Estragole

/ˈɛstrəɡoʊl/ noun

Definition

A colorless liquid chemical compound with a licorice-like odor, found naturally in tarragon, fennel, and anise plants.

Etymology

From estrag- (from tarragon, via French estragon from Arabic tarkhūn) + -ole (chemical suffix). It's also called methyl chavicol or 4-allylanisole, a naturally occurring organic compound.

Kelly Says

Estragole is so potent that tiny amounts flavor entire dishes—your nose can detect it at concentrations of just a few parts per million, making tarragon one of culinary aromatics' most efficient flavoring agents.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.