cumin

cumin
/kum"euhn, koom"-/ or, often, /kooh"meuhn, kyooh"-/, n.
1. a small plant, Cuminum cyminum, of the parsley family, bearing aromatic, seedlike fruit, used in cookery and medicine.
2. the fruit or seeds of this plant.
[bef. 900; ME comyn, cumin ( < OF comin) < L cuminum < Gk kýminon < Sem (cf. Ar kammun, Heb kammon cumin); r. OE cymen < L, as above]

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Small, slender annual herb (Cuminum cyminum) of the carrot family (Apiaceae).

It is cultivated in the Mediterranean region, India, China, and Mexico. Its seeds, which are actually dried fruits, are used in many spice mixtures such as chili and curry powders. Cumin is especially popular in Asian, North African, and Latin American cuisines. Its oil is used in perfumes, for flavouring liquors, and for medicinal purposes.

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▪ herb
also spelled  Cummin 

      (Cuminum cyminum), small, slender annual herb of the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) with finely dissected leaves and white or rose-coloured flowers. Native to the Mediterranean region, cumin is also cultivated in India, China, and Mexico for its fruits, called seeds, which are used to flavour a variety of foods.

      Cumin, or comino, seeds are actually dried fruits. They are thin, yellowish brown, elongated ovals about 0.25 inch (6 mm) long with five prominent longitudinal dorsal ridges interspersed with less-distinctive secondary ridges forming a tiny, gridlike pattern. An essential ingredient in many mixed spices, chutneys, and chili and curry powders, cumin seeds are especially popular in Asian, North African, and Latin American cuisines. Their distinctive aroma is heavy and strong; their taste warm and reminiscent of caraway. At one time cumin seeds were widely used as home medicinals; their medicinal use today is chiefly veterinary. The seeds contain between 2.5 and 4.5 percent essential oil, the principal component of which is cumaldehyde. The oil is used in perfumery, for flavouring a variety of liquors, and for medicinal purposes.

      Black cumin, or fennel flower (Nigella sativa), a similar Eurasian herb of the family Ranunculaceae, also is used as a seasoning.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • cumin — cumin …   Dictionnaire des rimes

  • cumin — [ kymɛ̃ ] n. m. • comin 1260; lat. cuminum, gr. kuminon, d o. sémitique 1 ♦ Plante aromatique originaire du Moyen Orient (ombellifères) de saveur et d odeur assez fortes, appelée aussi faux anis. Cumin officinal. Par anal. Cumin des prés. ⇒ carvi …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Cumin — Cum in (k?m ?n), n. [OE.comin, AS. cymen, fr. L. cuminum, Gr. ???????; of Semitic origin, cf. Ar. kamm?n, Heb. kamm?n; cf. OF. comin, F. cumin. Cf. {Kummel}.] (Bot.) A dwarf umbelliferous plant, somewhat resembling fennel ({Cuminum Cyminum}),… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • CUMIN — (Heb. כַּמּוֹן, kammon; Isa. 28:25, 27), the spice Cuminum cyminum. In mishnaic times cumin grew extensively in Ereẓ Israel and was even exported (Dem. 1:1), the local variety being superior to that of Cyprus (TJ, Dem. 2:1, 22b). It was used as a …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Cumin — steht für: Kreuzkümmel, eine Gewürzpflanze St. Cumin von Matefelum (St. Cuimine Fota), ein irischer Heiliger Diese Seite ist eine Begriffsklärung zur Unterscheidung mehrerer mit demselben Wort bezeichneter Begriffe …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • cumin — CUMIN. s. m. Plante ombellifère. Elle a une odeur vive et très ferte, sans être désagréable. La graine de cumin facilite la digestion et dissipe les vents. Quelques uns, par cette raison, en mettent dans le pain et dans le fromage …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française 1798

  • cumin — [kum′in; ko͞o′min, kyo͞o′min, koo′min] n. [ME < OFr cumin < L cuminum < Gr kyminon < Sem, as in Heb kammōn, Ar kammūn] 1. a small herb (Cuminum cyminum) of the umbel family, bearing umbels of small, white or rose flowers 2. its… …   English World dictionary

  • Cumin — Cumin, s. u. Cuminum …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • cumin — (n.) O.E. cymen, from L. cuminum, from Gk. kyminon, cognate with Heb. kammon, Arabic kammun …   Etymology dictionary

  • cumin — CUMIN. s. m. Sorte de petite graine qui ressemble à l anis …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • cumin — (also cummin) ► NOUN ▪ the aromatic seeds of a plant of the parsley family, used as a spice, especially in curry powder. ORIGIN Greek kuminon, probably of Semitic origin …   English terms dictionary

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