saffron

adj

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.

1. Having an orange-yellow colour.

   “For ioyfull thoughts, vse funerall deedes”

   “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.”

2. Associated with Hinduism, Hindus or Hindu nationalism.

   “Saffron voters will certainly respond to the Sena chief’s call to support this alliance.”

   “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.”

name

1. A female given name from English; a rare flower name from the saffron.

   “The bad thing was she took my son Skiff with her. It's a dumb name I know, but at the time he was born all the kids were being called things like Sky and Saffron and Powie, and I was really sold on sailing.”

noun

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.

1. A plant of species Crocus sativus, a crocus.

   “Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, spikenard and saffron […]”

   “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.”

2. 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.

   “I must have saffron to colour the warden pies […]”

   “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.”

3. An orange-yellow colour, the colour of a lion's pelt.

   “[…] The stately Ram Shone thro’ the Mead, in native Purple clad, Or milder Saffron […]”

   “[…] 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.”

verb

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.

1. To add saffron to (a food), for taste, colour etc.

   “saffroned water, saffroned rice”

   “Saffrond wyne bryngeth mirthe, and taketh away Melancholines […]”

2. 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.”

   “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.”

3. To give a saffron colour to (something).

   “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.”

   “Thee next day foloing lustring Aurora lay shymring, Her saffrond mattresse leauing to her bedfelo Tithon.”

4. To give a saffron colour to (something).

   “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 […]”

   “And like vile stones lying in saffrond tinne,”

5. 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).”

   “He saffrons his speech with Latin which he knows all by rote.”