asafoetida

2 definitions found

asafoetida - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Asafetida \As`a*fet"i*da\, Asafoetida \As`a*f[oe]t"i*da\, n.
     [Asa + L. foetidus fetid.]
     The fetid gum resin or inspissated juice of a large
     umbelliferous plant (Ferula asafoetida) of Persia and the
     East Indies. It is used in medicine as an antispasmodic.
     [Written also assafoetida.]
     [1913 Webster]

asafoetida - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  asafoetida
      n 1: the brownish gum resin of various plants; has strong taste
           and odor; formerly used as an antispasmodic [syn:
           asafetida, asafoetida]