English Explanatory Dictionary

saffron

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A plant of species Crocus sativus, a crocus.
  2. A spice (seasoning) and colouring agent made from the stigma and part of the style of the plant, sometimes or formerly also used as a dye and insect repellent.
  3. An orange-yellow colour, the colour of a lion's pelt.
adj
  1. Having an orange-yellow colour.
  2. Associated with Hinduism, Hindus or Hindu nationalism.
verb
  1. To add saffron to (a food), for taste, colour etc.
  2. To give a saffron colour to (something).
  3. To dye (a fabric, garment, etc.) with a saffron-based dye.
  4. To colour (a metal or wooden surface) with a gilding product containing saffron.
  5. To embellish.
name
  1. A female given name from English; a rare flower name from the saffron.

Pronunciation

/ˈsæfɹən/ /ˈsæfɹɒn/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-saffron.wav /ˈsæfɹɑn/ /ˈsæfəɹn/

Word forms

saffron saffrons saffroning saffroned

Etymology

Etymology tree Aramaic צפרder. Arabic زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān)bor. Medieval Latin safranumbor. Old French safranbor. Middle English saffron English saffron Inherited from Middle English saffron, borrowed from Old French safran, borrowed from Medieval Latin safranum, borrowed from Arabic زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān), from Aramaic צפר.

Synonyms

kesar saffron yellow

Related words

safflower safranine autumn crocus crocein crocoite crocus curcuma kumkum colchicum crocus bag crocus sack turmeric Saffy

Derived words

African saffron American saffron bastard saffron Cape saffron cobra saffron dyer's saffron ensaffroned false saffron Indian saffron iron saffron meadow-saffron meadow saffron Persian saffron saffrom crocus saffron-billed sparrow saffron buckwheat saffron cod saffron-cowled blackbird saffron crocus saffron finch saffron-headed parrot saffronisation saffronization saffronize saffronlike saffron milk cap saffron milkcap saffron plum saffron shadow dancer saffron siskin saffron spike saffron terror saffron toucanet saffron tree Saffron Walden saffronwood saffron wood saffrony saffron yellow sheep saffron thistle saffron

Translations

Albanian: shafran Albanian: krrokull Arabic: زَعْفَرَان Arabic: زعفران Armenian: քրքում Asturian: azafrán Azerbaijani: zəfəran Bulgarian: шафран Burmese: ကုံကုမံ Catalan: safranera Catalan: safrà Chinese Mandarin: 番紅花 /番红花 Chinese Mandarin: 藏紅花 /藏红花 Chinese Mandarin: 西紅花 /西红花 Cornish: safran Czech: šafrán Danish: safran Dargwa: загӏпиран Dutch: saffraankrokus Esperanto: safrano Estonian: safran Faroese: safran Finnish: maustesahrami French: safran Friulian: zafaran Galician: azafrán Galician: sasafrán Georgian: ზაფრანა German: Safran Greek: κρόκος Ancient Greek: κρόκος Mycenaean Greek: 𐁉 Hawaiian: keloko Hindi: केसर Hindi: कुंकुम Hindi: कुमकुम Hindi: ज़ाफ़रान Hungarian: sáfrány Ido: safrano Italian: zafferano Japanese: サフラン Kannada: ಕೇಸರಿ Khmer: រមៀត Lao: ຫຍ້າຝັ່ນ Latin: crocus Latin: safranum Maltese: żagħfran Manx: crogh Marathi: केसर Mongolian: гүргэм
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