sesame oil

noun

|Updated on: 14 Jun 2018

Definition of sesame oil

: a pale yellow bland semidrying fatty oil obtained from sesame seeds and used chiefly as an edible oil, as a vehicle for various pharmaceuticals, and in cosmetics and soaps

Recent Examples of sesame oil from the Web

Cook carrots and collard greens in that same skillet until crisp-tender, and mix up a bright dressing with just a bit of seasoned rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil.

— aliza abarbanel, Bon Appetit, "A Spicy Pork Tenderloin Bowl That's So Easy You Hardly Need This Recipe," 30 May 2018
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce and sesame oil.

— daniel neman, sacbee, "Spread joy: Cook with peanut butter | The Sacramento Bee," 3 Apr. 2018
Purée chiles, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, sesame oil, ¼ cup vegetable oil, and 3 Tbsp.

— andy baraghani, Bon Appetit, "Grilled Short Ribs with Pickled Daikon," 28 May 2018
Heat at least 1 to 2 inches of canola oil plus the sesame oil in a skillet over high heat.

— sarah fritsche, San Francisco Chronicle, "Recipe: Fiddlehead Tempura With Sriracha Creme Fraiche," 18 May 2018
On large rimmed baking sheet, toss peppers with onion, 1 tablespoon sesame oil and salt.

— the good housekeeping test kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Honey-Soy-Glazed Salmon with Peppers," 7 Jan. 2017
The signature is Shoyu ahi, which comes with scallions, sesame oil, and an all-important secret sauce.

— Bloomberg.com, "Bloomberg," 2 May 2018
Image On every table at Happy Stony Noodle sits a bowl of suan cai, pickled mustard greens, dark and minerally, fermented and then flopped in a wok with sesame oil, garlic, dried onion and a flick of sugar.

— New York Times, "At Happy Stony Noodle, a Childhood Favorite Anchors the Menu," 25 Jan. 2018
In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, if using, brown sugar, pear, garlic, green onion, ginger, pepper, hot chile sauce and sesame oil; whisk to combine.

— kim sunée, Anchorage Daily News, "Struggling to use up the salmon in your freezer from last year? We’re here to help.," 6 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sesame oil.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of sesame oil

1870

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

Medical Dictionary

sesame oil

noun

medical Definition of sesame oil

: a pale yellow bland semidrying fatty oil obtained from sesame seeds and used chiefly as an edible oil, as a vehicle for various pharmaceuticals, and in cosmetics and soaps — called also benne oil, teel oil