‖ curcuma
(ˈkɜːkjuːmə)
Also in anglicized form curcume.
[med. or mod.L. ad. Arab. kurkum saffron, turmeric: see crocus.]
a. Bot. A genus of Zingiberaceæ consisting of plants with perennial tuberous roots, furnishing various commercial substances, as zedoary, East Indian arrowroot, mango-ginger, turmeric, etc. b. The substance called Turmeric, prepared from the tubers of C. longa, and used as an ingredient in curry powder, as a chemical test for alkalis, and for medicinal and other purposes. attrib., as curcuma paper, turmeric paper used as a chemical test.
| 1617 Mosan tr. Wirtzung's Pract. Physicke 2nd Table, Turmericke, Cyperus Indicus, the Apothecaries call it Curcuma. 1633 Gerarde Herbal i. xxvii. 34. 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 35 The Curcuma of the Shops is a small Root, about the Size of that of Ginger. 1800 Med. Jrnl. III. 84 The liquor becomes alkaline, and reddens paper prepared with curcuma. c 1865 Circ. Sc. I. 351/2 In China, tea is frequently coloured with curcume. 1885 H. O. Forbes Nat. Wandr. E. Archip. 196 Rice yellowed with curcuma powder. |
Hence ˈcurcumin, Chem., the colouring matter of turmeric.
| 1850 Pereira Mat. Med. II. i. 1125 Curcumin..is obtained..by digesting the alcoholic extract of turmeric in ether. 1875 J. Attfield Chem. (ed. 6) 531 Turmeric..owes its yellow colour to curcumin, a resinous matter. |