salep

[sal-ep]

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noun

a starchy, demulcent drug or foodstuff consisting of the dried tubers of certain orchids.

Origin of salep

1730–40; < Turkish salep < dialectal Arabic saḥlab, perhaps shortened variant of Arabic khusā al-thaʿlab fox's testicles; cf. saloop

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

Related Words for salep

beet, potato, bulb, root, taro, yam, turnip, jalap, salep

Examples from the Web for salep

Historical Examples of salep

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 Kingdom
P. L. Simmonds
Then, there are cresses and wood-sorrel to his breakfast, and salep for his hot evening mess.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XI.--April, 1851--Vol. II.
Various
Dr Percival has recommended the addition of salep with the same intention.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley
The same weight of materials, without the salep, gave only 23⁄4lbs.
Cooley's Cyclopdia of Practical Receipts and Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades..., Sixth Edition, Volume I
Arnold Cooley

British Dictionary definitions for salep

salep

noun

the dried ground starchy tubers of various orchids, used for food and formerly as drugs

Word Origin for salep

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for salep

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).