sassafras

American  

[sas-uh-fras] / ˈsæs əˌfræs /

noun

1. an American tree, Sassafras albidum, of the laurel family, having egg-shaped leaves and long clusters of greenish-yellow flowers.

2. the aromatic bark of its root, used medicinally and especially for flavoring beverages, confectionery, etc.

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sassafras British  

/ ˈsæsəˌfræs /

noun

1. an aromatic deciduous lauraceous tree, Sassafras albidum, of North America, having three-lobed leaves and dark blue fruits

2. the aromatic dried root bark of this tree, used as a flavouring, and yielding sassafras oil

3. any of several unrelated trees having a similar fragrant bark

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Etymology

Origin of sassafras

First recorded in 1570–80, sassafras is from the Spanish word sasafrás

Example Sentences

For the front awning, he used sassafras, a semi-soft wood that darkens with age, smells like root beer when you cut it, and reminds him of the sassafras tea he drank as a kid.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 9, 2023

But then again, a whole stand of sassafras wouldn’t be so bad, he said: “I would spend my whole fall just sitting underneath there.”

From Seattle Times • Aug. 1, 2022

His sliver of a restaurant in TriBeCa is named for filé powder, the ground sassafras thickener often used for making gumbo.

From New York Times • May 24, 2022

Tasting it recently, I found the wine beautifully integrated, with lovely savory notes of dark cherry, sassafras and mushrooms.

From Washington Post • Jul. 22, 2021

“It ain’t funny if you know how it came about. You ever noticed that great big sassafras tree, Lightfoot? The one over by the depot?”

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns