/ˈsæləp/
OriginBorrowed from French salep, from Turkish salep, from Arabic سَحْلَب (saḥlab, “type of orchid”). According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the Arabic word is said to be a contraction of خُصَى الثَعْلَب (ḵuṣā aṯ-ṯaʕlab, “fox testicles”) (الثَعْلَب (aṯ-ṯaʕlab, “fox”) + خُصًى (ḵuṣan, “testicles”)), referring to the testicle-like root tubers.
- countable, uncountableA starch or jelly made out of plants in the Orchidaceae family, such as early-purple orchids (Orchis mascula).
“Where finally the draining of marſhy grounds can not be effected at a reſponſible expence, ſome plants may perhaps be cultivated with profit to the cultivator; as in ſome ſituations the feſtica fluita”
“In Turkey, Iran, and Syria salep is popular as a restorative and also as a provocative to amatory activity.”
“The tubers of one [orchid] species, Orchis mascula, produce a flour called salep, which was made into a drink known as "saloop" in 18th-century London, as an alternative to coffee (Charles Lamb though”
Formssaleps(plural) · saleb(alternative) · saloop(alternative) · salop(alternative)