Cinnamon

Forms: 5 synamom(e, cynamone, 5–6 sinamome, cynamum, 5–7 cynamome, 6 cinamom(e, cinnamum, cino-, cynomome, sinamon, (synemond, -mont), 6–7 cynamom, syn-, cynamon, 6–8 cinamon, 7 cinnamom, mun, (-mond, cynament, cina-, synamond), 7– cinnamon. [a. F. cinnamome, also in 16th c. cinamonde, ad. L. cinnamōm-um, a. Gr. κιννάμωμον. There was also a later Gr. κίνναμον, whence L. cinnamon, cinnamum, to which the current Eng. form is, at least in part, due. The Gr. was of Semitic origin = Heb. qinnāmōn, cinnamon.]

  1.  The inner bark of an East Indian tree (see 2), dried in the sun, in rolls or ‘quills,’ and used as a spice. It is of a characteristic yellowish brown color, brittle, fragrant, and aromatic, and acts as a carminative and restorative.

c. 1430.  Lydg., Bochas, VII. ix. (1554), 174 a. Sinamome, frankensence withal.

a. 1460.  J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 133, in Babees Bk. (1868), 126. Looke þat your stikkes of synamome be thyn.

1535.  Coverdale, Prov. vii. 17. Myrre, Aloes and Cynamom. Ibid., Ecclus. xxiv. 15. As y^e Cynamon and Balme, that hath so good a sauoure.

1551.  Turner, Herbal, I. (1568), F j a. The smell of them is like cinnamum.

1555.  in W. H. Turner, Select. Rec. Oxford, 227. Item, for synemond … vjd.

1571.  Wills & Inv. N. C. (1835), I. 364. j lb. of synemont vjs.

1653.  H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., xxxiv. § 2 (1663), 137. Cinnamom, pepper, cardamone.

1664.  Pepys, Diary (1879), III. 1. Take … of Cynament, of Nutmegg, of each halfe an ounce.

1830.  Sir J. Herschel, Stud. Nat. Phil., 83. If the nose be held while we are eating cinnamon, we shall perceive no difference between its flavour and that of a deal shaving.

1884.  Cornh. Mag., 629. Paradoxical as it sounds to say so, cinnamon has really no taste at all, but only a smell.

Mod.  Seasoned with ground cinnamon.

  † b.  As a term of endearment. Obs. rare.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Miller’s T., 513. My fayre bryd, my swete cynamome [v.r. cynamone].

  c.  White Cinnamon: the inner bark of Canella alba; see CANELLA 2.

1751.  Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Cinnamon, White Cinnamon, which some call … Winter’s bark, from the person’s name who first brought it into England.

  2.  The tree that yields this bark, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, N. O. Lauraceae. Also applied to other trees, allied to, or in some way resembling the true cinnamon; esp. Bastard C., the CASSIA, C. Cassia; Black C., the West Indian Pimenta acris; Mountain C., Cinnamodendron corticosum; Wild Cinnamon, Canella alba and Myrcia acris.

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. xxvi. (1495), 619. A shrubbe that growyth in Ynde and in Ethiopia … and hyght Cynamum.

1553.  Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 8. A great wood of Precious trees, some of Cinomome and Cassia.

1681.  R. Knox, Hist. Ceylon, 16. The third Tree, which is the Cinnamon.

1789.  Saunders, in Phil. Trans., LXXIX. 82. Two species of the Laurus of LINNÆUS; one known by the name of the bastard cinnamon.

1858.  R. Hogg, Veget. Kingd., 352. Myrcia acris … called in Jamaica Wild Cinnamon or Wild Clove…. The leaves have a sweet aromatic smell resembling that of cinnamon.

  3.  attrib. and as adj. Cinnamon-colored.

1685.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2017/8. A Close-bodied Coat of Cinamon colour.

1776.  Withering, Bot. Arrangem. (1796), IV. 244. Pileus cinnamon.

1844–57.  G. Bird, Urin. Deposits (ed. 5), 183. A well-marked … cinnamon tint.

1868.  Royle & Headland, Mat. Med. (ed. 5), 614. The colour of the bark is a yellowish brown, now usually called a Cinnamon colour.

