Dictionary

saffron en · ADJ

Pronunciation

(Southern-England) audio
/ˈsæfɹɑn/ (General-American)
/ˈsæfəɹn/ (obsolete)
/ˈsæfɹən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈsæfɹən/ (General-American)
/ˈsæfɹɒn/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Aramaic צפרder. Arabic زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān)bor. Medieval Latin safranumbor. Old French safranbor. Middle English saffron English saffron Inherited from Middle English saffron, borrowed from Old French safran, borrowed from Medieval Latin safranum, borrowed from Arabic زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān), from Aramaic צפר.

Meanings

Having an orange-yellow colour.
- For ioyfull thoughts, vse funerall deedes 1624, Thomas Heywood, Gynaikeion: or, Nine Bookes of Various History. Concerninge women inscribed by the names of the nine Muses, London, Book 3, “A Funerall Oade vpon the death of Anna Panareta” p. 123, Now Hymen change thy saffron weedes To roabe and habit sable
- 1794, Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, London: G.G. & J. Robinson, Volume 1, Chapter 9, p. 256, The sun was now set; but, under the dark branches of the almond trees, was seen the saffron glow of the west, spreading beyond the twilight of middle air.
- […] it was half-past four, and the gray day was dying gloriously, its western clouds all broken into narrowing purple strata before a wide-spreading saffron clearness […] 1876, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter 40, in Daniel Deronda, volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC:
- The jacket was brown but had turned saffron where it had been soaked by Lal’s sweat. 1961, V. S. Naipaul, A House for Mr Biswas, Part 1, Chapter 2:
(qualifier:Indian politics) Associated with Hinduism, Hindus or Hindu nationalism.
- That is when he decided it was time to turn saffron, though it took him another ten years to formally join the BJP in 2014. 2018 August 25, “Satpal Malik: BJP’s ticket to form a saffron government in J&K”, in National Herald:
- Saffron voters will certainly respond to the Sena chief’s call to support this alliance. 2012 January 11, “Saffron alliance gives RPI 29 seats it never won”, in Hindustan Times:

Translations (20)

ru шафра́нный (having an orange-yellow colour) · de safranfarbig (having an orange-yellow colour) · fi sahraminkeltainen (having an orange-yellow colour) · hi केसरिया (having an orange-yellow colour) · ru шафра́новый (having an orange-yellow colour) · sv saffransfärgad (having an orange-yellow colour) · bg яркожълт (having an orange-yellow colour) · vo safranayelovik (having an orange-yellow colour) · ca safrà (having an orange-yellow colour) · hi केसरी (having an orange-yellow colour) · sv saffransgul (having an orange-yellow colour) · ur کیسری (having an orange-yellow colour) · es de azafrán (having an orange-yellow colour) · ur کیسریا (having an orange-yellow colour) · ro șofrăniu (having an orange-yellow colour) · pt açafroado (having an orange-yellow colour) · pl szafranowy (having an orange-yellow colour) · mr केसरी (having an orange-yellow colour) · de safrangelb (having an orange-yellow colour) · it zafferano (having an orange-yellow colour)

saffron en · NOUN

Pronunciation

(Southern-England) audio
/ˈsæfɹɑn/ (General-American)
/ˈsæfəɹn/ (obsolete)
/ˈsæfɹən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈsæfɹən/ (General-American)
/ˈsæfɹɒn/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Aramaic צפרder. Arabic زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān)bor. Medieval Latin safranumbor. Old French safranbor. Middle English saffron English saffron Inherited from Middle English saffron, borrowed from Old French safran, borrowed from Medieval Latin safranum, borrowed from Arabic زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān), from Aramaic צפר.

