samphire
[ sam-fahyuh r ]
/ ˈsæm faɪər /
noun
a European succulent plant, Crithmum maritimum, of the parsley family, having compound leaves and small, whitish flowers, growing in clefts of rock near the sea.
Origin of samphire
1535–45; earlier
sampiere < Middle French (
herbe de)
Saint Pierre (herb of) Saint Peter
Words nearby samphire
samoyedic,
samp,
sampaguita,
sampaio,
sampan,
samphire,
sample,
sample point,
sample room,
sample space,
sampler
Example sentences from the Web for samphire
British Dictionary definitions for samphire
samphire
/ (ˈsæmˌfaɪə) /
noun
Also called: rock samphire
an umbelliferous plant, Crithmum maritimum, of Eurasian coasts, having fleshy divided leaves and clusters of small greenish-white flowers
golden samphire
a Eurasian coastal plant, Inula crithmoides, with fleshy leaves and yellow flower heads: family Asteraceae (composites)
another name for glasswort (def. 1)
any of several other plants of coastal areas
Word Origin for samphire
C16
sampiere, from French
herbe de Saint Pierre Saint Peter's herb; perhaps influenced by
camphire
camphor