Chinese cinnamon

noun

: the dried bark of a southeast Asian tree (Cinnamomum cassia synonym C. aromaticum) that yields a somewhat sweet and spicy variety of cassia sold as cinnamon

also : the powdered spice produced from Chinese cinnamon bark compare ceylon cinnamon, indonesian cinnamon, saigon cinnamon

Examples of Chinese cinnamon in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Sweet spices — maybe Chinese cinnamon? —Washington Post, 8 Mar. 2021

Other Cinnamomum species that are cultivated for commercial purposes are C. burmannii (Indonesian cinnamon), C. loureiroi (Saigon cinnamon or Vietnamese cinnamon), and C. cassia (Cassia or Chinese cinnamon) [1]. —Alice Chi Phung, Discover Magazine, 27 May 2014

Word History

First Known Use

1792, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

Chinese cinnamon

noun

Chi·​nese cinnamon chī-ˌnēz-, -ˌnēs- 

1

: the bark of a southeast Asian tree of the genus Cinnamomum (C. cassia) that is the source of cinnamon oil

called also cassia bark

2

: the tree that yields Chinese cinnamon