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white cinnamon

white cinnamon

9.3
A strong smelling inner bark from a small Caribbean tree used as a spice and medicine
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : canela blanca
  • The chef added a pinch of white cinnamon to the dessert for a delicate, spicy flavor.

Examples

  • In traditional Caribbean medicine, white cinnamon is valued for its beneficial properties.

  • You can find white cinnamon sold in specialty spice shops and herbalist stores.

  • I love using white cinnamon in my baking.

  • Have you ever tried white cinnamon in tea?

  • In traditional Caribbean medicine, white cinnamon is valued for its beneficial properties.

  • The chef added a pinch of white cinnamon to the dessert for a delicate, spicy flavor.

  • You can find white cinnamon sold in specialty spice shops and herbalist stores.

Synonyms

cinnamon
vswhite cinnamon
116 1.1

A sweet-smelling brown spice made from the dried bark of a tree used to flavor food and drinks

comes from a single specific tree and serves as both condiment and tonic
canella
vswhite cinnamon
  • Specialized
1 9.9

The inner bark of a tree used like cinnamon to flavor food and to make people feel better

is the same substance but called by another name in some contexts
cinnamon bark
vswhite cinnamon
1 3.0

Dried tree bark with a warm, sweet smell used as a cooking spice

is from a single species and used more as a tonic and condiment
canella bark
vswhite cinnamon
  • Specialized
9.9

A spicy, fragrant inner bark from a small tropical tree used as a spice and medicine

is the identical substance but known under a different common name

Surface Forms

Morphology

white + cinnamon

The phrase is compositionally built from a color adjective + noun: a learner who knows 'white' and 'cinnamon' will readily infer it denotes a kind/variety of cinnamon characterized by whiteness or a lighter bark. The color+noun pattern is cross-linguistically common, so while a learner may not know the botanical specifics (Canella winterana), the basic meaning 'a type of cinnamon' is immediately comprehensible.

Etymology

The noun white cinnamon comes from early settlers who compared the pale, fragrant bark of the Canella tree to familiar cinnamon, and because the bark was lighter in color they called it white cinnamon. That's why today white cinnamon means the pale, strongly scented inner bark used as a 'spice' and a 'tonic'.