Meanings

(countable, uncountable) A plant of species Crocus sativus, a crocus.
- Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, spikenard and saffron […] 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Song of Songs of Songs-Chapter-4/#13-14 4:13-14:
- 2009, D. H. Sanaeinejad, S. N. Hosseini, Regression Models for Saffron Yields in Iran, Daoliang Li, Chunjiang Zhao (editors), Computer and Computing Technologies in Agriculture II, Volume 1, page 510, Usually the maximum temperature for October, November and December in the southern parts of Khorassan–the main saffron growing area of the Iran-does not exceed 20°C, while the minimum temperature reaches 0°C.
(countable, uncountable) A spice (seasoning) and colouring agent made from the stigma and part of the style of the plant, sometimes or formerly also used as a dye and insect repellent.
- Saffron is often called the “golden spice.” 2011, Mathew Attokaran, Natural Food Flavors and Colorants, unnumbered page:
- I must have saffron to colour the warden pies […] c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:
- According to ancient legend, a Greek girl, partaking of saffron for an entire week, could not resist a lover. 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 212:
- Saffron is not included in American and British pharmacopoeias, but some Indian medical formulae still include it. 2002, James A. Duke, editor, CRC Handbook of Medicinal Spices, page 129:
- 1658, Thomas Muffet, The Theatre of Insects, [1634, Insectorum sive Minimorum Animalium Theatrum], quoted in 2008, Anna Suranyi, The Genius of the English Nation: Travel Writing and National Identity in Early Modern England, page 117-118, The Irish and Ireland people (who are frequently troubled with lice, and such as will fly, as they say, in summer) anoint their shirts with saffron, and to very good purpose, to drive away the lice, but after six months they wash their shirts again, putting fresh saffron into the lye.
- Saffron is the stigma of the crocus flower, which is harvested by hand, dried, and sold either in strands or ground to powder.[…]Of all the medieval spices, saffron was the most expensive, which is not surprising given that 70,000 flowers only yield one pound of dried stigmas. In the European cookbooks of the late Middle Ages, nearly all of which which reflect refined upper-class dining, saffron is ubiquitous. 2004, Melitta Weiss Adamson, Food in Medieval Times, page 15:
(countable, uncountable) An orange-yellow colour, the colour of a lion's pelt.
- The classical shades of Antiquity were the most prevalent, but along with the Venetian reds and Egyptian blues, the saffrons and ochres and indigos, were more delicate hues: of pink and cream and lilac, like shells littered upon the shore. 2011, Seth Hunter, The Winds of Folly, unnumbered page:
- These colours might have been expressly designed—by dissonance as much as harmony—for juxtaposition against those pouring down in brilliant rays of light from the Tiepolo; subtle yet penetrating pinks and greys, light blue turning almost to lavender, rich saffrons and cinnamons melting into bronze and gold. 1973, Anthony Powell, Temporary Kings, page 82:
- […] the girls locked up Echo Lodge again and went away in the perfect half hour that follows the rose and saffron of a winter sunset. 1915, L[ucy] M[aud] Montgomery, chapter 7, in Anne of the Island, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, →OCLC:
- […] The stately Ram Shone thro’ the Mead, in native Purple clad, Or milder Saffron […] a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC, page 18:
- On another occasion, H-pop singer Kanhiya Mittal sang a duet with a BJP lawmaker whose lyrics read “the saffron is getting deeper”, a reference to the colour of Hinduism and the BJP's own party colours, […] 2024 May 4, John Reed, “How to interpret India?”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 9:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Labels	Source
saffrons	Number=Plur		lexicographic

Translations (204)

