sassafras

American  

[sas-uh-fras] / ˈsæs əˌfræs /

noun

1. an American tree, Sassafras albidum, of the laurel family, having egg-shaped leaves and long clusters of greenish-yellow flowers.

2. the aromatic bark of its root, used medicinally and especially for flavoring beverages, confectionery, etc.

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sassafras British  

/ ˈsæsəˌfræs /

noun

1. an aromatic deciduous lauraceous tree, Sassafras albidum, of North America, having three-lobed leaves and dark blue fruits

2. the aromatic dried root bark of this tree, used as a flavouring, and yielding sassafras oil

3. any of several unrelated trees having a similar fragrant bark

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Etymology

Origin of sassafras

First recorded in 1570–80, sassafras is from the Spanish word sasafrás

Example Sentences

For the front awning, he used sassafras, a semi-soft wood that darkens with age, smells like root beer when you cut it, and reminds him of the sassafras tea he drank as a kid.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2023

Over the years, this slice of soil has nourished wild alliums, huckleberry, sassafras — even ancient apple trees planted by those who came to claim these West Virginia acres as their own.

From Salon • Nov. 24, 2022

But then again, a whole stand of sassafras wouldn’t be so bad, he said: “I would spend my whole fall just sitting underneath there.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 1, 2022

His sliver of a restaurant in TriBeCa is named for filé powder, the ground sassafras thickener often used for making gumbo.

From New York Times • May 24, 2022

Bags of sassafras and licorice root and birdeye vine sat open for bargaining, and by the time we poked around those a minute, Constantine’s whole body’d be rambling and loose in the joints.

From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett