salsify
[ sal-suh-fee ]
/ ˈsæl sə fi /
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.
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,
salt,
salt away,
salt bath,
salt cake,
salt cedar
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