asafoetida

asafetida

/ (ˌæsəˈfɛtɪdə) /

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noun

a bitter resin with an unpleasant onion-like smell, obtained from the roots of some umbelliferous plants of the genus Ferula: formerly used as a carminative, antispasmodic, and expectorant

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Word Origin for asafoetida

C14: from Medieval Latin, from asa gum (compare Persian azā mastic) + Latin foetidus evil-smelling, fetid

Words nearby asafoetida

as, Asa, ASA/BS, Asacol, asafetida, asafoetida, Asahigawa, asalam-wa-leikum, as all getout, Asama, as a matter of course

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

How to use asafoetida in a sentence

"Let me see how much asafoetida you've got," said Sneak, after they had walked a few moments in silence.
Wild Western Scenes|John Beauchamp Jones
It is generally a greasy stew of mutton, soaked with rancid butter and saffron, and seasoned with asafoetida.
Mogreb-el-Acksa|R. B. Cunninghame Graham
They do not use asafoetida (hing) nor the fruit of the umar fig-tree.
The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India--Volume I (of IV)|R.V. Russell
Some take it up like a hot horseshoe, and hold it off at arm's length like a druggist pouring tincture of asafoetida in a bottle.
Heart of the West|O. Henry

His wry faces were from no indigestion, but from the savour of asafoetida, unrelieved by brandy.
Feats on the Fiord|Harriet Martineau