Alternative spelling of assafetida; a pungent gum resin used as a seasoning and medicinal ingredient.
From Latin 'asa' (variant of 'aza') + 'foetida' (foul-smelling), showing the Latinate version of the Persian-derived name. This spelling emphasizes the Latin 'foetida' root and became one of several competing English spellings in the 17th-19th centuries.
Try Another Word