plants.

Origin of turmeric

1
First recorded in 1530–40; alteration of earlier tarmaret, late Middle English termerite, turmerite; akin to Medieval Latin terra merita, French terre-mérite, literally “merited earth,” an unexplained name for curcuma

Words Nearby turmeric

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use turmeric in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for turmeric

turmeric

/ (ˈtɜːmərɪk) /


noun
  1. a tropical Asian zingiberaceous plant, Curcuma longa, having yellow flowers and an aromatic underground stem

  2. the powdered stem of this plant, used as a condiment and as a yellow dye

  1. any of several other plants with similar roots

Origin of turmeric

1
C16: from Old French terre merite, from Medieval Latin terra merita, literally: meritorious earth, name applied for obscure reasons to curcuma

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012