Safflower

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsæfˌlaʊə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. A type of flowering plant recognized for its vibrant blooms and cultivated mainly for oil extraction from its seeds used in culinary and cosmetic products
2. This plant is noted for its distinctive flowers and is primarily grown for its seeds, which yield oil utilized in cooking and personal care items
3. A flowering plant celebrated for its bright blossoms and primarily grown for its seeds from which oil is extracted for use in food and cosmetic applications

Etymology: The safflower's name is a tangle of three languages. Its root is the Arabic "ʔaṣfar," meaning "yellow," which fits the plant's bright orange-yellow blooms. The Arabic word passed into Middle French as "safleur," but along the way it was reshaped by two French words it resembled: "safran," meaning saffron, and "fleur," meaning flower. Saffron was another yellow-orange dye spice, so the association was natural, and the final "-flower" element is a folk-style remodelling rather than part of the original Arabic. The plant itself is an old dye crop. Its petals were used to colour textiles and foods, and its seeds yield an oil that the entry notes is used in cooking and personal care products. The name therefore reflects both its colour and the way speakers of French reinterpreted an unfamiliar foreign word through familiar ones.