cinnamon

Pluralcinnamons (some meanings)

1. 1
   noununcountable

   A spice consisting of the dried, aromatic bark of the cinnamon tree, sold as rolled strips or ground into powder, and traded under that name for several related species.

   A pinch of cinnamon transformed the plain rice pudding.

   The market stall sold cinnamon both as fragrant quills and as fine powder.

   Note

   The kitchen sense is the one most people mean, and it is mostly uncountable: a pinch of cinnamon, a jar of cinnamon. Saying "a cinnamon" points back to the tree instead. The rolled strips are quills, and the powder is ground cinnamon. On a label the word may cover the bark of several species, which is why true cinnamon exists as a phrase.

2. 2
   nouncountable

   Cinnamomum verum, also called Cinnamomum zeylanicum, a small evergreen tree of the laurel family, Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka and southern India.

   Each cinnamon on the estate is coppiced to encourage new shoots.

   Botanists classify the cinnamon within the laurel family.

   Note

   The name has traveled far: Middle English synamome came through Old French cinnamone and Latin cinnamon or cinnamomum, from Greek kinnámōmon. Herodotus believed the Greeks had it from Phoenician, and Hebrew qinnāmōn is a cognate. The Latin form survives as the genus name Cinnamomum, so the tree's common name and its scientific name are one word in two shapes.

3. 3
   nouncountable or uncountable

   Several trees related to true cinnamon, notably Indonesian cinnamon (Cinnamomum burmanni) and Chinese cinnamon, or cassia (Cinnamomum cassia).

   Indonesian cinnamon, Cinnamomum burmanni, is harvested across the islands of Southeast Asia.

   Chinese cinnamon supplies most of the bark sold in American stores, far outstripping the Sri Lankan tree.

   Note

   The name stretches to cover relatives of the true tree, so the plain word rarely tells you which species is meant. Cassia is the useful exception. It names Cinnamomum cassia without ambiguity, while Chinese cinnamon still leans on the shared name. Unlike the Sri Lankan tree, this sense can also be used uncountably, for the trees taken together.

4. 4
   nouncountable

   A warm yellowish-brown color, similar to the color of the cinnamon spice.

   The designer chose a warm cinnamon for the fall collection.

   Among the paint samples, the cinnamons ranged from pale tan to rich russet.

   Note

   A color named after the spice, and ordinary enough as a noun to take a plural: cinnamons for a range of shades, as on a paint card. Placed before a noun it becomes the color adjective (cinnamon feathers), which is not comparable. A shade can be described as warmer or deeper, but not as more cinnamon.

5. 5
   adjective

   Containing cinnamon, or having the taste of cinnamon.

   He spread a thick cinnamon glaze over the rolls.

   The dessert had a rich cinnamon flavor.

6. 6
   adjective

   Having a yellowish-brown color.

   The bird's cinnamon feathers stood out against the snow.

   He chose a cinnamon leather for the armchair.

   Similartawny

7. 7
   nouncountable or uncountable

   The spice produced specifically from Cinnamomum verum, the true cinnamon of Sri Lanka, as distinct from cassia.

   Sri Lankan farmers harvest the delicate bark that becomes true cinnamon.

   Connoisseurs prefer true cinnamon, finding cassia too harsh for fine desserts.

   Note

   A phrase built for precision, used when the spice must come from Cinnamomum verum alone, the species of the Sri Lankan tree. It is usually set against cassia. Use it when the distinction matters, as in a recipe that insists on it, a botanical note or a trade description. In everyday cooking, plain cinnamon is enough.

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