turmeric

English

Alternative forms

  • tumeric (nonstandard, sometimes proscribed)

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.

Pronunciation

  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtɝ.mɚ.ɪk/, [ˈtʰɝ.mɚ.ɪk], (nonstandard, sometimes proscribed) /ˈtuː.mə.ɹɪk/, [ˈtʰu.mɚ.ɪk]
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtɜː.m(ə).ɹɪk/, (nonstandard, sometimes proscribed) /ˈtjuː.m(ə).ɹɪk/, /ˈtʃuː.m(ə).ɹɪk/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • (Philippines) IPA(key): /təɹˈmɛ.ɾɪk/
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)məɹɪk, -uːməɹɪk, -ɜː(ɹ)mɹɪk, -uːmɹɪk

Noun

turmeric (countable and uncountable, plural turmerics)

  1. (botany) An Indian plant (Curcuma longa), with aromatic rhizomes, part of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).
  2. (cooking) The pulverized rhizome of the turmeric plant, used for flavoring and to add a bright yellow color to food.
    Synonym: haldi
  3. A yellow to reddish-brown dye extracted from the turmeric plant.
    Synonym: E100
    turmeric:  

Derived terms

Translations

See also

References

Further reading