sarsaparilla root

9.1

The dried part of a plant used to flavor drinks and herbal medicines

noun
/ˌsɑːrspəˈrɪlə ruːt/

: raíz de sarsaparilla

The chef added a touch of sarsaparilla root to give the dessert an earthy, spicy note.

Examples

Traditional medicines often use sarsaparilla root to brew herbal teas believed to have health benefits.
I bought some sarsaparilla root for my herbal tea.
In the 19th century, sarsaparilla root was a popular ingredient in tonics and soft drinks.
Have you ever tried sarsaparilla root in a recipe?
Many people enjoy making herbal tea with sarsaparilla root for its unique flavor.
The recipe calls for sarsaparilla root, which adds a distinct taste to the beverage.
In traditional medicine, sarsaparilla root is often used to help with a variety of ailments.

Synonyms

sarsaparilla

vssarsaparilla root

1 9.9

A prickly climbing plant with heart-shaped leaves and scented roots used in drinks and medicine

is specifically the dried root used mainly as a flavoring and herbal remedy

Surface Forms

sarsaparilla root singular

sarsaparilla roots plural

Morphology

sarsaparilla + root

The meaning 'the root of the sarsaparilla plant' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'sarsaparilla' (the plant) with 'root' (plant organ). This straightforward part-of compound follows common English and cross-linguistic compounding patterns, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Sarsaparilla root is the real root of a plant that people dried and brewed to give a sweet, spicy taste to drinks and to make simple 'medicines'. Because people used the dried root for flavor and home remedies, the name now means the dried plant root used as a 'flavoring' or 'herbal remedy'.