coracan
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun 1. A cereal grass of East India: A type of grain-producing grass (Eleusine coracana) native to or cultivated in parts of East Africa and South Asia. 2. A source of grain: The plant produces small, round seeds that can be ground into a somewhat bitter-tasting flour, historically a staple food in certain regions of Asia and Africa.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- Coracan is a drought-resistant crop important for food security in arid regions.
- The flour made from coracan is used to prepare traditional flatbreads and porridges.
Advanced Usage
- Common Names: The word "coracan" is a less common name. This grain is more widely known internationally as finger millet or ragi.
- Contextual Use: The term is primarily used in agricultural, botanical, or historical contexts rather than in everyday conversation.
Variants and Related Words
- Finger millet (n): The most common English name for the cereal grass .
- Ragi (n): A common name for this grain, especially in India and Sri Lanka.
- Millet (n): A general term for small-seeded grasses used as cereals; coracan is one specific type of millet.
Synonyms
- Finger millet
- Ragi
- African millet (in some contexts)
Notes on Meaning
- The definition specifies the grain's origin ("East Indian") and its characteristic ("somewhat bitter flour"). It is important to note that while historically significant in the Orient (Asia), it is also a fundamental crop in parts of Eastern and Southern Africa.
Noun
- East Indian cereal grass whose seed yield a somewhat bitter flour, a staple in the Orient