coriander
UK[ˌkɒr.iˈæn.dər]US[ˈkɔːr.i.æn.dər]
n
the leaves of the coriander plant, used as an herb in cooking
n
a plant of the parsley family, whose leaves and dried seeds are used in cooking as a herb and spice
Etymology
the word 'coriander' has a journey that obscures its original morphemic structure in english. it originates from the greek 'koriannon', a term for the plant which likely has a pre-greek, possibly non-indo-european substrate origin. the latin 'coriandrum' was a direct borrowing from greek, which then passed into old french as 'coriandre'. middle english adopted the term from anglo-norman french in the 14th century. the modern spelling 'coriander' was standardized, making it an unsegmentable simplex word in contemporary english, its form frozen from its path as a culinary loanword.
Analysis
the word is a simplex loanword. it entered english as a whole unit from old french, which derived it from latin 'coriandrum', itself borrowed from greek 'koriannon'.
Examples
fresh coriander is essential for many asian and mexican dishes.
the recipe calls for a teaspoon of ground coriander seeds.
some people have a genetic trait that makes coriander taste like soap.