saffron

plural saffrons

1. countableuncountableA plant of species Crocus sativus, a crocus.

   Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard, spikenard and saffron […]

   1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Song of Songs of Songs-Chapter-4/#13-14 4:13-14

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   2009, D. H. Sanaeinejad, S. N. Hosseini, Regression Models for Saffron Yields in Iran, Daoliang Li, Chunjiang Zhao (editors), Computer and Computing Technologies in Agriculture II, Volume 1, page 510, Usually the maximum temperature for October, November and December in the southern parts of Khorassan–the main saffron growing area of the Iran-does not exceed 20°C, while the minimum temperature reaches 0°C.

2. countableuncountableA spice (seasoning) and colouring agent made from the stigma and part of the style of the plant, sometimes or formerly also used as a dye and insect repellent.

   Saffron is often called the “golden spice.”

   2011, Mathew Attokaran, Natural Food Flavors and Colorants, unnumbered page

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   I must have saffron to colour the warden pies […]

   c. 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Winters Tale”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]

   1658, Thomas Muffet, The Theatre of Insects, [1634, Insectorum sive Minimorum Animalium Theatrum], quoted in 2008, Anna Suranyi, The Genius of the English Nation: Travel Writing and National Identity in Early Modern England, page 117-118, The Irish and Ireland people (who are frequently troubled with lice, and such as will fly, as they say, in summer) anoint their shirts with saffron, and to very good purpose, to drive away the lice, but after six months they wash their shirts again, putting fresh saffron into the lye.

   Saffron is not included in American and British pharmacopoeias, but some Indian medical formulae still include it.

   2002, James A. Duke, editor, CRC Handbook of Medicinal Spices, page 129

   According to ancient legend, a Greek girl, partaking of saffron for an entire week, could not resist a lover.

   1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 212

   Saffron is the stigma of the crocus flower, which is harvested by hand, dried, and sold either in strands or ground to powder.[…]Of all the medieval spices, saffron was the most expensive, which is not surprising given that 70,000 flowers only yield one pound of dried stigmas. In the European cookbooks of the late Middle Ages, nearly all of which which reflect refined upper-class dining, saffron is ubiquitous.

   2004, Melitta Weiss Adamson, Food in Medieval Times, page 15

   Synonyms: kesar

3. countableuncountableAn orange-yellow colour, the colour of a lion's pelt.

   […] The stately Ram Shone thro’ the Mead, in native Purple clad, Or milder Saffron […]

   a. 1749 (date written), James Thomson, “Spring”, in The Seasons, London: […] A[ndrew] Millar, and sold by Thomas Cadell, […], published 1768, →OCLC, page 18

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   […] the girls locked up Echo Lodge again and went away in the perfect half hour that follows the rose and saffron of a winter sunset.

   1915, L[ucy] M[aud] Montgomery, chapter 7, in Anne of the Island, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, →OCLC

   These colours might have been expressly designed—by dissonance as much as harmony—for juxtaposition against those pouring down in brilliant rays of light from the Tiepolo; subtle yet penetrating pinks and greys, light blue turning almost to lavender, rich saffrons and cinnamons melting into bronze and gold.

   1973, Anthony Powell, Temporary Kings, page 82

   The classical shades of Antiquity were the most prevalent, but along with the Venetian reds and Egyptian blues, the saffrons and ochres and indigos, were more delicate hues: of pink and cream and lilac, like shells littered upon the shore.

   2011, Seth Hunter, The Winds of Folly, unnumbered page

   On another occasion, H-pop singer Kanhiya Mittal sang a duet with a BJP lawmaker whose lyrics read “the saffron is getting deeper”, a reference to the colour of Hinduism and the BJP's own party colours, […]

   2024 May 4, John Reed, “How to interpret India?”, in FT Weekend (Life & Arts section), London: The Financial Times Ltd., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 9

   Synonyms: saffron yellow

1. Having an orange-yellow colour.

   1794, Ann Radcliffe, The Mysteries of Udolpho, London: G.G. & J. Robinson, Volume 1, Chapter 9, p. 256, The sun was now set; but, under the dark branches of the almond trees, was seen the saffron glow of the west, spreading beyond the twilight of middle air.

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   For ioyfull thoughts, vse funerall deedes

   1624, Thomas Heywood, Gynaikeion: or, Nine Bookes of Various History. Concerninge women inscribed by the names of the nine Muses, London, Book 3, “A Funerall Oade vpon the death of Anna Panareta” p. 123, Now Hymen change thy saffron weedes To roabe and habit sable

   […] it was half-past four, and the gray day was dying gloriously, its western clouds all broken into narrowing purple strata before a wide-spreading saffron clearness […]

   1876, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter 40, in Daniel Deronda, volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh; London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC

   The jacket was brown but had turned saffron where it had been soaked by Lal’s sweat.

