Turmeric
//ˈtɝ.mɚ.ɪk// noun
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An Indian plant (Curcuma longa), with aromatic rhizomes, part of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). countable, uncountable
- 2 ground dried rhizome of the turmeric plant used as seasoning wordnet
- 3 The pulverized rhizome of the turmeric plant, used for flavoring and to add a bright yellow color to food. countable, uncountable
- 4 widely cultivated tropical plant of India having yellow flowers and a large aromatic deep yellow rhizome; source of a condiment and a yellow dye wordnet
- 5 A yellow to reddish-brown dye extracted from the turmeric plant. countable, uncountable
Example
More examples"Drink turmeric and turn fair-skinned."
Etymology
From Middle English turmeryte, tarmaret, of uncertain origin. Possibly corrupted from Arabic كُرْكُم (kurkum, “Curcuma”) or from Old French terre mérite (“deserving earth”), potentially as a folk etymology of the Arabic.
Related phrases
More for "turmeric"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.