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African millet

African millet

8.7
A plant that grows in dry regions and has seeds used to make a somewhat bitter flour
  • noun
  • Indian
translation icon : mijo africano
  • In traditional recipes, flour made from African millet can be used to make flatbreads.

Examples

  • The somewhat bitter taste of African millet flour adds a unique flavor to many regional dishes.

  • Farmers in arid regions often rely on African millet as a drought-resistant crop.

  • I bought some African millet at the local market.

  • Do you know how to cook African millet?

  • Farmers in arid regions often rely on African millet as a drought-resistant crop.

  • In traditional recipes, flour made from African millet can be used to make flatbreads.

  • The somewhat bitter taste of African millet flour adds a unique flavor to many regional dishes.

Synonyms

Eleusine coracana
vsAfrican millet
  • Indian
9.9

A grain plant with small seeds that people grow in Asia and Africa for flour and porridge

is the regional name for the same cereal rather than the scientific name
ragi
vsAfrican millet
  • Indian
9.9

A grain from India used to make nutritious, slightly bitter flour eaten as a main food

focuses more on bitterness and staple use than on nutrition
kurakkan
vsAfrican millet
  • Indian
9.9

A small grain used to make flour for flatbreads in Sri Lanka

is used as a regional name for the same edible seed flour
coracan
vsAfrican millet
  • Indian
9.9

A small grain grown in India and Africa used to make flour

is a broader regional label for that cereal rather than a botanical term
corakan
vsAfrican millet
  • Indian
9.9

A grain plant whose seeds make a slightly bitter flour for flatbreads and porridge

is the same idea but expressed as a general regional food term
ragee
vsAfrican millet
  • Archaic
9.9

A grain plant grown in Asia and Africa for flour and porridge

is the common regional name used for that cereal rather than a botanical label
finger millet
vsAfrican millet
  • Indian
7.0

A cereal plant from Asia and Africa with small seeds used to make flour

is the regional East Indian term stressing the flour's slight bitterness

Surface Forms

Morphology

African + millet

This is a simple adjective + noun composition: 'African' (relating to Africa) + 'millet' (a small-seeded cereal), so a B1 learner who knows both words can readily infer it denotes a type or variety of millet associated with Africa. The meaning is compositional and non-idiomatic, following a common locative/attributive pattern cross-linguistically.

Etymology

African millet may come from early traders who found similar small-seed grasses in Africa and used the word millet for them. Think of many tiny, hard seeds like beads, and this image helps you remember it is a hardy cereal whose flour makes flatbreads and is used as a 'staple food' in dry regions.