saffron
pronunciation
How to pronounce saffron in British English:
UK [ˈsæfrən]
How to pronounce saffron in American English:
US [ˈsæfrən]
-
- Noun:
- Old World crocus having purple or white flowers with aromatic pungent orange stigmas used in flavoring food
- dried pungent stigmas of the Old World saffron crocus
- a shade of yellow tinged with orange
Word Origin
- saffron
- saffron: [13] Saffron brought its name with it along the spice route from the Middle East. It comes from Arabic za‘farān, a word of unknown origin, and reached English via medieval Latin safranum and Old French safran. The town of Saffron Walden in Essex is so named from its once thriving saffron-growing industry.
- saffron (n.)
- c. 1200, from Old French safran (12c.), from Medieval Latin safranum (cognate with Italian zafferano, Spanish azafran), ultimately from Arabic az-za'faran, which is of unknown origin. As a color word and an adjective, late 14c. German Safran is from French; Russian shafran' is from Arabic.
Example
- 1. This is the land of manchego cheese and saffron .
- 2. It was the first act of defiance in what became the failed saffron revolution .
- 3. Whether greeting dignitaries or dropping by the met , mrs. obama projects her personality in glowing shades of saffron and tangerine .
- 4. So is saffron , a very expensive spice .
- 5. Khrew , india : a kashmiri woman collects saffron flowers from a field