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black cumin

1. The small black pungent seeds of an annual herb (Nigella sativa) of the buttercup family native to southwest Asia, used as a seasoning in southern and western Asian cuisines and for medicinal purposes. Also called nigella.

2. The dark brown, crescent-shaped seeds of an herb (Bunium persicum) of the parsley family native to southwest Asia, used as a seasoning in southern and western Asian cuisines.

[Sense 2, translation of Hindi kālā jīrā (kālā, black + jīrā, cumin) and Urdu kālā zīra (kālā, black + zīra, cumin).]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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