Meanings
nounsamphire (countable and uncountable, plural samphires)
plural samphires
- One of several salt-tolerant plants, some edible:
- countableuncountablePlants of genus Salicornia (syn. Salicornia)
- countableuncountableMarsh samphire, glasswort, pickleweed (Salicornia europaea), a plant once burned to produce ash used to make soda glass.
- countableuncountableRock samphire (Crithmum maritimum).
- countableuncountableGolden samphire (Limbarda crithmoides, syn. Inula crithmoides).
- countableuncountabletree seaside tansy (Borrichia arborescens) of the West Indies.
- countableuncountablePlant of the species Gomphrena vermicularis
- countableuncountablePlants of genus Tecticornia
Synonyms & antonyms
nounfleshy maritime plant having fleshy stems with rudimentary scalelike leaves and small spikes of minute flowers; formerly used in making glass
Similar
glasswortSalicornia europaea
Broader
herbherbaceous plant
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- FrenchSaint Pierre
- Englishsamphire
Originally sampiere, from French Saint Pierre (Saint Peter), the patron saint of fishermen, who often harvested the plant.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 鹽角草 /盐角草
- 鹽角草 /盐角草marsh samphire
Finnish suolayrtti, punasuolayrtti
- suolayrttimarsh samphire
- punasuolayrttimarsh samphire
- merikorallimarsh samphire
- nivelsarviplant of the genus Tecticornia
French salicorne
- salicornemarsh samphire
German Queller, Glasschmelz
- Quellermarsh samphire
- Glasschmelzmarsh samphire
Irish lus na gloine
- lus na gloinemarsh samphire
Japanese 厚岸草, 谷地珊瑚
- 厚岸草 (akkeshi-sou)marsh samphire
- 谷地珊瑚 (yachi-sango)marsh samphire
Portuguese salicórnia
- salicórniamarsh samphire
Spanish salicornia
- salicorniamarsh samphire
Tagalog dampalit
- dampalitBorrichia arborescens
Welsh llyrlys, chwyn hallt
- llyrlysmarsh samphire
- chwyn halltmarsh samphire
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
samphire. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/samphire
MLA
“samphire.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/samphire. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “samphire,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/samphire.
Source: samphire on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.