This rare term refers to the afterbirth expelled during childbirth, appearing only in Deuteronomy's horrific siege scenario where a mother hides even this from her starving family. The word shares cognates across Semitic languages (Arabic salā, Aramaic shilyeta), all denoting the placenta and associated membranes. The single biblical occurrence depicts the extremity of covenant curse, where normal human compassion collapses under famine's pressure.