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cin·na·mon

(sĭnə-mən)

a. The dried aromatic inner bark of certain tropical Asian trees of the genus Cinnamomum, especially C. verum and cassia (C. aromaticum), often ground and used as a spice.

b. A tree yielding this bark.

2. A light reddish brown.

adj.

1. Flavored with cinnamon.

2. Of a light reddish brown.

[Middle English cinamome, from Old French, from Latin cinnamōmum, from Greek kinnamōmon, probably of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew qinnāmôn.]

cin·namic (sə-nămĭk) adj.

(click for a larger image)

cinnamon

in sticks (left) and ground (right)

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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