nigella

British

/ naɪˈdʒɛlə /

noun

any plant of the ranunculaceous genus Nigella, from the Mediterranean and W Asia, esp N. damascena See love-in-a-mist

"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

Etymology

Origin of nigella

New Latin, diminutive of Latin niger black, from the colour of the seeds

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson declared it one of 10 foods she couldn’t live without.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

I think he and Nigella will get on quite well,” adds another.

From Salon • Jan. 27, 2026

Dame Prue said she was "thrilled" that Nigella would be taking over her role in the tent.

From BBC • Jan. 26, 2026

British cookbook author and TV personality Nigella Lawson will join the beloved baking competition as a judge, succeeding Prue Leith, who announced her departure from the series last week.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 26, 2026

It was odd to find garden pets—grape hyacinths, gladiolus, iris—leading a gipsy life on those sunny slopes, and odder still to discover begonias, or even Nigella damascena, camping out, as it were.

From The Fortunate Isles Life and Travel in Majorca, Minorca and Iviza by Boyd, Mary Stuart

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023