silphium

sil·phi·um

 (sĭl′fē-əm)

n.

1. An extinct North African plant, often classified in the genus Ferula, that produced a resin that was a popular seasoning in ancient Greece and Rome. It became extinct in antiquity, probably from overharvesting and overgrazing.

2. A plant of the genus Silphium, such as the compass plant.

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[Latin, from Greek silphion, perhaps of North African origin.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

silphium

(ˈsɪlfɪəm)

n

(Plants) an American flowering wild plant of the family Asteraceae

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Silphium - tall North American perennial herbs genus Silphium asterid dicot genus - genus of more or less advanced dicotyledonous herbs and some trees and shrubs aster family, Asteraceae, Compositae, family Asteraceae, family Compositae - plants with heads composed of many florets: aster; daisy; dandelion; goldenrod; marigold; lettuces; ragweed; sunflower; thistle; zinnia rosinweed, Silphium laciniatum - North American perennial having a resinous odor and yellow flowers

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