▪ I. comfit, n.
(ˈkʌmfɪt)
Forms: 5 confeit, -fyt, -fet, 5–6 -fite, 5–8 -fit, 6 -fitte, comfet(te, -fyte, fytt, 6–7 -fitt(e, -fite, 6–8 cumfit, 7 -fitt, comfect, 6– comfit.
[ME. confyt, a. OF. confit, confite:—L. confectum, confecta, n. uses of confectus, -a, -um, pa. pple. of conficĕre to prepare, make ready (f. com- together + facĕre to make), whence F. confire to preserve, pickle, etc. (Cf. confect.) The change of con- to com-, before f, is English.]
1. A sweetmeat made of some fruit, root, etc., preserved with sugar; now usually a small round or oval mass of sugar enclosing a caraway seed, almond, etc.; a sugar-plum.
| 1334–5 Bursar's Acc. (Merton College Rec. MS.), Gingebr' confit dim. lib. viid. c 1450 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 574/36 Confectio, confyt. 1474 Caxton Chesse iii. v. G vj, They that make confeccions and confites and medecynes. 1547 Boorde Introd. Knowl. 161 They wyll eate magots as fast as we wyll eate comfets. 1586 Cogan Haven Health xxvi. (1612) 43 Coriander cumfits. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. v. v. 22 Let it..haile kissing Comfits. 1694 Westmacott Script. Hebr. 5 Condited Almonds, vulgarly called Almond Comfits. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth viii, Wine is drunk, comfits are eaten, and the gift is forgotten when the flavour is past away. 1852 R. S. Surtees Sponge's Sp. Tour lvii. 324 [He] distributed..comfits to the rest of the juvenile party. |
† b. Hence, in comfit. Obs.
| c 1430 Two Cookery-bks. 8 Take red anys in comfyte. Ibid. 34 Brawn in comfyte. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 714 in Babees Bk. 166 With carawey in confite. |
† c. pl. Liquid or syrupy ‘preserves’; jelly. Obs. rare.
| 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Pears, Do not take the Pan off the Fire, till such time as you judge the Fruit [Pears] done enough..then take the Pan off the Fire, and put your Comfits into some Earthen Vessel. Ibid. s.v. Syrup, They do not make liquid Comfits of Violets. |
2. Comb., as comfit-cake, comfit-maker.
| 1594 Plat Jewell-ho. iii. 55 Such as the Confit-makers vse to put their confites in. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iii. i. 253. 1600 Let. in Harington Nugæ Ant. 122 To eat two morsels of rich comfit cake. 1631 Dekker Match me in Lond. i. Wks. 1873 IV. 137 A Comfitmaker with rotten teeth. |
▪ II. † comfit, v. Obs.
Also con-.
[orig. perh. a. OF. confiter, f. confit; afterwards referred directly to comfit n.]
trans.
† 1. To prepare, make into a ‘preparation’. Obs.
| 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 243/4 Take thyse thynges & confyte them with the Juse of porret. |
2. To preserve, to pickle; esp. (in later use) to preserve with sugar, make into a comfit.
| 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour N iij b, His herte confyted in spyeces I had made themperour and his wyf to ete hit. 1578 Lyte Dodoens iv. lviii. 520 The Apothecaries..do use to preserve and comfit the roote of Eryngium. 1629 J. Cole Of Death 174 The Comfit-maker or Apottecarie that comfites them [Walnuts or Figges]. 1656 Cowley Pindar. Odes, The Muse, The Fruit..Thou comfitest in Sweets to make it last. 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Purslain, If you would comfit your Purslain..powder them well with Salt and Cloves..fill the Pot with good Vinegar. Ibid. s.v. Tansy, The Root being comfited with some Honey. 1736 Bailey Househ. Dict. 36 Apples comfited whole or in halves. |
¶ Humorously for comfort; in second quot. with pun, implying ‘to help (oneself) to comfits’.
| 1598 Meres Pall. Tamia, Comfit thyself, sweet Tom, with Cicero's glorious return to Rome. 1631 Heywood Fair Maid of West i. v. Wks. 1874 II. 325, I will make bold to march in towards your banquet, and there comfit my selfe, and cast all carawayes downe my throat. |
Hence comfited ppl. a., comfiting vbl. n.
| 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong., Confiction ou confiture, a confiction, or confiting. 1599 A. M. tr. Gabelhouer's Bk. Physicke 117/2 Take confitede mettes, cut them smalle, and contunde them to pappe. 1727 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Appetite, Comfited Mulberries or Almonds. |