sarsaparilla
noun
sar·sa·pa·ril·la
ˌsa-spə-ˈri-lə 
ˌsär-,
-ˈre-;
ˌsa-sə-pə-,
ˌsär-sə-pə-
1
a
: any of various tropical American greenbriers
b
: the dried roots of a sarsaparilla used especially as a flavoring
2
: any of various plants (such as wild sarsaparilla) that resemble or are used as a substitute for sarsaparilla
3
: a sweetened carbonated beverage flavored with sassafras and oil distilled from a European birch
Examples of sarsaparilla in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The elegant spin on humble ingredients such as sorghum and sarsaparilla were unveiled Tuesday evening at a White House preview of the following evening’s diplomatic dining.
—
Emily Heil, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2023
Ground coffee beans, sarsaparilla, honey, tobacco, and black silt clay come together to completely purify.
—ELLE, 13 June 2023
Hints of sarsaparilla and spice add interest.
—Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2022
The sarsaparilla flavor in root beer lends the meat a woodsy mintiness, which sings when it’s paired with aromatics like bay leaves and shallots.
—New York Times, 8 Dec. 2021
Active ingredients: Horny goat weed, tribulus fruit, organic oats milky seed extract, sarsaparilla root, organic maca root, fo-ti root, tongkat ali root, and saw palmetto Enjoy a natural boost of stamina and vitality with Gaia Herbs Male Libido.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022
Up until now, this new American dry gin (made with botanicals including French lavender, anise seed and sarsaparilla) has been produced at House Spirits Distillery in Portland, which sold the gin to Davos Brands in 2016.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2022
The parade had a festive air devoid of politics, one of an old-fashioned America where political differences could be resolved over an ice-cold glass of sarsaparilla down at the drugstore.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 3 Aug. 2022
Honest John makes a box of 10 sample vials, including basics like orange, grapefruit, lavender, lemongrass/cardamom, coffee/cherry, sarsaparilla, and black walnut.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 12 June 2022
Emily Heil, Washington Post, 24 Oct. 2023
Ground coffee beans, sarsaparilla, honey, tobacco, and black silt clay come together to completely purify.
—ELLE, 13 June 2023
Hints of sarsaparilla and spice add interest.
—Washington Post, 24 Mar. 2022
The sarsaparilla flavor in root beer lends the meat a woodsy mintiness, which sings when it’s paired with aromatics like bay leaves and shallots.
—New York Times, 8 Dec. 2021
Active ingredients: Horny goat weed, tribulus fruit, organic oats milky seed extract, sarsaparilla root, organic maca root, fo-ti root, tongkat ali root, and saw palmetto Enjoy a natural boost of stamina and vitality with Gaia Herbs Male Libido.
—Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 21 Dec. 2022
Up until now, this new American dry gin (made with botanicals including French lavender, anise seed and sarsaparilla) has been produced at House Spirits Distillery in Portland, which sold the gin to Davos Brands in 2016.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2022
The parade had a festive air devoid of politics, one of an old-fashioned America where political differences could be resolved over an ice-cold glass of sarsaparilla down at the drugstore.
—Walter Shapiro, The New Republic, 3 Aug. 2022
Honest John makes a box of 10 sample vials, including basics like orange, grapefruit, lavender, lemongrass/cardamom, coffee/cherry, sarsaparilla, and black walnut.
—The Salt Lake Tribune, 12 June 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sarsaparilla.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sarsaparilla
Cite this Entry
“Sarsaparilla.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarsaparilla. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
sarsaparilla
noun
sar·sa·pa·ril·la
ˌsas-(ə-)pə-ˈril-ə
ˌsärs-
1
: the dried roots of any of several tropical American woody plants used especially as a flavoring
also
: a plant that produces sarsaparilla
2
: a sweetened carbonated beverage flavored with sassafras and an oil from a birch
Medical Definition
sarsaparilla
noun
sar·sa·pa·ril·la
ˌsas-(ə-)pə-ˈril-ə
ˌsärs-
ˌsärs-
-ˈrel-
1
a
: any of various tropical American plants of the genus Smilax
b
: any of various plants (as wild sarsaparilla, Aralia nudicaulis) that resemble or are used as a substitute for the sarsaparillas
2
a
: the dried roots of any of several sarsaparillas of the genus Smilax (especially S. aristolochiaefolia, S. febrifuga, and S. regelii) used now especially as a flavoring and formerly for the diaphoretic, expectorant, and laxative effects of the saponins found in them and without curative effect in the treatment of syphilis
b
: the roots of wild sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) used similarly
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share