cinnamon

American  

[sin-uh-muhn] / ˈsɪn ə mən /

noun

• cinnamons
  plural

1. the aromatic inner bark of any of several East Indian trees belonging to the genus Cinnamonum, of the laurel family, especially the bark of C. zeylanicum Ceylon cinnamon, used as a spice, or that of C. loureirii Saigon cinnamon, used in medicine as a cordial and carminative.

2. a tree yielding such bark.

3. any allied or similar tree.

4. a common culinary spice of dried rolled strips of this bark, often made into a powder.

5. cassia.

6. a yellowish or reddish brown.

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adjective

1. (of food) containing or flavored with cinnamon.

2. reddish-brown or yellowish-brown.

cinnamon British  

/ ˈsɪnəmən /

noun

1. a tropical Asian lauraceous tree, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, having aromatic yellowish-brown bark

2. the spice obtained from the bark of this tree, used for flavouring food and drink

3. an E Asian lauraceous tree, Cinnamomum loureirii, the bark of which is used as a cordial and to relieve flatulence

4. any of several similar or related trees or their bark See cassia

5. 1. a light yellowish brown

   2. (as modifier)

      a cinnamon coat

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cinnamic
  adjective
• cinnamoned
  adjective
• cinnamonic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cinnamons
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cinnamon

1400–50; < Latin < Late Greek kínnamon < Semitic (compare Hebrew qinnāmōn ); replacing late Middle English cinamome < Middle French < Latin cinnamōmum < Greek kinnámōmon < Semitic as above

Explanation

Cinnamon is a flavorful spice that comes from the bark of a tree. The tropical tree that produces the spice is also called cinnamon. Cinnamon is a common spice in sweet baked goods like cinnamon rolls and coffee cake. It's also used in savory dishes, particularly in Middle Eastern and North African cuisine. While most people are familiar with the dark reddish-brown ground cinnamon you can shake on your cinnamon toast, it also comes in the form of a short, rolled stick. The Latin source is cinnamum, which was once a term of endearment, as well as the name of the spice.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cinnamon cinnamons

“The closest I’ve been able to get to bringing its sparkle back has been no classic, half vanilla, half cinnamon dolce,” one chai lover posted, with roughly 100 messages in response.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

By the second day, one friend was walking arm-in-arm toward the cinnamon bread grist mill with its cashier.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

She recommends fragrances such as sandalwood, cedarwood, cinnamon and cardamom as they "are perfect for bringing a sense of comfort into the home".

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

Guests stroll into blacksmith shops and corn mills, dine on cinnamon bread and other local delicacies, and seek quiet time in an authentic Appalachian chapel.

From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026

Everything about her is dynamic—from her freckled cinnamon complexion to her carefree hippie aesthetic.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

It's an Ashkenazi recipe — with apples and cinnamons, bound by apricot jam and blackberry wine — that Ziggy and his kitchen staff will spend the next few days preparing by the truckload, literally.

From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2022

So close were they that we could see the markings of every feather—the iridescence of the heads, the delicate, wave-marked cinnamons and grays and browns, even the absurd little curled plumes over the tails.

From The Killer by Stewart Edward White

My pop he sayed I ain't got need to waste my time gettin' learnt them cinnamons.

From Tillie, a Mennonite Maid; a Story of the Pennsylvania Dutch by Helen Reimensnyder Martin

When the three men joined us and were talking about the bears, one of them shouted, "Here come two more," and before we could realize it we saw two good-sized cinnamons at the feast.

From Hunting in Many Lands The Book of the Boone and Crockett Club by Various

Didn't know anything about bear when I went into the country, exceptin' when I was a youngster I'd seen a heap of cinnamons and that little black kind.

From Dutch Courage and Other Stories by Jack London