tr safran (colour) · et safran (plant) · ka ზაფრანა (spice) · pl (kolor) szafranowy (colour) · fr safran (colour) · mr केसर (plant) · sa कुङ्कुम (plant) · sh шафран (plant) · rgn ẓafarân (plant) · fi sahrami (spice) · ka ზაფრანა (plant) · kn ಕೇಸರಿ (plant) · gl azafrán (spice) · km រមៀត (plant) · mr केसरी (dye) · ar زَعْفَرَان (plant) · dar загӏпиран (plant) · ary زعفران (spice) · gv crogh (spice) · gu કેસર (spice) · es azafrán (spice) · ja サフラン (spice) · gv crogh (plant) · hy քրքում (spice) · pa ਕੇਸਰ (spice) · ro șofran (spice) · fi sahrami (dye) · lo ຫຍ້າຝັ່ນ (plant) · ta குங்குமப்பூ (spice) · kw safran (plant) · ru шафра́н (spice) · vec croco (plant) · tl asapran (spice) · ur زعفران (plant) · ro șofran (dye) · ms kumkuma (spice) · hi कुमकुम (plant) · ro șofran (plant) · tk zagpyran (plant) · az zəfəran (spice) · hi केसर (spice) · hi केसरी (colour) · pl szafran (spice) · sv saffran (plant) · fur zafaran (plant) · io safrano (plant) · de Safran (plant) · la crocus (spice) · haw keloko (plant) · my ကုံကုမံ (plant) · nb safrankrokus (plant) · fo safran (plant) · sv saffran (spice) · mt żagħfran (plant) · af saffraan (spice) · bg шафран (spice) · hy քրքում (colour) · id kuma-kuma (spice) · ast azafrán (plant) · hu sáfrány (spice) · la safranum (plant) · ne केशर (spice) · sv saffran (colour) · ary زعفران (plant) · te కుంకుమపువ్వు (spice) · tr safran (spice) · hi केसरिया (colour) · pl szafran (colour) · de Safran (dye) · nn safran (dye) · eo safrano (spice) · dv ކުކުން (spice) · sl žafran (spice) · hi केसर (plant) · nl saffraankrokus (plant) · grc κρόκος (plant) · pl szafran (plant) · vec zafran (plant) · nl saffraan (dye) · ja サフラン色 (colour) · az zəfəran (plant) · ta குங்குமப்பூ (plant) · hu sáfrány (dye) · ur کیسری (dye) · cmn 藏紅花色 /藏红花色 (colour) · cy saffrwn (spice) · ja サフラン (plant) · cmn 番紅花 /番红花 (plant) · hi कुंकुम (plant) · io safrano (spice) · nb safran (dye) · hi ज़ाफ़रान (plant) · arz زعفران (plant) · gmy 𐁉 (plant) · sw rangi ya zafarani (colour) · gl sasafrán (dye) · he זְעַפְרָן (spice) · gv crogh (dye) · nl saffraan (spice) · it zafferano (plant) · hu sáfrány (plant) · es azafrán (colour) · cmn 藏紅花 /藏红花 (plant) · si කුංකුම (spice) · el κρόκος (spice) · el κρόκος (plant) · mr केसर (spice) · hi भगवा (colour) · pt açafrão (dye) · gl sasafrán (plant) · de Safran (spice) · ca safrà (colour) · ur کیسر (plant) · fr safran (plant) · haw keloko (spice) · sk šafrán (spice) · ka ყვითელი ყვავილი (spice) · mr केशर (spice) · kw safran (spice) · yue 番紅花 /番红花 (spice) · de Safrangelb (colour) · el βαθυκίτρινο (colour) · it zafferano (dye) · mk шафран (spice) · hi केसरिया (dye) · mr केसरी (colour) · ks کۄنٛگ (plant) · pl krokus (plant) · is saffran (spice) · fa زعفران (plant) · ro șofran (colour) · sh šafran (spice) · pt açafrão (spice) · ca safrà (plant) · gl azafrán (dye) · fa زعفران (spice) · bg шафран (plant) · kn ಕೇಸರಿ (colour) · sw zafarani (spice) · no safran (colour) · ur کیسری (colour) · ru шафра́н (dye) · cmn 西紅花 /西红花 (plant) · bg яркожълт (colour) · fi maustesahrami (plant) · el ζαφορά (spice) · ca safrà (dye) · fr safran (spice) · ks کۄنٛگ (spice) · da safran (plant) · gl sasafrán (spice) · ca safrà (spice) · hy քրքում (dye) · pt açafrão (plant) · ur کیسریا (dye) · it zafferano (colour) · nn safrankrokus (plant) · ca safranera (plant) · sq shafran (plant) · pl szafran (dye) · ms kuma-kuma (spice) · hy քրքում (plant) · mt żagħfran (spice) · th หญ้าฝรั่น (plant) · eo safrano (plant) · sq krrokull (plant) · cs šafrán (spice) · kn ಕೇಸರಿ (spice) · gl azafrán (plant) · es azafrán (plant) · sk šafran (plant) · vo safranayelov (colour) · vo safranakrok (plant) · ast azafrán (spice) · mn гүргэм (plant) · sl žafran (plant) · de Safranfarbe (colour) · ka ზაფრანის ფერი (colour) · hu sáfránysárga (colour) · tr safran (dye) · it zafferano (spice) · grc κρόκος (spice) · cs šafrán (plant) · ga cróch (spice) · cy saffrwm (spice) · ur کیسریا (colour) · hi केसरी (dye) · vi nghệ tây (plant) · pms safran (plant) · sh шафран (spice) · la crocus (plant) · fa زعفرانی (dye) · nn safran (spice) · fi sahraminkeltainen (colour) · tr safran (plant) · arz زعفران (spice) · ru шафра́н (plant) · acw زعفران (plant) · sa केसर (spice) · pt açafrão (colour) · my ကုံကုမံ (spice) · nb safran (spice) · sw mzafarani (plant) · sh šafran (plant)

saffron en · VERB

Pronunciation

(Southern-England) audio
/ˈsæfɹɑn/ (General-American)
/ˈsæfəɹn/ (obsolete)
/ˈsæfɹən/ (Received-Pronunciation)
/ˈsæfɹən/ (General-American)
/ˈsæfɹɒn/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Aramaic צפרder. Arabic زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān)bor. Medieval Latin safranumbor. Old French safranbor. Middle English saffron English saffron Inherited from Middle English saffron, borrowed from Old French safran, borrowed from Medieval Latin safranum, borrowed from Arabic زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān), from Aramaic צפר.

