/say'mee yohonn"/ ; Fr. /say mee yawonn"/ , n.
a variety of white grape used in winemaking, esp. in France in the Sauternes district of Bordeaux.
[ 1870-75; sémilion semilhoun, equiv. to OPr semilh ( ar ) to sow, deriv. of seme seed ( semen; see SEMEN) + Gascon, Pr -oun agentive suffix (appar. alluding to the variety's high productivity) ]