Curcumas

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A genus of tropical plants known for their rhizomes used as spices and traditional medicine; characterized by brightly colored flowers and roots often related to turmeric
2. A group of perennial herbs valued for their aromatic underground stems utilized in cooking and healing practices; notable for their vibrant blooms and cultural significance in various cuisines
3. Members of a plant family famous for their edible and medicinal roots that yield a yellow-orange pigment; typically featuring showy flowers and cultivated in warm climates for culinary and therapeutic uses

Etymology: "Curcumas" is simply the plural of "curcuma", the name of the genus of plants that includes turmeric. The singular comes from Arabic "kurkum", meaning saffron or turmeric, which in turn passed into Medieval Latin and then into the European languages. The plant's yellow-orange colour is the reason it was prized, and the pigment it yields gave the genus its name, so a word for a dye became a word for a whole family of showy, warm-climate plants.

Synonyms: turmeric, curcuma