Asafoetida (noun)
as-af-oh-tid-a
A bitter resin with an unpleasant onion-like smell, obtained from the roots of some umbelliferous plants of the genus Ferula: formerly used as a carminative, antispasmodic, and expectorant
C14: from Medieval Latin, from asa gum (compare Persian azā mastic) + Latin foetidus evil-smelling, fetid.
Example sentences
“It even derives its name from that scent – asafoetida in Latin means “fetid gum”.”
