sarsaparilla
/ˌsæspəˈɹɪlə/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.11 in modern English
14
Scrabble Score
12
Letters
5
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any of various tropical (Central and South) American vines of the genus Smilax, such as Smilax aspera, which have fragrant roots.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Dried roots of these plants, or a flavoring material extracted from these roots.
Countable; Uncountable
noun
Any of several North American plants, of the genus Aralia, having umbels and small white flowers.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "“[…]If Cassidy goes around shooting their fingers off, how are they going to lift their sarsaparilla?” “Rustlers don't drink sarsaparilla,” came the reply, ending the conversation and throwing me back inside my twenty-yard line."
- "Many root teas taste delightful and the old American drink, sarsaparilla, was made on the lines of a decoction, while its pleasant taste was known by most of Victorian Britain."
- "Say, friend, you got any more of that good sarsaparilla?"
Etymology
From Spanish zarzaparrilla. The first element may ultimately derive from Basque; see Spanish zarza (“blackberry bush”) for more. The usual pronunciation of the first part of the word as /sæsp-/ or /sɑːsp-/ may be due to dissimilatory loss of the first of two r sounds (compare governor /ˈɡʌvənɚ/ and February /ˈfɛb.juˌɛɹi/). Occasionally this word is pronounced with a schwa between the s and the p, or without a schwa between the p and the r.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: zarzaparrilla, -
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˌsæspəˈɹɪlə/
- British English: /ˌsɑːspəˈɹɪlə/
Usage
Inflected Forms
Derived Forms
Phrases
bristly sarsaparilla
false sarsaparilla
Honduran sarsaparilla
Indian sarsaparilla
Jamaican sarsaparilla
Mexican sarsaparilla
native sarsaparilla
Para sarsaparilla