turmeric

noun

Etymology: From Middle English turmeryte, tarmaret, of uncertain origin. Possibly corrupted from Arabic كُرْكُم (kurkum, “Curcuma”) or from Old French terre mérite (“deserving earth”), potentially as a folk etymology of the Arabic.

1. An Indian plant (Curcuma longa), with aromatic rhizomes, part of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae).
2. The pulverized rhizome of the turmeric plant, used for flavoring and to add a bright yellow color to food.
3. A yellow to reddish-brown dye extracted from the turmeric plant.