1870.  Miss Broughton, Red as Rose, I. 55. Cochins, muffled in … cinnamon feathers.

  4.  attrib. and Comb., as cinnamon-bark, -plant, -tree; -eater (see quot.); -powder; -like adj.; also with names of colors, as cinnamon-brown, -red, yellow; cinnamon-colo(u)red adj. (see 3); cinnamon apple, an early variety of apple; also a fruit of Surinam; cinnamon fly, a fly used in angling; cinnamon-oil, or oil of cinnamon, a sweet aromatic yellow oil obtained from cinnamon-bark, cassia-bark, etc., consisting chiefly of cinnamic aldehyde; † cinnamon-plum, a variety of plum; cinnamon-root, Gerard’s name for the Ploughman’s Spikenard (Inula Conyza); † cinnamon rose, a species of rose (R. cinnamomea); cinnamon-sedge, the Sweet Rush, Acorus Calamus (Britten & Holland); cinnamon-stone, a name given to various brown and yellow kinds of garnet, esp. to a cinnamon-colored variety from Ceylon; cinnamon-suet (see quot.); cinnamon-water, an aromatic beverage prepared from cinnamon.

1664.  Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 210. July … Fruits in Prime … *Cinnamon Apple.

1796.  Stedman, Surinam, II. xxvii. 312. A kind of fruit called in Surinam pomme de canelle, or cinnamon-apple.

1811.  A. T. Thomson, Lond. Disp. (1818), 224. *Cinnamon bark is astringent, cordial, and tonic.

1797.  Bewick, Brit. Birds (1847), I. 18. Back and coverts of the wings are bright *cinnamon brown, spotted with black.

1679.  Trial R. Langhorn, 56. He was in a *Cinamon-coloured Suit.

1828.  Stark, Elem. Nat. Hist., I. 57. Fur gray brown above; cinnamon-coloured below.

1729.  Scheuchzer, in Phil. Trans., XXXVI. 105. A certain kind of wild Doves, which from their feeding on the Fruit of the Cinnamon-Tree, they call *Cinnamon-eaters.

1867.  F. Francis, Angling, vi. (1880), 238. The *Cinnamon … fly is one … of the Phryganidæ.

1868.  Royle & Headland, Mat. Med. (ed. 5), 617. All sorts of *cinnamon-like plants.

1838.  T. Thomson, Chem. Org. Bodies, 43. Two varieties of oil of cinnamon occur in commerce.

1873.  Watts, Fownes’ Chem., 818. Cinnamic Acid is also produced by oxidation of *cinnamon-oil.

1664.  Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 210. Fruits in Prime … *Cinnamon-Plum.

1882.  Garden, 15 April, 246/2. Flowers … spotted with *cinnamon-red.

1597.  Gerard, Herbal (Britt. & Holl.). In English it [Inula Conyza] may be called the *cinamom-roote.

1664.  Evelyn, Kal. Hort. (1729), 208. June … Flowers in Prime … Selder, and *Cynomon Roses.

1579.  Spenser, Sheph. Cal., Feb., 136. The mouldie mosse … My *Sinamon smell too much annoieth.

1805.  Jameson, Min., II. 527. One new species … denominated *cinnamon stone.

1868.  Dana, Min., 266. Cinnamon-stone … included a cinnamon-coloured variety [of garnet] from Ceylon.

1868.  Royle & Headland, Mat. Med., 613. From the ripe fruits a fatty substance called *cinnamon suet is expressed.

c. 1440.  Promp. Parv., 78. *Cynamum tre, sinamus.

1779.  Forrest, Voy. N. Guinea, 338. A wild cinnamon tree, growing upon the coast of Malabar.

1832.  Veg. Subst. Food, 344. The cinnamon-tree attains to the height of twenty feet.

1589.  Pappe w. Hatchet (1844), 5. Give him some *cinamom water, his conscience hath a cold Stomacke.

1634.  Althorp MS., in Simpkinson, Washingtons (1860), Introd. 63. To a woman 2 dayes disstilling cinamon water 00 00 06.

1700.  Congreve, Way of World, I. vii. Bring two dishes of chocolate and a glass of cinnamon-water.