Cur'-cu-mā, n.

n. [Ar. kurkum, It. & Fr. curcuma.] A genus of plants of the order Scitamineæ, including the turmeric plant (Curcuma longa).

Curcuma paper, or turmeric paper (Chem.), paper stained with a decoction of turmeric, and used to detect the presence of free alkali by its change of color from yellow to brown.