Meanings

To add saffron to (a food), for taste, colour etc.
- Saffrond wyne bryngeth mirthe, and taketh away Melancholines […] 1559, Conrad Gesner, “Of certain other Aromatical wynes”, in Peter Morwen, transl., The Treasure of Euonymus, London: John Day, page 407:
- Well-saffroned was that barley-soup! 1884, Robert Browning, “Two Camels”, in Ferishtah’s Fancies, London: Smith, Elder, page 70:
- saffroned water, saffroned rice
To give a saffron colour to (something).
- My dreadful thoughts been drawen vpon my face, In blotted lines with ages iron pen, The lothlie morpheu saffroned the place, Where beuties damaske daz’d the eies of men. 1593, Michael Drayton, Idea the Shepheards Garland, London: Thomas Woodcocke, Second Eglog, page 6:
- We accept the perfect stillness of the ground, And the vision of a sunset-saffroned sea. 1917, Charles V. H. Roberts, “The Call of the Country”, in Collected Poems, New York: The Torch Press, page 20:
- Or like the twifold-twynned Geminy, In their star-gilded gyrdle strongly tyed, Chayn’d by their saffrond tresses in the sky, Standing to guard the sun-coche in his pride. c. 1594, Michael Drayton, Peirs Gaueston Earle of Cornwall His Life, Death, and Fortune, London: Nicholas Ling and John Busby:
To give a saffron colour to (something). ▸ To dye (a fabric, garment, etc.) with a saffron-based dye.
- Thee next day foloing lustring Aurora lay shymring, Her saffrond mattresse leauing to her bedfelo Tithon. 1582, Richard Stanyhurst, transl., The First Foure Bookes of Virgil his Aeneis, Leiden: John Pates, Book 4, p. 82:
- 1638, uncredited translator, Historie Naturall and Experimentall, of Life and Death by Francis Bacon, London: William Lee and Humphrey Mosley, p. 244, The same Irish, use to weare Saffroned Linnen, and Shirts; Which though it were, at first, devised to prevent Vermine, yet, howsoever, I take it, to be very usefull for Lengthening of Life […]
- The other part Northern, & ful of mountaines, a very rude and homely kinde of people doth inhabite, which are called the redshankes or wilde Scottes. They be clothed with a mantel and shyrte saffroned, after the Irishe manner, going bare legged to the knée. 1580, John Stow, “A briefe Description of Englande, Scotlande, Wales, and Cornwall”, in The Chronicles of England, London: Ralph Newberie, page 9:
To give a saffron colour to (something). ▸ To colour (a metal or wooden surface) with a gilding product containing saffron.
- And like vile stones lying in saffrond tinne, 1633, John Donne, “Elegie”, in Poems, London: John Marriot, page 149:
- His horse was harnished with leaden chaines, hauing the out-side guilt, or at least saffrond in stead of guilt, to decypher a holie or golden pretence of a couetous purpose […] 1594, Thomas Nashe, The Unfortunate Traveller, London: C. Burby:
- Or warts, or wheales, it hangs upon her skinne.
(figuratively) To embellish.
- Saffroning the rest of the account are several other regionalisms: agin for against, hit for the expletive it, knowed as a preterite, and no use to say not bin' (a fascinating doubling of the negative). 1970, Robert Randolph Turner, Tennessee Legends: An Analysis in Terms of Motifs, Structure, and Style:
- The Nun's Priest's rhetorical devices, too numerous to catalogue exhaustively, are of two kinds: first, the heroic-historical, beginning with the setting of the occasion in a time sequence that starts with the Creation, saffroning the high points with apostrophes and epic similes, and culminating with a chase in which Chauntecleer's fall proves to have the "cosmic reverberations" required by epic standards […] 2015, Robert B. Burlin, Chaucerian Fiction, page 231:
- He saffrons his speech with Latin which he knows all by rote. 1992, Jerome Mandel, Geoffrey Chaucer: Building the Fragments of the Canterbury Tales:

Forms

Spelling	Features	Source
saffroning	Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
saffrons	Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres	lexicographic
saffroned	Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part	lexicographic
saffroned	Tense=Past	lexicographic

Translations (1)

es azafranar (to add saffron to)

saffron en · ADJ

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Translations (20)

saffron en · NOUN

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Etymology

Meanings

Forms

Deriveds

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Translations (204)

saffron en · VERB

Pronunciation

Etymology

Meanings

Forms

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Translations (1)