du·rum 
(d
r
əm, dy
r
-, dûr
-)
n. A type of wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum syn. T. durum) having hard grains with high protein and gluten content, thought to have been developed in the Middle East in the Neolithic period and now used chiefly in making pasta.
[From Latin dūrum, neuter of dūrus, hard; see deru- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]