Wiktionary

fenugreek

English

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Fenugreek seeds

Etymology

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From Middle English fenygreke, fenegrek, from Old French fenugrec, fengrec, from Latin foenum-graecum, from foenum (“hay”, variant of faenum) + graecum (“Greek”, neuter form of graecus), literally “Greek hay”.

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /ˈfɛnjʊˌɡɹiːk/, /ˈfɛnjəˌɡɹiːk/
  • Hyphenation: fen‧u‧greek

Noun

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fenugreek (usually uncountable, plural fenugreeks)

  1. Any of the species leguminous plant, Trigonella foenum-graecum, eaten as a vegetable and with seeds used as a spice.
    • 2019, Muhammad Asif Hanif, Medicinal Plants of South Asia, Elsevier, →ISBN, page 260:
      Fenugreek plant was introduced to Central Europe by Benedictine monks, and it is promoted in the 9th century by Charlemagne. It was grown extensively in the imperial gardens of Charlemagne (Popova, 2017).
  2. The seeds of this plant, used as a spice (especially in Indian and Thai cooking).
    Synonym: methi
    • 2000, B. Dave Oomah, Herbs, Botanicals and Teas, CRC Press, →ISBN, page 110:
      Fenugreek’s nutritional and tonic properties have also been tapped since ancient times. […] Fenugreek-based preparations stimulate the appetite and promote weight gain in people with anemia, anorexia, tuberculosis or asthenia.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Further reading

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