Meanings
plural silphiums · plural silphia · alternative silfium · alternative silphion
- historicalA plant, thought to be extinct, used in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome in cooking and as a contraceptive.
Of all the mysteries of ancient Rome, silphium is among the most intriguing. Romans loved the herb as much as we love chocolate. They used silphium as perfume, as medicine, as an aphrodisiac and turned it into a condiment, called laser, that they poured on to almost every dish.
2022 May 15, James Tapper, “Caesar’s favourite herb was the Viagra of ancient Rome. Until climate change killed it off”, in The Observer
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA plant, thought to be extinct, used in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome in cooking and as a contraceptive.
Origin
- Ancient Greekσίλφιον
- Latinsilphium
- Englishsilphium
From Latin silphium, from Ancient Greek σίλφιον (sílphion).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek σίλφιον
- σίλφιον (sílphion)a plant, thought to be extinct, used in Ancient Greece and Rome
Latin sirpe
- sirpea plant, thought to be extinct, used in Ancient Greece and Rome
Cite this entry
silphium. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silphium
“silphium.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silphium. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “silphium,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/silphium.
Source: silphium on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.