sésame

sesame

noun seh-ZAHM Rare

Origin: Greek sēsamon, of Semitic origin

Also means

magic password

Usage Note

Sésame refers to the plant and its seeds used in cooking, as in huile de sésame ('sesame oil'). The phrase Sésame, ouvre-toi! ('Open sesame!') from the story of Ali Baba has made sésame a synonym for a magic key or password in French—ce badge est le sésame pour entrer ('this badge is the key to getting in').

Examples

"Elle parsème ses salades de graines de sésame."

Natural Translation

She sprinkles sesame seeds on her salads.

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