Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

(? or ?; 277)

Noun.

[F. l’herbe de

Saint Pierre

. See

, and

(Bot.)

(a)

A fleshy, suffrutescent, umbelliferous European plant (

Crithmum maritimum

). It grows among rocks and on cliffs along the seacoast, and is used for pickles.

Hangs one that gathers

samphire

, dreadful trade!

Shakespeare

(b)

The species of glasswort (

Salicornia herbacea

); – called in England

marsh samphire

(c)

A seashore shrub (

Borrichia arborescens

) of the West Indies.

Golden samphire

See under

Noun.

[said to be a corruption of Saint Pierre.]

A plant of the genus Crithmum. The golden samphire is of the genus Inula.

Samphire grows on rocks near the sea shore, where it is washed by the salt water. It is used for pickling.