Cinnamon Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Synonyms cinnamon American [sin-uh-muhn] / ˈsɪn ə mən /

noun

1. the aromatic inner bark of any of several East Indian trees belonging to the genus Cinnamonum, of the laurel family, especially the bark of C. zeylanicum Ceylon cinnamon, used as a spice, or that of C. loureirii Saigon cinnamon, used in medicine as a cordial and carminative.

2. a tree yielding such bark.

3. any allied or similar tree.

4. a common culinary spice of dried rolled strips of this bark, often made into a powder.

5. cassia.

6. a yellowish or reddish brown.

adjective

1. (of food) containing or flavored with cinnamon.

2. reddish-brown or yellowish-brown.

cinnamon British / ˈsɪnəmən, ˌsɪnəˈmɒnɪk /

noun

1. a tropical Asian lauraceous tree, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, having aromatic yellowish-brown bark

2. the spice obtained from the bark of this tree, used for flavouring food and drink

3. an E Asian lauraceous tree, Cinnamomum loureirii, the bark of which is used as a cordial and to relieve flatulence

4. any of several similar or related trees or their bark See cassia

5. 1. a light yellowish brown

   2. (as modifier)

      a cinnamon coat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• cinnamic adjective
• cinnamoned adjective
• cinnamonic adjective

Etymology

Origin of cinnamon

1400–50; < Latin < Late Greek kínnamon < Semitic (compare Hebrew qinnāmōn ); replacing late Middle English cinamome < Middle French < Latin cinnamōmum < Greek kinnámōmon < Semitic as above

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Especially notorious is lead chromate mixed in with cinnamon to achieve a bright colour or bulk out the powders.

From BBC

Their visceral cream of pistachio, hazelnut, dark or white chocolate, lemon, raspberry, cinnamon apple, caramel, or speculous.

From Salon

At Cocoa’s, Bat spilled some of his hot chocolate on his shirt when he took off the lid to add cinnamon.

From Literature

The next morning I woke up to the smell of apples and cinnamon drifting through my window.

From Literature

The dry lake beds and bare mountains were cast in glow and shadow, the whole scene washed in cinnamon and brown sugar — earthy tones that felt almost edible.

From Los Angeles Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.