# sesame

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈsɛsəmi/ · frequency rank #15,903

## Definitions
1. A tropical Asian plant (Sesamum indicum) bearing small flat seeds used as food and as a source of oil.
2. The seed of this plant.

## Etymology
From late Middle English sisamie, from Latin sīsamum, sēsamum, from Ancient Greek σήσαμον (sḗsamon), from Aramaic שושמא (šūššmā), shortening of שומשומא (šumššumā), from Akkadian 𒊭𒈦𒌑𒈬 (šamaššammū, “oil plant”), compound of 𒉌𒄑 (šaman, “oil”) and 𒌑 (šammum, “plant”). The modern pronunciation is perhaps influenced by (transliterations of) Greek σησάμη (sisámi). Doublet of sesamum.

## Easily confused with
- **shame** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sesame-vs-shame)
- **sewage** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sesame-vs-sewage)
- **same** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/same-vs-sesame)
- **seam** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seam-vs-sesame)
- **seams** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seams-vs-sesame)
- **senate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/senate-vs-sesame)
- **seamen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/seamen-vs-sesame)
- **sedate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/sedate-vs-sesame)

## Common misspellings (8)
`essame`, `seasme`, `sesaem`, `sesamme`, `sesmae`, `sessame`, `sseame`, `ssesame`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sesame