Bergamot
[BER-gə-mot]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Italian, late 17th century
1.
An oily substance extracted from the rind of the fruit of a dwarf variety of the Seville orange tree. It is used in cosmetics and as flavoring in tea.
2.
(Also bergamot orange) The tree which bears a variety of Seville orange from which bergamot is extracted.
Examples of Bergamot in a sentence
"The house tea blend has strong notes of bergamot."
"Your grandmother's farm used to have a grove of bergamot orange trees."
About Bergamot
In Northern Italy, there's a city and province called Bergamo. But there's also a Turkish word — "begarmudu" — that means "prince's pear." "Bergamot" is likely a mix of these origins.
Did you Know?
A Seville orange tree produces the fruit from which the citrusy bergamot oil is extracted for Earl Grey tea and fragrances. The herb bergamot is a different plant, but it has a similar citrus aroma. It's a member of the mint family, and the plants are known to attract pollinators, including bees, hummingbirds, and butterflies. The plant is sometimes called bee balm or lemon bergamot.
