salep
[sal-ep]
- a starchy, demulcent drug or foodstuff consisting of the dried tubers of certain orchids.
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Origin of salep
1730–40; < Turkish salep < dialectal Arabic saḥlab, perhaps shortened variant of Arabic khusā al-thaʿlab fox's testicles; cf. saloop
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Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for salep
Historical Examples
Salep is now almost entirely disused in Great Britain; but we remember many saloop-stalls in our streets.
Club Life of London, Volume II (of 2)John Timbs
Salep consists chiefly of bassorin, some soluble gum, and a little starch.
The Commercial Products of the Vegetable KingdomP. L. Simmonds
Then, there are cresses and wood-sorrel to his breakfast, and salep for his hot evening mess.
Dr Percival has recommended the addition of salep with the same intention.
The same weight of materials, without the salep, gave only 23⁄4lbs.
salep
- the dried ground starchy tubers of various orchids, used for food and formerly as drugs
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Word Origin
C18: via French and Turkish from Arabic sahlab, shortened from khusy ath-tha`lab, literally: fox's testicles, name of an orchid
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for salep
n.
1736, "drug from starch or jelly made from dried tubers of orchid-like plants," from Turkish salep, from dialectal pronunciation of Arabic thaeleb, which usually is taken to be a shortening of khasyu 'th-thaeleb, literally "fox's testicles" (cf. native English name dogstones).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper