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cu·min (kymĭn, k-, kŭmĭn)
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n.
1.
a. An annual Mediterranean herb (Cuminum cyminum) in the parsley family, having finely divided leaves and clusters of small white or pink flowers.
b. The seedlike fruit of this plant used whole or ground for seasoning, as in curry and chili powders.
2. Black cumin.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin cumīnum, from Greek kumīnon, probably of Semitic origin; see kmn in Semitic roots.]
Usage Note: Historically, cumin was pronounced (kŭmĭn), where the first syllable is like the word come. However, in our 2012 survey, only 15 percent of the Usage Panel found this pronunciation acceptable and less than 2 percent remarked that it was their preferred pronunciation, suggesting that the traditional form is being supplanted by (kymĭn) and (kmĭn), where the first syllable is like the word cue or coo.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

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:

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