Asafoetida

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  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]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

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