Samphire

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈsæm.faɪ.ə(ɹ)/

Definitions

1. A flowering plant native to coastal areas, it has thick, crisp stems that are harvested for culinary purposes due to their salty taste and unique texture
2. A coastal plant characterized by its thick, succulent stems, which are typically harvested for their salty flavor and are commonly used in cooking or as a vegetable dish
3. A salty, fleshy plant growing near shores that is collected for use as a vegetable or garnish

Etymology: The plant's name is a corruption of a saint's name. Samphire grows on coastal cliffs and salt marshes, and the name began as "sampiere," a shortening of the French "herbe de Saint Pierre," the herb of Saint Peter. Saint Peter was the patron saint of fishermen, and the plant was often gathered by the people who worked the sea, which is how his name came to be attached to it. Over the centuries the French phrase wore down in English until the saint's name was barely recognisable. "Sampiere" lost its sense of a saint's name, and its ending was reshaped into the familiar "-ire" and then "-ir" form, leaving "samphire" as the modern spelling. Nothing in the word now points to Peter, so the connection survives only in the etymology.

Synonyms: salicornia, sea asparagus