[ses.a.me] n [alter. of earlier sesam, sesama, fr. L sesamum, sesama, fr. Gk sesamon, sesame, of Sem origin; akin to Akkadian samassamu sesame] (1682) 1: a widely cultivated chiefly tropical or subtropical annual erect herb (Sesamum indicum of the family Pedaliaceae); also: its small seeds used esp. as a source of oil and a flavoring agent
2: open sesame