   1961, V. S. Naipaul, A House for Mr Biswas, Part 1, Chapter 2

2. Indian politicsAssociated with Hinduism, Hindus or Hindu nationalism.

   Saffron voters will certainly respond to the Sena chief’s call to support this alliance.

   2012 January 11, “Saffron alliance gives RPI 29 seats it never won”, in Hindustan Times

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   That is when he decided it was time to turn saffron, though it took him another ten years to formally join the BJP in 2014.

   2018 August 25, “Satpal Malik: BJP’s ticket to form a saffron government in J&K”, in National Herald

present singular third person saffrons · participle present saffroning · participle past saffroned · past saffroned

1. To add saffron to (a food), for taste, colour etc.

   saffroned water, saffroned rice

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   Saffrond wyne bryngeth mirthe, and taketh away Melancholines […]

   1559, Conrad Gesner, “Of certain other Aromatical wynes”, in Peter Morwen, transl., The Treasure of Euonymus, London: John Day, page 407

   Well-saffroned was that barley-soup!

   1884, Robert Browning, “Two Camels”, in Ferishtah’s Fancies, London: Smith, Elder, page 70

2. To give a saffron colour to (something).

   We accept the perfect stillness of the ground, And the vision of a sunset-saffroned sea.

   1917, Charles V. H. Roberts, “The Call of the Country”, in Collected Poems, New York: The Torch Press, page 20

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   My dreadful thoughts been drawen vpon my face, In blotted lines with ages iron pen, The lothlie morpheu saffroned the place, Where beuties damaske daz’d the eies of men.

   1593, Michael Drayton, Idea the Shepheards Garland, London: Thomas Woodcocke, Second Eglog, page 6

   Or like the twifold-twynned Geminy, In their star-gilded gyrdle strongly tyed, Chayn’d by their saffrond tresses in the sky, Standing to guard the sun-coche in his pride.

   c. 1594, Michael Drayton, Peirs Gaueston Earle of Cornwall His Life, Death, and Fortune, London: Nicholas Ling and John Busby

   1. To dye (a fabric, garment, etc.) with a saffron-based dye.

      Thee next day foloing lustring Aurora lay shymring, Her saffrond mattresse leauing to her bedfelo Tithon.

      1582, Richard Stanyhurst, transl., The First Foure Bookes of Virgil his Aeneis, Leiden: John Pates, Book 4, p. 82

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      The other part Northern, & ful of mountaines, a very rude and homely kinde of people doth inhabite, which are called the redshankes or wilde Scottes. They be clothed with a mantel and shyrte saffroned, after the Irishe manner, going bare legged to the knée.

      1580, John Stow, “A briefe Description of Englande, Scotlande, Wales, and Cornwall”, in The Chronicles of England, London: Ralph Newberie, page 9

      1638, uncredited translator, Historie Naturall and Experimentall, of Life and Death by Francis Bacon, London: William Lee and Humphrey Mosley, p. 244, The same Irish, use to weare Saffroned Linnen, and Shirts; Which though it were, at first, devised to prevent Vermine, yet, howsoever, I take it, to be very usefull for Lengthening of Life […]

   2. To colour (a metal or wooden surface) with a gilding product containing saffron.

      Or warts, or wheales, it hangs upon her skinne.

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      His horse was harnished with leaden chaines, hauing the out-side guilt, or at least saffrond in stead of guilt, to decypher a holie or golden pretence of a couetous purpose […]

      1594, Thomas Nashe, The Unfortunate Traveller, London: C. Burby

      And like vile stones lying in saffrond tinne,

      1633, John Donne, “Elegie”, in Poems, London: John Marriot, page 149

3. figurativelyTo embellish.

   He saffrons his speech with Latin which he knows all by rote.

   1992, Jerome Mandel, Geoffrey Chaucer: Building the Fragments of the Canterbury Tales

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   Saffroning the rest of the account are several other regionalisms: agin for against, hit for the expletive it, knowed as a preterite, and no use to say not bin' (a fascinating doubling of the negative).

   1970, Robert Randolph Turner, Tennessee Legends: An Analysis in Terms of Motifs, Structure, and Style

   The Nun's Priest's rhetorical devices, too numerous to catalogue exhaustively, are of two kinds: first, the heroic-historical, beginning with the setting of the occasion in a time sequence that starts with the Creation, saffroning the high points with apostrophes and epic similes, and culminating with a chase in which Chauntecleer's fall proves to have the "cosmic reverberations" required by epic standards […]

   2015, Robert B. Burlin, Chaucerian Fiction, page 231

1. A female given name from English; a rare flower name from the saffron.

   The bad thing was she took my son Skiff with her. It's a dumb name I know, but at the time he was born all the kids were being called things like Sky and Saffron and Powie, and I was really sold on sailing.

   1981, William Boyd, On the Yankee Station, Hamilton, →ISBN, page 17