saffron

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a costly yellow-orange spice made from the dried stigmas of the saffron crocus

   She added a small pinch of saffron to the rice.

2. 2
   noun

   the purple-flowered crocus Crocus sativus, cultivated for the stigmas used as a spice and dye

   Each saffron flower produces only three harvestable stigmas.

3. 3
   noun

   a deep yellow color tinged with orange

   The setting sun turned the clouds a rich saffron.

From Middle English saffron and Old French safran, through Medieval Latin safranum from Arabic za'faran. The Arabic word may ultimately have an Aramaic source. The name passed with the traded spice and later also named its distinctive yellow-orange color.

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