rhapontic, n. (a.)
(rəˈpɒntɪk)
Also 6 rha ponticke, 7 rha-pontick(e, 7–8 rhapontick, 8 r(h)aphontic, 9 rapontic; also in L. form 7 rapontica, 7–8 -icum. β. 6 rewponticke, rupontike, reu-, 7 rupontic(k.
[ad. mod.L. (1) rhaponticum, = rha Ponticum (see rha and Pontic a.1, and cf. radix Pontica, Celsus); (2) r(e)uponticum (altered form corresp. to reubarbarum rhubarb n.). Cf. OF. reupontic, r(h)eu-, repontique, mod.F. rhapontic, It. reupontico, MLG. repontik.]
† 1. Greater Centaury, Centaurea Rhapontica. Obs.
| 1548 Turner Names Herbes (E.D.S.) 24 Centaurium magnum..is called of the Poticaries Ruponticum, and in Englishe Rupontike. c 1550 H. Lloyd Treas. Health R viii, Rewponticke is a singular remedye agaynst Feuers. 1601 Holland Pliny xxvi. viii. II. 250 The greater Centaurie, commonly called Rhapontick. 1617 Mosan Gen. Pract. Phys. 2nd Table, It is..called with vs pontish Rubarbe, to distinguish it from the roote of the great Centorie, which we do commonly call Rapontica. |
2. A species of rhubarb, Rheum Rhaponticum, or its root. Also applied to other species.
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens iii. x. 329 The roote of Rha Ponticke..cureth the vile white scurffe. 1583 Rates Custome Ho. E b, Rhaponticum the pound ii,k. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. xxii. vii. 198 Neere unto this is the river Rha, on the sides whereof groweth a comfortable and holsom root so named [marg. Rha-Ponticke: and not Rhabarbarum or Rhewbarbe]. 1693 Phil. Trans. XVII. 933 That the Rha⁓barbarum of Alpinus, which in our Gardens is called Rubarb, is the true Rupontick. 1724 Index Mat. Med. 49 True Raphontick, or English Rhubarb. 1763 Sir S. T. Janssen Smuggling laid open 114 This Rhapontick..is a Root so very much resembling Rhubarb..that it is very common to export the same as Rhubarb. 1802–3 tr. Pallas's Trav. (1812) I. 138 Our rhapontic, or rhubarb of the steppe, is no other than the Rheum Ribes. 1819 Pantologia s.v. Rhaponticum, The rhapontic..is more astringent than rhubarb. 1838 Lindley Flora Med. 358 There is no difficulty in recognising it by..its smell of ‘rhapontic’. |
† 3. mountain rhapontic: monk's rhubarb. Obs.
| 1727–38 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Rhaponticum, The mountain rhapontic, or monk's rhubarb. 1737 [see monk's rhubarb]. |
4. attrib. or adj.
| 1758 Elaboratory laid open 371 The true rhubarb may be distinguished from the rhapontic..by the grain and colour. 1820 Hooper Med. Dict., Rheum rhaponticum, the systematic name of the rhapontic rhubarb. 1860 Darlington Amer. Weeds, etc. 285 Rhapontic Rheum..Pie Rhubarb. |
Hence rhaponticin (rəˈpɒntɪsɪn) Chem. [-in1], a yellow principle extracted from the root of Rheum Rhaponticum.
| 1840 Pereira Mat. Med. 817. |