gillyflower
(ˈdʒɪlɪˌflaʊə(r))
Forms: α. 4 geloffer, 4–5 gil-, gylofre, 5 gyllofyr, (-fre), gelefre, ielopher, 5–6 gelofer, (-fre), 6 gillo(w)fer, gill-, gelouer, (gelopere), 6–7 gilofer, 7 gillofre, (-over), gillyvor, 9 gilliver, (jilliver, gilver). β. Sc. 5 gerafloure, 6 ger(r)aflour; pl. 5 iorofflis, 6 gerofleis. γ. 6 gely-, iele-, gil(l)ifloure; 6 gilo-, 7 gillyflowre; 6 gile-, gili-, jilli-, 6–7 gillo(w)-, 6– gilli-, gillyflower. δ. 6– July-flower.
[a. OF. girofle, gilofre clove; for the history of the forms see clove-gillyflower.]
† 1. A clove (cf. clove-gillyflower 1); also attrib. in sauce gilofre, clove sauce. Obs.
| 13.. K. Alis. 6796 Theo gilofre, quybibe, and mace. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 43 Gilofre, gyngure & gromylyoun. c 1430 Two Cookery-bks. i. 15 Maces, Gelofres an Galyngale. c 1485 Digby Myst. (1882) iii. 1363 Þe Ientyll Ielopher a-ȝens þe cardyakylles wrech. 1513 Bk. Keruynge in Babees Bk. 279 Befe with sauce gelopere [sic]. |
2. Applied to native plants having flowers scented like a clove,
esp. to the clove-scented pink (
Dianthus Caryophyllus)
= clove-gillyflower 2, and hence to other plants more or less resembling this.
In those dialects in which the word is still current, it is commonly applied either to the wallflower (
Cheiranthus Cheiri; see
wall-gillyflower) or to the white stock (
Matthiola incana; see
stock-gillyflower).
| α 14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 586/2 Gariofilata, auens vel gilofre. 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xxvi. iii, The gentyl gelofer his odoure renued. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 64/1 The Julyflower as they are most properly called (though vulgurly Gilliflower and Gilofer). 1876 Mid. Yorksh. Gloss., Jilliver, wallflower. 1883 Almondbury Gloss., Gilliver, a kind of pink clove or carnation. 1894 Hall Caine Manxman v. xxi. 347 In one hand she carried a huge bunch of sweet-smelling gilvers. |
| fig. 1597 A. M. tr. Guillemeau's Fr. Chirurg. 6 b, They may gather..fragrant gillowfers of Chyrurgicall operations. |
| β 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. clxxviii, Of red Iorofflis..A fair[e] branche. Ibid. cxc, Gerafloure. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxxviii. 20 London..Of royall cities rose and geraflour. 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xv. 14 Ȝe Baselik and Ionet flouris, Ȝe Gerofleis so sweit. |
| γ 1551 Turner Herbal i. H ij a, The herbe that wee call in Englyshe Gelouer or a Gelyfloure. 1589 Greene Menaphon (Arb.) 38 He that grafteth Iillyflowers vpon the Nettle, marreth the smell. 1621 Quarles Div. Poems, Esther (1638) 117 As when a Lady (walking Flora's Bowre) Picks here a Pink and there a Gilly Flowre. 1629 Parkinson Parad. (1656) 306, I account those that are called Carnations to be the greatest, both for leaf and flower, and Gilloflowers for the most part to be lesser in both. 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1679) 21 Gilly-flowers and Carnations. 1779 Sheridan Critic ii. ii, The striped carnation, and the guarded rose, The vulgar wallflower, and smart gilly flower. a 1851 Moir Poems, May-day vi, The gillyflower raises its stem on high, And peeps on heaven with its pinky eye. 1877 N.W. Linc. Gloss., Gilly-flowers, wall-flowers. Stocks are called Stock⁓gilliflowers. |
| δ 1584 G. Peele Arraignm. Paris i. iii. A iij b, Julie flowers. 1605 Sylvester Du Bartas ii. iii. i. Vocation 18 Som July-flowr or som sweet Sops-in-wine. 1612 Drayton Poly-olb. xv. 241 The braue Carnation then, with sweet and soueraigne power So of his colour call'd, although a Iuly⁓flower. 1649 Lovelace Poems (1864) 62 The July-flow'r that hereto thriv'd..straight sheds her leaves. 1721 Bailey, Gilliflower (q.d. July-flower, because it Flourishes in that Month), a Flower of a grateful Scent. 1855 [see b.]. |
b. dial. Applied to a woman (see
quots.).
| a 1797 Pegge Derbicisms (E.D.S.), Gilliver, a light-heel'd dame. 1855 Robinson Whitby Gloss., A Jilliver, a wanton woman in the last stage of her good looks. A ‘July flower’, or ‘the last rose in summer’. 1882 Lancash. Gloss., Jilliver, a termagant. 1883 Almondbury Gloss., Gilliver, sometimes used as Jezebel, a term of reproach to a woman. |
3. With various distinguishing attributes, used (mainly in early botanical works) to denote varieties of the pink, the wallflower, and other plants related to or resembling these, as
African gillyflower, the African marigold (
Tagetes erecta);
dame's gilliflower (see
dame's-violet);
English gillyflower, the carnation;
feathered gillyflower,
Dianthus plumarius;
mock-gillyflower, soap-wort (
Saponaria officinalis);
single gillyflower,
Dianthus plumarius;
striped gillyflower, a variety of
Dianthus Caryophyllus;
yellow gillyflower, wallflower. See also
castle-,
cuckoo-,
garden-,
lea-,
marsh-,
queen's-,
rogue's-,
sea-,
stock-,
Turkey-,
wall-,
water-,
Whitsun-,
winter-gillyflower;
clove-gillyflower.
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. iii. 151 The yellow Gillofer or Wall floure groweth vpon olde walles & stonehilled houses. Ibid. vii. 155 The Pynkes, and small feathered Gillofers, are like to the double or cloaue Gillofers in leaues, stalkes, and floures, sauing they be single and a great deale smaller. Ibid. 156 The second sorte..may well be called..in English single Gillofers, whereof be diuers sortes..& are called in Englishe by diuers names, as Pynkes, Soppes in Wine, feathered Gillofers. Ibid. xxv. 176 We do call this floure Turkie Gillofers, and French Marygoldes..or Aphrican Gillofers. Ibid. iii. xiii. 335 Some do also take it [Sopewort Gentian] for Struthion, but it is nothing lyke: we may call it in English Soopewort: some call it Mocke Gillofer. 1693 Evelyn De la Quint. Compl. Gard. II. 155 We sow the Seed of Pannacht or striped Gilliflowers upon Hot Beds..to replant them in May. 1727 Bradley Fam. Dict., Carnation, otherwise called English Gilly-Flower. |
4. A variety of apple; also
gillyflower-apple.
| 1657 Austen Fruit Trees i. 54 The Queen Apple is a great bearing fruit and good. So the Gillofloure. 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 203 Apples..Russetting, Gilly-flower-Apples. 1741 Compl. Fam. Piece ii. iii. 410 Apples [Dec.] Wheeler's Russet..Hautbonne, Winter Gilliflower. 1884 in Hogg Fruit Manual 85. |
5. attrib., as
† gillyflower-grass.
| 1640 Parkinson Theat. Bot. xiii. xiii. 1161 Gramen Carophylleum Rabinum the principall Gilloflower grasse. 1685 Aubrey Nat. Hist. Wilts (1847) 49 A blew grasse they call July-flower grasse, which cutts the sheepes mouthes. |