glasswort

[ glas-wurt, -wawrt, glahs- ]

/ ˈglæsˌwɜrt, -ˌwɔrt, ˈglɑs- /

noun

any of several plants of the genus Salicornia, of the amaranth family, having succulent stems with rudimentary leaves, formerly used, when burned to ashes, as a source of soda for glassmaking.

Nearby words

glassware, glasswork, glassworker, glassworks, glassworm, glasswort, glassy, glassy alloy, glassy degeneration, glassy membrane, glassy-eyed

Origin of glasswort

First recorded in 1590–1600; glass + wort²

Also called samphire.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for glasswort

glasswort

/ (ˈɡlɑːsˌwɜːt) /

noun

Also called: marsh samphire any plant of the chenopodiaceous genus Salicornia, of salt marshes, having fleshy stems and scalelike leaves: formerly used as a source of soda for glass-making

another name for saltwort (def. 1)

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