sierra

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish sierra, from Latin serra, "saw," referring to the saw-tooth profile of the crestline of the range seen from a distance.

noun

1. A rugged range of mountains.
2. (international standards) Alternative letter-case form of Sierra from the NATO/ICAO Phonetic Alphabet.
3. A scombroid fish.
4. (uncountable) A relatively low-quality grade of Spanish saffron.
   Mancha selecto is the world's best saffron: deep-red stamens, as long as the first joint of your thumb, packed and date-stamped. Lesser types, like sierra saffron, have shorter stamens and a quantity of white and yellow flower parts. 2005, Karen Anand, International Cooking With Karen Anand, page 77