persimmon
(pəˈsɪmən)
Forms: 7 putchamin, pessemmin, posimon, 8 pitchumon, pishamin, phishimon, porsimmon, 8–9 persimon, 9 -siman, -simmen, 8– persimmon.
[Corruption of the native name in the Powhatan dialect (Algonquian of Virginia). The exact form of the first element is uncertain; the second is the suffix -min, common to many names of grains or small fruits in Algonquian dialects: cf. mondamin, shahbomin, in Longfellow's ‘Hiawatha’. The stress was orig. not on the second syllable, persiˈmin or ˈpersimin being earlier than perˈsimmon.]
1. The plum-like fruit of the tree Diospyros virginiana; the American Date-plum, of yellowish orange colour, an inch or more in diameter, with from six to eight stony seeds; it is very astringent even when ripe, but becomes sweet and edible when softened by frost. Also, The large red fruit of the Chinese and Japanese species D. Kaki.
| 1612 Capt. Smith Map Virginia 12 The fruit like medlers; they call Putchamins, they cast vppon hurdles on a mat, and preserue them as Pruines. 1612 W. Strachey Trav. Virginia x. (Hakl. Soc.) 119 They have a plomb which they call pessemmins, like to a medler, in England, but of a deeper tawnie cullour. 1670 D. Denton Descr. New York (1845) 3 The Fruits natural to the Island are Mulberries, Posimons,..Huckelberries. 1705 Beverley Hist. Virginia ii. iv. (1722) 112 Of stoned Fruits, I have met with three good Sorts, viz. Cherries, Plums, and Persimmons. 1731 Catesby Nat. Hist. Carolina I. p. x, Phishimons, whorts, and some other fruit. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 322–3 Persimon Plum,..Pishamin Plum, Diospyros. 1785 J. Belknap in M. Cutler's Life, etc. (1888) II. 235, I enclose you the seeds of the Persimmon, a fruit natural to Pennsylvania. 1859 All Year Round No. 1. 17 The [Chinese] persiman is like a large egg-plum, but containing half a dozen stones. 1863 Alcock Capital Tycoon I. 323 Apples, pears, plums, peaches, chestnuts, persimmons, oranges,..all are here. 1887 Century Mag. Oct. 859/2 Away! Away!..to where the purple and golden persimmons hang low from the boughs. |
2. (More fully
persimmon-tree.) The tree
Diospyros virginiana (family Ebenaceæ); a native of North America, which produces the fruit described in 1, and yields a fine hard wood valuable for turning. Also applied to other species, as Black or Mexican P.,
D. Texana, which has a small black insipid fruit, and Japanese P.,
D. Kaki.
| 1737 Wesley Wks. (1872) I. 62 In the moistest part of this land some porsimmon-trees grow. 1788 Rees Chambers' Cycl., Plum, Indian date, pishamin, persimon, or pitchumon, diospyros,..a genus of the polygamia dioecia class. 1876 Bancroft Hist. U.S. I. ii. 47 They brought..loaves made of the fruit of the persimmon. 1882 Garden 7 Jan. 1/2 There are..fruiting Japan Persimmons, American Persimmons. |
3. In various phrases.
U.S. colloq. and
slang. to be a huckleberry to (or over) someone's persimmon: see
huckleberry 4.
| 1827 De Quincey Murder Wks. 1854 IV. 50 Why or with what view, it passes my persimmon to tell you. 1841 Spirit of Times 18 Dec. 499 They had not forgotten that the game little mare had put Sarah up to 7:45–7:40, in March last, and it seemed as if it was now their turn to ‘shake down the persimmons’. 1844 in Sperber & Trittschuh Amer. Pol. Terms (1962) 313/2 David Tod should go there and repeat that original remark of his about the longest pole knocking down the persimmons. 1845 Knickerbocker XXV. 425 Wall now, that are's a jump above my tallest persimmons. 1857 Call (San Francisco) 3 Apr. 4/2 He will deal himself four aces and his opponent four queens, so that your honor will perceive he must ‘rake the persimmons’. 1861 in W. H. Russell My Diary North & South (1863) II. iii. 62 Let both parties meet where there will be no interruption at the scalping business, and the longest pole will knock the persimmon. 1889 Farmer Americanisms s.v., ‘To rake up the persimmons.’—To pocket the stakes or spoils. Ibid., ‘The persimmon above one's huckleberry’,..an avowal of disbelief in one's ability to perform..a given task or undertaking. 1896 Daily News 5 June 5/3 There is..in the Southern States, a proverb..‘The longest pole knocks the persimmon’, i.e. success falls to him who has the most advantages. 1900 F. P. Dunne Mr. Dooley's Philos. 68 ‘I'll jus' move me music back a mile,’ he says, ‘an' peg away, an' th' longest gun takes th' persimmons,’ he says. 1901–2 Farmer & Henley Slang s.v., That's persimmon (or all persimmon) = ‘That's fine’. 1903 Cutcliffe Hyne M{supc}Todd 40 No use taking four bites at a persimmon. 1946 California Folklore Q. July 240 That's the ripe persimmon. That is just right, or taken at the best moment. |
4. U.S. a. The colour of persimmon fruit, yellow to red-orange.
b. The colour of persimmon wood, reddish brown. Also
attrib. and
Comb.| 1928 S. V. Benét John Brown's Body 150 Grievin' yaller gals always does all right. Next time I'se gwine to git me a coal-black gal. I'se tired of persimmon-skins. 1975 Vogue Dec. 103 Persimmon lipstick. 1977 Time 27 June 50/1 The thickly painted figures with features eroded by light, the sharp eupeptic color—emerald, persimmon, rust, ultramarine. 1977 New Yorker 10 Oct. 132/2 They looked forward eagerly to sporting their persimmon outfit, say, in the first round of the club championship. |
5. attrib., as
persimmon-beer,
persimmon-bush,
persimmon-wood.
| 1737 J. Brickell Nat. Hist. N. Carolina 38 The following are made in the Country, viz. Cyder, Persimon-Beer, made of the Fruit of that Tree, [etc.]. 1860 Bartlett Dict. Amer. (ed. 3), Persimmon Beer, a kind of domestic beer whose principal ingredient is persimmons. a 1941 P. B. Barringer Natural Bent (1949) xxvi. 189 In the early seventies alcohol was everywhere in the South, and cut glass decanters stood on every sideboard... Beer was just coming, unless we except ‘persimmon beer’ and ‘locust beer’ made on every plantation and in many village homes. 1950 Publ. Amer. Dial. Soc. xiv. 51 Persimmon beer, a beverage made from ripe persimmons. |
| 1643 Virginia Stat. (1823) I. 250 Skowen's damms and Persimon Ponds. |
| 1892 Joseph Gardner & Sons' Monthly Circular 1 Oct., Persimmon Wood, {pstlg}3 to {pstlg}3 10s. per ton. |
| 1786 G. Washington Diary 8 Aug. (1925) III. 102 A parcel of small Persimon bushes. 1944 G. Wilson Passing Institutions 177 Many an upland field not good for cultivation formerly had its flock of sheep, browsing among the sassafras and persimmon bushes. |