glasswort

[ glas-wurt, -wawrt, glahs- ]

noun

1. any of several plants of the genus Salicornia, of the amaranth family, having succulent stems with rudimentary leaves, formerly used, when burned to ashes, as a source of soda for glassmaking.

glasswort

/ ˈɡlɑːsˌwɜːt /

noun

1. Also calledmarsh samphire any plant of the chenopodiaceous genus Salicornia, of salt marshes, having fleshy stems and scalelike leaves: formerly used as a source of soda for glass-making
2. another name for saltwort

Word History and Origins

Origin of glasswort¹

First recorded in 1590–1600; glass + wort ²

Example Sentences

Sea beans — a thin, dark green, crunchy succulent foraged at the shore — also go by salicornia, samphire, glasswort and in France, where they are more commonly served than in the United States, salicornes.

From New York Times

A lightly torched chip of pen shell clam with glasswort; a square of bigfin squid with Charentais melon; a separate course of good but not extraordinary bread may have had their quiet charms.

From New York Times

Though a humble enough plant in itself, the samphire, or glasswort, is the source of a wonderful glory in our marshes in the autumn.

From Project Gutenberg

Salsola Kali, an allied plant with rigid, fleshy, spinous-pointed leaves, which was used for the same purpose, was known as prickly glasswort.

From Project Gutenberg

The fleshy leaves at a little distance suggest the form of many plants of brackish marsh and creek edges, and even the glasswort itself.

From Project Gutenberg