gean Now chiefly Sc.
(giːn)
Forms: (6 guyne, 7 guind, 8 guigne, guynne), 8–9 gean, geen, (9 guean).
[a. F. guigne (in the 14th c. spelt guine). Of unknown origin: Sp. has guinda, Pg. ginja of similar meaning.
Some have suggested that the word may be connected with OSl. vi{sbreve}nja, Lith. vysna, Romanian vi{shook}ină, mod.Gr. βίσινον, and more remotely with OHG. wîhsala (mod.Ger. weichsel), It. visciola; but this is very doubtful.]
The wild cherry (Prunus avium), tree and fruit.
| a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) C c ij, Whan the guynes come, the season of cheryes is not come. 1653 Urquhart Rabelais ii. xxxiv. 221 In the season of cherries and guinds. 1765 Earl of Haddington Forest-trees 17 The Black Cherry. This is called the Geen here. 1839 Jardine Brit. Birds II. 78 They [missel-thrushes] are remarkably fond of ripe geans. 1882 Garden 28 Oct. 382/1 The Gean..grows in rocky, dry woods. |
| attrib. 1793 Trans. Soc. Arts (ed. 2) V. 16 Birch, Geen-tree, and Mountain Ash. 1854 H. Miller Sch. & Schm. x. (1857) 201 To strip the guean-trees of their wild cherries. |