sesame

American  

[ses-uh-mee] / ˈsɛs ə mi /

noun

1. a tropical, herbaceous plant, Sesamum indicum, whose small oval seeds are edible and yield an oil.

2. the seeds themselves, used to add flavor to bread, crackers, etc.

3. open sesame.

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sesame British  

/ ˈsɛsəmɪ /

noun

1. a tropical herbaceous plant, Sesamum indicum, of the East Indies, cultivated, esp in India, for its small oval seeds: family Pedaliaceae

2. the seeds of this plant, used in flavouring bread and yielding an edible oil ( benne oil or gingili )

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Etymology

Origin of sesame

1400–50; < Greek sēsámē sesame plant ≪ Akkadian shamashshammū, derived from shaman shammī plant oil; replacing sesam, late Middle English sysane < Latin sēsamum < Greek sḗsamon sesame seed

Explanation

If you pick a pod off a sesame plant and say “open sesame” like Ali Baba, you’ll get sesame seeds! People have been using sesame for its oil and seeds for over 3,000 years. That’s a lot of sesame bagels. Tiny sesame seeds are often used in baked goods, on sushi, to make oil, and in the Middle Eastern paste, tahini. The word itself is rooted in the Greek sesamon, "seed or fruit of the sesame plant." It's also been part of the well-known magical phrase, "open sesame" since Antoine Galland added it to the “One Thousand and One Nights.” in French: "Sésame, ouvre-toi!" Ali Baba uses it to open the forty thieves’ cave.

Example Sentences

It looks like charcoal, but the black briquettes are actually made from plant waste: millet and sesame stalks, palm fronds and cobs.

From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026

Taylor says the buns are handmade in a bakery that handles nuts, the oil the kitchen uses is soya bean vegetable oil and sesame seeds on the buns "cover the entire kitchen".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

“The idea is to take inspiration from where you would use things like fennel seeds, sesame seeds, or poppy seeds,” Ziata explained.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

Officials worked late nights on their Golden Plan, fueled by snacks of sesame bread and mango.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

He picked the sesame seeds from his hamburger bun and ate them one by one.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn