Main Entry: ses·a·me

Pronunciation: \ˈse-sə-mē also ˈse-zə-\

Function: noun

Etymology: alteration of earlier sesam, sesama, from Latin sesamum, sesama, from Greek sēsamon, sēsamē, of Semitic origin; akin to Akkadian šamaššamu sesame

Date: 15th century

1 : a widely cultivated chiefly tropical or subtropical annual erect herb (Sesamum indicum of the family Pedaliaceae); also : its small seeds used especially as a source of oil and a flavoring agent
2 : open sesame

[sesame illustration]