n.
Variant: or asa · foe · ti · da
Pronunciation: ˌ a-s ə - ' fe-t ə -d ə , - ' f ē -; Southern also - ' fi-t ə -d ē
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English asafetida, from Medieval Latin asafoetida, from Persian az ā mastic + Latin foetida, feminine of foetidus fetid
Date: 14th century
: the dried fetid gum resin of the root of several west Asian plants (genus Ferula ) of the carrot family used as a flavoring especially in Indian cooking and formerly used in medicine especially as an antispasmodic and in folk medicine as a general prophylactic against disease