saffron
noun
saf·fron
| \ ˈsa-ˌfrän
, -frən
\
, -frən
\
Definition of saffron
1a
: the deep orange aromatic pungent dried stigmas of a purple-flowered crocus (Crocus sativus) used to color and flavor foods and formerly as a dyestuff and in medicine
b
: the crocus supplying saffron
2
: a moderate orange to orange yellow
Examples of saffron in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Order the vibrant seafood paella, thick with loose-skinned tomatoes and musky Arabian saffron. — Stephen Connolly, National Geographic, "Beyond Barcelona: A weekend on Málaga’s magical coast," 6 Aug. 2019 The $35 entrees include asparagus saffron risotto or fish du jour. — Michael Mayo, sun-sentinel.com, "8 picks for great meal deals during Fort Lauderdale restaurant months," 31 July 2019 Ancient Persians invited breezes by throwing up clouds of saffron, while traditional Inuit storm deterrence relied on jars of urine and seaweed whips. — Julian Lucas, Harper's magazine, "New Books," 22 July 2019 Stir in the saffron water, carrots, and cranberries. — Christopher Kimball, BostonGlobe.com, "Recipes: Three new ways to love grains," 9 July 2019 The whole lineup is commendable and recommendable, but the saffron syrup is my ride-or-die because of its subtlety. — Amanda Shapiro, Bon Appétit, "The Secret Ingredient That Improves My Cocktails, Morning Yogurt, Delivery Pizza…," 8 July 2019 Ariel Hall loved her Tibetan meditation cushion, a maroon-and-saffron pillow that helped melt away the strains of daily life during visits to her local Shambhala center. — Jackson Barnett, The Denver Post, "Shambhala, the Boulder-born Buddhist organization, suppressed allegations of abuse, ex-members say," 7 July 2019 Stir in sumac and saffron water to form a uniform sauce. — Kitty Greenwald, WSJ, "This Recipe Will Make Your House Smell Heavenly," 24 June 2019 Set aside to steep until saffron dissolves and colors water. — Kitty Greenwald, WSJ, "This Recipe Will Make Your House Smell Heavenly," 24 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'saffron.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for saffron
saffron
noun
English Language Learners Definition of saffron
: an orange powder that is made from a type of flower (called a crocus) and that is used to color and flavor food
: an orange to orange-yellow color
See the full definition for saffron in the English Language Learners Dictionary
saffron
noun
saf·fron
| \ ˈsa-frən
\
\
Kids Definition of saffron
1
: an orange spice that is made from the dried stigmas of a crocus and is used to color or flavor foods
2
: an orange to orange yellow
saffron
noun
saf·fron
| \ ˈsaf-rän
, -rən
\
, -rən
\
Medical Definition of saffron
1
: the deep orange aromatic pungent dried stigmas of a purple-flowered crocus used to color and flavor foods and formerly as a dyestuff and as a stimulant antispasmodic emmenagogue in medicine
2
: a purple-flowered crocus (Crocus sativa) that is the source of saffron
— called also saffron crocus
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