Plural of cilantro, the leafy green herb with a distinctive taste that comes from the coriander plant, commonly used in cooking.
From Spanish cilantro, derived from Latin coriandrum, which came from Greek koriandron. The word traveled through Spanish conquistadors who brought the plant from the Mediterranean to the Americas.
Cilantro is famously polarizing—about 14% of people have a genetic variation that makes it taste like soap! This 'cilantro hate' gene (OR6A2) is actually more common in people of certain ancestries, making it a fascinating example of how genetics and culture intersect in something as simple as flavor preference.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.