salep

noun

1. a starchy, demulcent drug or foodstuff consisting of the dried tubers of certain orchids.

noun

1. the dried ground starchy tubers of various orchids, used for food and formerly as drugs

n.1736, “drug from starch or jelly made from dried tubers of orchid-like plants,” from Turkish salep, from dialectal pronunciation of Arabic thaeleb, which usually is taken to be a shortening of khasyu ‘th-thaeleb, literally “fox’s testicles” (cf. native English name dogstones).