false saffron

9.1

A plant like a thistle with red or orange flowers whose seeds make an oil used instead of saffron

noun

: falso azafrán

In some recipes, false saffron is used as an affordable alternative to true saffron.

Examples

The oil extracted from false saffron is widely used in cooking and cosmetics.
Many gardeners plant false saffron for its vibrant, colorful blooms and hardiness.
The false saffron plant is known for its vibrant color.
Many chefs prefer using false saffron as a cheaper alternative.
In some recipes, false saffron is used as an affordable alternative to true saffron.
The oil extracted from false saffron is widely used in cooking and cosmetics.
Many chefs prefer using false saffron as a cheaper substitute in their dishes.

Synonyms

safflower

vsfalse saffron

1 7.9

A plant with red or orange flowers grown for seeds that make oil

is used specifically as a substitute for the spice rather than just for oil

Carthamus tinctorius

vsfalse saffron

Specialized

9.9

A thistle-like plant with red or orange flowers grown for seeds that make oil

is the plant used as a spice substitute rather than only for oil production

Antonyms

saffron

1 5.2

A crocus plant with purple flowers whose orange threads are dried to make spice

Surface Forms

false saffron singular

false saffrons plural

Morphology

false + saffron

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'false' (an imitation or not genuine) + 'saffron' (the spice), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes an imitation or substitute saffron plant. This adjective+noun construction is a regular, cross-linguistically common pattern, making the sense immediately accessible to a B1 learner.

Etymology

The name false saffron may come from a plant that looks like real saffron but is not the true spice, and people used its flowers or oil as a cheaper 'substitute' for saffron. That's why the name means a plant used like saffron but not the real thing.