cumin

American  

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

noun

• cumins
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cumins
  plural

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

See Examples For:

cumin

He used to make spaghetti Bolognese with cumin and coriander in it, so Western and Italian cuisine with Indian influences is comforting to me.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026

Ma cooks the greens with mustard oil, onion seeds, a dash of cumin with tons of green chilies.

From Salon ● May 9, 2026

He honed his craft during the pandemic, developing flavors like red mole topped with sesame, and a Mexican everything spice blend that includes garlic, onion, toasted cumin and ancho chile with a hint of lime.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

It’s a spice mix made of cumin, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and turmeric.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 17, 2026

I knew the names of all the spices on Mama’s spice rack before I could read: salt, paprika, turmeric, cumin, coriander, mint.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan