silphium
silphium Lexical Profile
silphium Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An unidentified and likely extinct plant from ancient Cyrene (modern-day Libya), highly prized in classical antiquity for its use as a seasoning, perfume, medicine, and contraceptive.
"The ancient Romans valued silphium so highly that it was stored in the imperial treasury and depicted on the coins of Cyrene."
North American A genus of tall, deep-rooted North American perennial plants in the daisy family (Asteraceae), typically featuring large yellow flower heads and commonly known as rosinweeds.
"Botanists noted that several species of silphium were thriving in the restored tallgrass prairie."
Word Nuance & Usage
The term historically refers to a highly prized and likely extinct plant of classical antiquity, but in modern botany, it refers to an unrelated genus of North American prairie plants (Asteraceae).
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Latin 'silphium', derived from Ancient Greek 'σίλφιον' (sílphion), referring to the famous medicinal plant of ancient Cyrene.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.