Definition of SALEP

salep

Plural: saleps

Noun

  • A starchy flour made from dried orchid tubers, used in drinks.
  • A starch or jelly made out of plants in the Orchidaceae family, such as early-purple orchids (Orchis mascula).
  • Alternative form of saloop (“aromatic drink originally made with salep”).

Examples

  • Playing the obscure SALEP impressed his opponent, who had never heard of the word.

Origin / Etymology

Borrowed 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.

Scrabble Score: 7

salep: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
salep: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
salep: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 9

salep: valid Words With Friends Word