cinnamon

noun

cin·​na·​mon ˈsi-nə-mən How to pronounce cinnamon (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: the aromatic, dried bark of any of several tropical trees (genus Cinnamomum) yielding a culinary spice, oil, and flavoring
especially : a small roll or quill of cinnamon bark
b
: the tan to dark brown spice that is prepared from cinnamon bark by powdering and has a somewhat sweet and spicy taste

Note: Ceylon cinnamon comes from a tree (Cinnamomum verum) of Sri Lanka and southern India and is usually considered to be true cinnamon. Chinese cinnamon, Indonesian cinnamon, and Saigon cinnamon come from several related trees and typically comprise most of the less expensive cinnamon spice sold in stores. This spice, also known as cassia, tends to have a stronger, spicier character than true cinnamon.

c
: a tree that yields cinnamon
2
: a light yellowish brown
cinnamony
ˈsi-nə-mə-nē How to pronounce cinnamon (audio)
adjective

Did you know?

Cinnamon is a spice produced from a bushy evergreen tree of the laurel family. The tree is native to Sri Lanka, India, and Burma and cultivated in South America and the West Indies for the spice, which is prepared from its dried inner bark. The light-brown spice has a delicately fragrant aroma and warm, sweet flavor. It was once more valuable than gold. The oil is distilled from bark fragments for use in food, liqueur, drugs, and perfume.

Examples of cinnamon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Its notes of bright pine, juicy pomegranate and mandarin, and spicy cinnamon and cloves combine into what, for me, is the winter scent. — Kara McGrath, Allure, 29 Oct. 2026 The smoke seeps deep into the meat and lingers on the skin, with a crackly brown surface punchy with cinnamon, allspice, ginger and thyme. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2026 In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 3/4 cups/224 g flour, the cinnamon, pepper, baking powder, and salt. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026 Cinnamon Studies suggest cinnamon may support blood sugar management. — Merve Ceylan, HEALTH, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cinnamon

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cynamone, from Anglo-French, from Latin cinnamomum, cinnamon, from Greek kinnamōmon, kinnamon, of non-Indo-European origin; akin to Hebrew qinnāmōn cinnamon

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of cinnamon was in the 14th century

Phrases Containing cinnamon

Browse Nearby Words

Cinnamodendron
cinnamon
cinnamon apple
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cinnamon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cinnamon. Accessed 1 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

cinnamon

noun
cin·​na·​mon ˈsin-ə-mən How to pronounce cinnamon (audio)
1
a
: a spice consisting of the pleasant-smelling bark of any of several Asian trees related to the laurels
b
: a tree that yields cinnamon
2
: a light yellowish brown
cinnamony
-mə-nē How to pronounce cinnamon (audio)
adjective

Medical Definition

cinnamon

noun
cin·​na·​mon ˈsin-ə-mən How to pronounce cinnamon (audio)
often attributive
1
: any of several Asian trees of the genus Cinnamomum
2
a
: the highly aromatic, dried bark of a cinnamon tree that yields a culinary spice, cinnamaldehyde, and cinnamon oil
b
: an aromatic spice prepared from the dried inner bark of a cinnamon

Note: A typically mild and somewhat sweet, tan to light brown cinnamon comes from a tree (Cinnamomum verum synonym C. zeylanicum) of Sri Lanka and southern India, and is usually considered to be true cinnamon. Cinnamon that comes from several related trees (such as the Chinese cinnamon) typically accounts for most of the less expensive cinnamon spice sold in stores. This spice, also known as cassia, tends to have a stronger, spicier character than true cinnamon.

More from Merriam-Webster on cinnamon

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cinnamon

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of Pyrrhic

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
couple-laugh-cafe
Quiz: Foreign Phrases You Should Know Check out your bona fides and avoid any faux pas.
See All