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, ˌsɪnəˈmɒnɪk /

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

Simply fry your sliced bananas in a large pan with a cooked mixture of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.

From Salon • Jun. 20, 2026

“The original is heavy on the cloves and cinnamon, but we found it was better to let the anchovies do the talking.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

My good friend Tori Johnson had a cinnamon roll cake at her recent birthday party and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since.

From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026

Augmenting a humble cinnamon coffee cake with plush ricotta and floral cardamom.

From Salon • May 12, 2026

Her cotton nightgown smelled of flowers and her breath of coffee and cinnamon.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera