sarsaparilla
/ˌsɑːs(ə)pəˈrɪlə
/noun [mass noun]
1A preparation of the dried rhizomes of various plants, especially smilax, used to flavour some drinks and medicines and formerly as a tonic.
1.1A sweet drink flavoured with sarsaparilla: a jug of sarsaparilla...
- The characters are relaxing, enjoying mead, grog, and various other old-timesy type drinks that no one actually drinks anymore like sarsaparilla, sherry, or wine coolers.
- There was the festival's customary unlimited bowling, plenty of oat sodas, sarsaparillas and White Russians.
- And he had a reputation of being a bit of a dandy in college, because, you know, he'd have a glass of sarsaparilla.
2The tropical American climbing plant from which sarsaparilla is generally obtained.
- Genus Smilax, family Liliaceae: several species, in particular S. regelii, which is the chief source of commercial sarsaparilla.
- The seeds of bristly sarsaparilla, currant, and soapberry lie dormant in the soil and germinate only after being burned; ecologists call the process ‘seed banking.’
- China-root came from an Asian plant related to sarsaparilla.
Origin
Late 16th century: from Spanish zarzaparilla, from zarza 'bramble' + a diminutive of parra 'vine'.