# sarsaparilla

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌsɑːspəˈɹɪlə/ · frequency rank #83,711

## Definitions
1. Any of various tropical (Central and South) American vines of the genus Smilax, such as Smilax aspera, which have fragrant roots.
2. Dried roots of these plants, or a flavoring material extracted from these roots.
3. A beverage (soft drink) flavored with this root, such as root beer.
4. Any of several North American plants, of the genus Aralia, having umbels and small white flowers.
5. An American vine of species Nephroia diversifolia.

## Etymology
From Spanish zarzaparrilla. The first element may ultimately derive from Basque; see Spanish zarza (“blackberry bush”) for more. The usual pronunciation of the first part of the word as /sæsp-/ or /sɑːsp-/ may be due to dissimilatory loss of the first of two r sounds (compare governor /ˈɡʌvənɚ/ and February /ˈfɛb.juˌɛɹi/). Occasionally this word is pronounced with a schwa between the s and the p, or without a schwa between the p and the r.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/sarsaparilla