borage
(ˈbʌrɪdʒ)
Forms: 5– borage, 6 bourage, 7 bourrage, 6–8 burrage, 7–8 borrage, 8 burridge.
[from med.L. borrāgo, or one of the Romanic forms: cf. F. bourrache (also OF. bourrace), Pr. borrage, It. borraggine, borrace, Sp. borraja, Pg. borragom; in mod.L. borāgo; prob., according to Diez, f. borra, burra ‘rough hair, short wool’ (cf. late L. burra ‘a shaggy garment’), in reference to the roughness of the foliage.]
1. A genus of plants, giving its name to a family (Boraginaceæ). spec. The common British species (Borago officinalis), which has bright blue flowers, and stem and leaves covered with prickly hairs; it was formerly much esteemed as a cordial, and is still largely used in making cool tankard, claret cup, etc.
| [c 1265 Anglo-Norm. Voc. Wr.-Wülcker 557 Borago, burage.] c 1420 Liber Cocorum 47 Take most of cole, borage, persyl. c 1500 To serve a Lord in Babees Bk. (1868) 370 Sawse hym with mustard, burage, suger. 1530 Palsgr. 202/1 Burrage (bourage) herbe, bovrache. 1533 Elyot Cast. Helth (1541) 29 Bourage comforteth the harte, and maketh one merye. 1603 Holland Plutarch's Mor. 644 Some there be, who put leaves of burrage into their wine. 1619 Pasquil's Palin. (1877) 155 No fiery red-fac'd Claret attended with his Borrage. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 31 ¶8 The same Effect as Burridge in the Glass when a Man is drinking. 1710 Salmon Househ. Comp. 45 Borrage is one of the four cordial flowers. 1842 Sir W. Hooker Brit. Flora 225 Hence the old Adage—‘I Borage always bring Courage’. |
2. Comb. and attrib., as borage-seed, borage-water; borage-wort, any boraginaceous plant.
| 1626 Bacon Sylva §441 Sow here and there some Borrage-seed. 1620 Venner Via Recta vii. 125 Eaten with..Borage-water and Sugar. 1882 Garden 22 July 60/1 A morbid craze for Borage-worts. |