saffron
English · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
saffron¹
- /ˈsæfɹən/ UK
- /ˈsæfɹɒn/ UK
- /ˈsæfɹən/ US
- /ˈsæfɹɑn/ US
- /ˈsæfəɹn/ obsolete
Rhymes with -æfɹən
Where it comes from
Inherited from Middle English saffron, borrowed from Old French safran, a learned borrowing from Medieval Latin safranum, borrowed from Arabic زَعْفَرَان (zaʕfarān), from Aramaic צפר.
noun saffrons
- A plant of species Crocus sativus, a crocus. Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, spikenard and saffron […]
-
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 […]
Similar: kesar
-
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 […]
Similar: saffron yellow
adjective
- Having an orange-yellow colour. For ioyfull thoughts, vse funerall deedes
- Associated with Hinduism, Hindus or Hindu nationalism. Saffron voters will certainly respond to the Sena chief’s call to support this alliance.
verb saffrons · saffroning · saffroned
- To add saffron to (a food), for taste, colour etc. saffroned water, saffroned rice
- 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.
- To dye (a fabric, garment, etc.) with a saffron-based dye. 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.
- To colour (a metal or wooden surface) with a gilding product containing saffron. 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 […]
- 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).
Saffron²
proper noun
- 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.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: saffron crocus, crocus sativus, orange yellow, crocus, safran, safron, saffern, safflor, indian saffron, safflower, crocosmia, meadow-saffron, safflow, meadow saffron, sand crocus, sargol
Translations
Every language
noun plant
| Español | azafrán |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | サフラン safuran |
| 中文 | 番紅花 /番红花 fān hóng huā, 藏紅花 /藏红花 zànghónghuā, 西紅花 /西红花 |
| हिन्दी | केसर kesar, कुंकुम kuṅkum, कुमकुम kumkum, ज़ाफ़रान zāfrān |
| Kiswahili | mzafarani |
| Português | açafrão |
| Français | safran |
| Deutsch | Safran |
| Italiano | zafferano |
| Ελληνικά | κρόκος krókos |
| Română | șofran |
| Русский | шафра́н šafrán |
| Tiếng Việt | nghệ tây |
| العربية | زَعْفَرَان zaʕfarān |
noun spice
| Español | azafrán |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | サフラン safuran |
| हिन्दी | केसर kesar |
| Kiswahili | zafarani |
| Português | açafrão |
| Français | safran |
| Deutsch | Safran |
| Italiano | zafferano |
| Ελληνικά | κρόκος krókos, ζαφορά zaforá |
| Română | șofran |
| Русский | шафра́н šafrán |
| עברית | זְעַפְרָן |
noun dye
| हिन्दी | केसरी kesrī, केसरिया kesriyā |
|---|---|
| Português | açafrão |
| Deutsch | Safran |
| Italiano | zafferano |
| Română | șofran |
| Русский | шафра́н šafrán |
noun colour
| Español | azafrán |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | サフラン色 safuran-iro |
| 中文 | 藏紅花色 /藏红花色 |
| हिन्दी | केसरी kesrī, केसरिया kesriyā, भगवा bhagvā |
| Kiswahili | rangi ya zafarani |
| Português | açafrão |
| Français | safran |
| Deutsch | Safranfarbe, Safrangelb |
| Italiano | zafferano |
| Ελληνικά | βαθυκίτρινο vathykítrino |
| Română | șofran |
adj having an orange-yellow colour
| Español | de azafrán |
|---|---|
| हिन्दी | केसरी kesrī, केसरिया kesriyā |
| Português | açafroado |
| Deutsch | safrangelb, safranfarbig |
| Italiano | zafferano |
| Română | șofrăniu |
| Русский | шафра́нный šafránnyj, шафра́новый šafránovyj |
verb to add saffron to
| Español | azafranar |
|---|
Talk about this word "saffron." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/saffron. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. saffron. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/saffron "saffron." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/saffron.Cite this
@misc{saffron_2026,
title = {saffron},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/saffron},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
