silphium

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silphium

Where it comes from

From Latin silphium, from Ancient Greek σίλφιον (sílphion).

noun silphiums · silphia · silfium · silphion

historical A plant, thought to be extinct, used in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome in cooking and as a contraceptive. Of all the mysteries of ancient Rome, silphium is among the most intriguing. Romans loved the herb as much as we love chocolate. They used silphium as perfume, as medicine, as an aphrodisiac and turned it into a condiment, called laser, that they poured on to almost every dish.
Similar: silphion, laserwort

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MLA

"silphium." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/silphium. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

silphium. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/silphium

Chicago

"silphium." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/silphium.

BibTeX

@misc{silphium_2026,
  title = {silphium},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/silphium},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}