salsify
[ sal-suh-fee ]
/ ˈsæl sə fi /
Save This Word!
noun, plural sal·si·fies.
a purple-flowered, composite plant, Tragopogon porrifolius, whose root has an oyster-like flavor and is used as a culinary vegetable.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Meet Grammar Coach
Improve Your Writing
Also called oyster plant, vegetable oyster.
Origin of salsify
1690–1700; <French salsifis, variant of sassefy, sassef(r)ique<Italian sassef(r)ica) < ?
Words nearby salsify
salpingostomy, salpingotomy, salpinx, salsa, salsa verde, salsify, sal soda, salt, salta, saltando, saltant
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for salsify
British Dictionary definitions for salsify
salsify
/ (ˈsælsɪfɪ) /
noun plural -fies
Also called: oyster plant, vegetable oyster a Mediterranean plant, Tragopogon porrifolius, having grasslike leaves, purple flower heads, and a long white edible taproot: family Asteraceae (composites)
the root of this plant, which tastes of oysters and is eaten as a vegetable
Word Origin for salsify
C17: from French salsifis, from Italian sassefrica, from Late Latin saxifrica, from Latin saxum rock + fricāre to rub
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