curcuma

[ kur-kyoo-muh ]

noun

1. any of various chiefly Old World plants belonging to the genus Curcuma, of the ginger family, as C. domestica, yielding turmeric, or C. zedoaria, yielding zedoary.

curcuma

/ ˈkɜːkjʊmə /

noun

1. any tropical Asian tuberous plant of the genus Curcuma, such as C. longa, which is the source of turmeric, and C. zedoaria, which is the source of zedoary: family Zingiberaceae

Word History and Origins

Origin of curcuma¹

1610–20; < New Latin < Arabic kurkum saffron, turmeric; crocus

Word History and Origins

Origin of curcuma¹

C17: from New Latin, from Arabic kurkum turmeric

Example Sentences

Turmeric spice comes from another plant part — the rhizomes, or underground stems, of the flowering plant Curcuma longa.

From Salon

A: Turmeric, an underground stem from a plant called Curcuma longa, has a wide range of potential health benefits.

From Seattle Times

Turmeric comes from the root of a plant in the ginger family, Curcuma longa, and contains a chemical compound, curcumin, that has long been used in traditional Chinese and Indian medicine.

From New York Times

In a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, researchers assigned 70 people with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis to take either two capsules a day of a Curcuma longa extract or two capsules of an identical-looking placebo.

From New York Times

The researchers found patients with knee osteoarthritis who took the extract of Curcuma longa, a plant also known as turmeric, had less knee pain than those who took a placebo after 12 weeks, with no adverse events, according to the published report in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

From Fox News