noun

Niger

NEYE-juh

noun

An African oil-seed plant, also called niger seed, grown for its edible oil and as a common ingredient in birdseed mixes.

"The finches at the feeder went straight for the niger seed."

How to Use Niger

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMost commonly seen today as the name of the West African country and river, or, in lowercase, as the name of an oily seed used in birdseed.

Common mistake

When capitalized, this is the name of the country and river in West Africa; the country name is pronounced differently from the offensive English slur it superficially resembles in spelling — they are historically and linguistically unrelated.

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The finches at the feeder went straight for the _____ seed.

Etymology

The plant name is unrelated to the country; the crop's scientific epithet traces to its dark seed coat. The country name Niger has a disputed origin, often linked by folk etymology to the Latin word for "black," though older theories trace it through Tuareg and Berber phrases meaning something like "river of rivers."

Rhymes for Niger

tiger Geiger Danziger

See all rhymes for Niger →