sassafrass

Noun

sassafras (countable and uncountable, plural sassafrases)

1. (countable) A tree of species Sassafras albidum of the eastern United States and Asia having mitten-shaped leaves and red, aromatic heartwood.

   Synonyms:

   red sassafras, silky sassafras, white sassafras

2. (countable) A tree of any species in the genus Sassafras.
3. (uncountable) The bark of the root of this plant, used for medicinal and (mostly historically) culinary purposes and formerly a main ingredient in root beer.
   • our allowance was somewhat bettered, by a daily proportion of Bisket, which the sailers would pilfer to sell, give, or exchange with us, for money, Saxefras, furres, or love.1624, John Smith, Generall Historie, Kupperman, published 1988, page 82

   Synonyms:

   cinnamonwood

4. (Australia, countable) Any of various trees of the family Atherospermataceae, having aromatic bark.
   • [W]here the gullies are fringed with blackwoods, wattle, myrtles, musks and sassafras[.]1951, Ambrose Pratt, The Lore of the Lyrebird, Melbourne: Robertson and Mullens, page 58

See all 6 meanings of sassafras