/ ˈtɜːmərɪk; NAmE ˈtɜːrm-/ noun
[ U ] a yellow powder made from the root of an Asian plant, used in cooking as a spice, especially in curry
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (earlier as tarmaret ): perhaps from French terre mérite and modern Latin terra merita , literally deserving earth, or perhaps an alteration of an oriental word.