Dictionary

asafoetida en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˌæsəˈfɛtɪdə/
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌæsəˈfiːtɪdə/

Etymology

Late Middle English, from Medieval Latin asafoetida, from Persian ازا / آزا (azâ, âzâ, “mastic”) + Latin foetida, feminine of foetidus (“bad-smelling”).

Meanings

1. (uncountable, usually) A resinous gum from the stem and roots of Ferula species such as Ferula foetida and Ferula assa-foetida, having a strong, unpleasant smell, with culinary and medical uses.
   • CHEWING-BALLS, a kind of balls made of aſafœtida, liver of antimony, bay-wood, juniper-wood, and pellitory of Spain; which being dried in the ſun, and wrapped in a linen-cloth, are tied to the bit of the bridle for the horſe to chew: they create an appetite; and it is ſaid, that balls of Venice treacle may be uſed in the ſame manner with good ſucceſs. 1771, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1st ed., volume II, page 183:
   • Nigh Whormoot are Duzgun, Laztan-De, and other Townes, where is got the best Assa-Fætida through all the Orient: the tree is like our brier in height, the leaves resemble Fig leaves, the root the Radish: the vertue had need be much, it stincks so odiously. 1638, Thomas Herbert, Some Yeares Travels, section II:
   • The smell, too, is often perverted—Parosmia. The author was formerly acquainted with a lady, who scented her snuff with the tincture of assafœtida. 1842, Robley Dunglison, “Of the Neuroses”, in The Practice of Medicine; or, A Treatise on Special Pathology and Therapeutics. […], volume II, Philadelphia, Pa.: Lea and Blanchard, →OCLC, book VI (Diseases of the Nervous System), page 280:
   • For black magic, assafœtida, garlic, dragon's blood, sulphur, and such-like vile-smelling concoctions were used. 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 155:
   • half-a-dozen huge bread pills, dipped in a solution of aloes or cinnamon water, flavoured with assafœtida, which in the case of the dyspeptic rich often suffice [...]. 1855, Sir Richard Burton, Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Meccah, Dover, published 1964, page 54:
   • The letter she sent me stank of assafoetida or devil’s dung. I was charmed. 1993, Anthony Burgess, A Dead Man In Deptford:

Forms

Synonyms

asant · hing · stinking gum · devil's dung

Translations (63)

nds-de düwelsdreck (resinous gum from wild fennel) · cy baw diawl (resinous gum from wild fennel) · ta பெருங்காயம் (resinous gum from wild fennel) · ban hinggu (resinous gum from wild fennel) · axm անգուժատ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · es asafétida (resinous gum from wild fennel) · ota شیطان بوقی (resinous gum from wild fennel) · fa هنگ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · ml കായം (resinous gum from wild fennel) · kac hkying hku (resinous gum from wild fennel) · tr hiltit (resinous gum from wild fennel) · af duiwelsdrek (resinous gum from wild fennel) · tg ров (resinous gum from wild fennel) · hu bűzös husáng (resinous gum from wild fennel) · txb aṅkwaṣ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · mnw ၚု (resinous gum from wild fennel) · axm մաղթ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · ps انجه (resinous gum from wild fennel) · gu હિંગ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · ur ہینگ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · sa हिङ्गु (resinous gum from wild fennel) · is djöflatað (resinous gum from wild fennel) · pl czarcie łajno (resinous gum from wild fennel) · fi hajupihka (resinous gum from wild fennel) · nb dyvelsdrek (resinous gum from wild fennel) · fa انگژد (resinous gum from wild fennel) · cy drewgi (resinous gum from wild fennel) · fi pirunpihka (resinous gum from wild fennel) · sv dyvelsträck (resinous gum from wild fennel) · hy անգուժատ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · te ఇంగువ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · bo ཤིང་ཀུན (resinous gum from wild fennel) · fa انگدان (resinous gum from wild fennel) · fr ase fétide (resinous gum from wild fennel) · tl inggo (resinous gum from wild fennel) · th มหาหิงคุ์ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · ne हिङ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · tl asapetida (resinous gum from wild fennel) · pl smrodzieniec (resinous gum from wild fennel) · rgn asafëtida (resinous gum from wild fennel) · shn သိင်းၶူဝ်ႇ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · yi טײַוולסקויט (resinous gum from wild fennel) · ar حِلْتِيت (resinous gum from wild fennel) · hi हिंग (resinous gum from wild fennel) · mr हिंग (resinous gum from wild fennel) · pt assafétida (resinous gum from wild fennel) · kn ಇಂಗು (resinous gum from wild fennel) · my ရှိန်းခို (resinous gum from wild fennel) · hu bűzös aszat (resinous gum from wild fennel) · hi हीँग (resinous gum from wild fennel) · ota حلتیت (resinous gum from wild fennel) · de Teufelsdreck (resinous gum from wild fennel) · nl duivelsdrek (resinous gum from wild fennel) · de Asant (resinous gum from wild fennel) · it assafetida (resinous gum from wild fennel) · fa رافه (resinous gum from wild fennel) · pl asafetyda (resinous gum from wild fennel) · cy asaffeta (resinous gum from wild fennel) · kk кеурексасыр (resinous gum from wild fennel) · hi हींग (resinous gum from wild fennel) · tr şeytantersi (resinous gum from wild fennel) · lo ມະຫາຫິງ (resinous gum from wild fennel) · hy քաղբան (resinous gum from wild fennel)