nutmeg flower
- noun
- /ˈnʌtˌmɛg ˈflaʊər/
:
flor de nuez moscada
- The seeds of the nutmeg flower can be added to bread for extra flavor.
Examples
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She sprinkled nutmeg flower over the roasted vegetables before serving.
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In Mediterranean cuisine, nutmeg flower is prized for its aromatic taste.
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The nutmeg flower adds a unique flavor to dishes.
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I bought some nutmeg flowers at the market yesterday.
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In Mediterranean cuisine, nutmeg flower is prized for its aromatic taste.
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She sprinkled nutmeg flower over the roasted vegetables before serving.
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The seeds of the nutmeg flower can be added to bread for extra flavor.
Synonyms
1
8.5
A plant with strong tasting seeds used as a spice like caraway
An herb from the Mediterranean with small strong seeds used as a spice like caraway
Small dark seeds from a Mediterranean plant that people use as a spice like caraway
Surface Forms
Morphology
A learner who knows 'nutmeg' and 'flower' would reasonably infer a plant/flower related to nutmeg or having nutmeg-like qualities, so part of the meaning is compositional. However, the specific referent — a Mediterranean herb with pungent seeds used like caraway — is a specialized culinary sense that cannot be fully predicted from the constituents, making the expression only partially transparent.
Etymology
Nutmeg flower may come from cooks noticing that the plant's small flower holds seeds that smell and taste like nutmeg. That's why the name now means a Mediterranean herb whose strong seeds are used 'like caraway' to flavor food.