Bushy plant of Old World salt marshes and sea beaches having prickly leaves

• Burned to produce a crude soda ash
• Algerian plant formerly burned to obtain calcium carbonate
• Ronzoni rival

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
Barilla refers to several species of salt-tolerant (" halophyte ") plants that, until the 19th Century, were the primary source of soda ash and hence (we now know) of sodium carbonate . The word "barilla" was also used directly to refer to the soda ash ...

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. 1 Any of several unrelated saltmarsh plants that were once burnt to obtain soda ash 2 The alkali produced from the plant, an impure carbonate of soda, used for making soap, glass, etc., and for bleaching. 3 Impure soda obtained from the ashes of any ...

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Barilla \Ba*ril"la\, n. [Sp. barrilla.] (Bot.) A name given to several species of Salsola from which soda is made, by burning the barilla in heaps and lixiviating the ashes. (Com.) The alkali produced from the plant, being an impure carbonate of soda, used ...

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. bushy plant of Old World salt marshes and sea beaches having prickly leaves; burned to produce a crude soda ash [syn: saltwort , glasswort , kali , kelpwort , Salsola kali , Salsola soda ] Algerian plant formerly burned to obtain calcium carbonate [syn: ...