Silphium

Word SILPHIUM
Character 8
Hyphenation N/A
Pronunciations N/A

Definitions and meanings of "Silphium"

What do we mean by silphium?

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. noun

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

An umbelliferous plant the juice of which was used by the ancient Greeks as a food and medicine: called in Latin laserpitium. (See laser, laserpitium.) It has been variously identified, as with Thapsia Garganica. noun

NL. (Linnæus, 1752). A genus of composite plants, of the tribe Helianthoideæ and subtribe Melampodieæ. noun

A plant, thought to be extinct, used in ancient Greece and Rome in cooking and as a contraceptive. noun

Tall North American perennial herbs noun

Here you will find one or more explanations in English for the word silphium. Define silphium, silphium synonyms, silphium pronunciation, silphium translation, English dictionary definition of silphium.

Synonyms and Antonyms for Silphium

  • Synonyms for silphium
  • Silphium synonyms not found!!!
  • Antonyms for silphium
  • Silphium antonyms not found!

The word "silphium" in example sentences

laserpicium A substance obtained from a north African shrub called silphium. ❋ Colleen McCullough (2007)

Further, Persia produced a coarse kind of silphium or assafoetida; it was famous for its walnuts, which were distinguished by the epithet of "royal"; and it supplied to the pharmacopeia of Greece and Rome a certain number of herbs. ❋ George Rawlinson (1857)

Some argue that the silphium seed pod, which is heart shaped, is where the design came from but the truth is lost in antiquity. ❋ Unknown (2010)

Cyrene was famous for its horses and export of the valuable but pungent plant silphium, used in seasoning and many medicines, including contraceptives. ❋ Philip Freeman (2011)

The town even stamped a stalk of silphium on its coinage. ❋ Philip Freeman (2011)

Wikipedia reports that the seed of the silphium plant, used in ancient times as an herbal contraceptive, might be the source of the heart symbol. ❋ Beverley Golden (2011)

For instance, hemp apparently is funnier than the once prevalent and popular contraceptive silphium – go figure. ❋ Unknown (2007)

Battiades the First, in Libya where the silphium grows; ❋ Flavia (2006)

There is a magnificent 6th century Laconian cup thought to show King Arkesilas of Cyrene supervising the weighing of silphium... ❋ Unknown (2005)

The OED calls it "A gum-resin mentioned by Roman writers; obtained from an umbelliferous plant called lāserpīcium or silphium"; the OLD entry is again omitting citations: ❋ Unknown (2005)

Kenneth Quinn's note in my edition reads: lasarpiciferis: ...'rich in silphium'; if the plant , the main export of Cyrene was asafoetida the attribution is doubtful then perhaps C. devised his learned polysyllable as an ironic corrective to the literary associations of the name Cyrene. ❋ Unknown (2005)

The plant has been variously identified as Thapsia garganica or silphion, and Narthex silphium. ❋ Unknown (2005)

But for you (he said that!) the Republic would not be forced to pay excessive tribute to the Romans; and through your excesses you have drained it of perfumes, aromatics, slaves, and silphium, for you are in league with the nomads on the Cyrenian frontier! ❋ Unknown (2003)

Cross Reference for Silphium

What does silphium mean?

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