teff

American  

[tef] / tɛf /

noun

1. a grass, Eragrostis tef, native to the Horn of Africa, where it is cultivated for its edible seeds.

2. the edible seeds of the grass Eragrostis tef.

3. Sometimes teff flour a flour made from the edible seeds of the grass Eragrostis tef, used especially in the cuisine of Ethiopia and Eritrea.

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Etymology

Origin of teff

First recorded in 1780–90; from Amharic t’ef; compare Geez t’ah’əf, t’ayəf

Example Sentences

At an elevation of about 2500 meters on Ethiopia’s Amhara plain, villagers conduct an ancient ritual—harvesting delicate stalks of teff by hand.

From Science Magazine • Nov. 26, 2024

Only starters made using teff, amaranth and buckwheat were lacking the acetic acid bacteria.

From Science Daily • Oct. 11, 2023

They were living in New York and had access to plenty of health food stores, farmers markets and ethnic stores where she easily could source things such as millet and sorghum flours, arrowroot and teff.

From Seattle Times • May 16, 2023

Whole grains like teff, quinoa and wheat are great sources of protein.

From Salon • Mar. 27, 2023

In the lower regions a wide variety of crops are grown —among them maize, durra, wheat, barley, rye, teff, pease, cotton and sugar-cane—-and many kinds of fruit trees are cultivated.

From The Project Gutenberg Encyclopedia Volume 1 of 28 by Project Gutenberg