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# sesame

noun (sesame, sesame seeds — the plant and seeds); exclamation (open sesame)

«sesame» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A plant grown in warm countries for its small flat seeds. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#m1)
2. The tiny cream or black seeds of that plant, eaten on bread and in food and pressed to make sesame oil. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#m2)
3. «Open sesame!» — the magic words that open the robbers' cave in the story «Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves»; jokingly, any easy way to get something you want. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#m3)

### In the lessons

In everyday life sesame seeds sit on burger buns, bagels and in tahini and hummus; on food labels sesame is listed as an allergen, so safety lessons teach pupils to read labels if a friend is allergic. In stories «Open sesame!» opens magic doors; people say it jokingly when a door opens by itself or when a good grade is «an open sesame» to a good school.

### Examples

- My burger bun is covered in sesame seeds. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#x1)
- Hummus is made with chickpeas and tahini, a sesame paste. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#x2)
- Ella is allergic to sesame, so we check the labels. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#x3)
- Grandma fries the vegetables in sesame oil. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#x4)
- Ali Baba said "Open sesame!" and the rock door slid open. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#x5)
- The automatic door opened and Leo shouted, "Open sesame!" [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#x6)
- Black sesame seeds are used in some Chinese desserts. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#x7)
- The bakery's sesame bagels sell out first. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#x8)
- He said: “Open, Sesame!” and the door opened and shut behind him. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/#x9)

### Note

Say «SESS-uh-mee» (three syllables). Uncountable as food (some sesame), countable as seeds (sesame seeds). Sesame is one of the main food allergens in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand; an allergic person must avoid even tiny amounts.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «sesame» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/S/sesame/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«sesame» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/sesame.html) on Mova free.