caraway
(ˈkærəweɪ)
Forms: (5–7 carway), 6 caruway(e, carowaye, -weie, 6–7 careway(e, carawey, 7 carrowaye, 7–9 carraway, 5– caraway.
[From med.L. carui, or some allied Romanic form: cf. F., It., Sp. carvi (whence Sc. carvy, kervie), OSp. alcaravea, alcarahueya, Pg. alcaravia, alcorovia, a. Arab. al-karawiyā or -karwiyā: cf. Gr. κάρον, κάρεον (in L. carum, careum Pliny), forms however which could not immediately give the Arabic.]
1. An umbelliferous plant (Carum Carui): its small fruits, commonly called ‘caraway-seeds’, are aromatic and carminative; they are used in cakes, sweetmeats, etc., and yield a volatile oil.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 62 Caraway herbe, carway, sic scribitur in campo florum. 1551 Turner Herbal H iv b, Caruwayes..the poticaries call it carui. 1579 Langham Gard. Health (1633) 125 Carway breaketh winde. 1794 Martyn Rousseau's Bot. xvii. 236 Carraway has no proper involucre. 1861 Delamer Kitch. Gard. 124 Caraway is the object of field culture in Essex, and on other stiff soils. |
† 2. The fruit or ‘seed’ of the caraway; also a sweetmeat or confection containing caraway-seeds.
Obs. exc. as
Sc. carvy.
| 1557 Seager Sch. Vertue in Babees Bk. (1868) 343 Bisketes or Carowayes. 1586 Cogan Haven Health (1636) 101 To eat Carawayes or Biskets, or some other kinde of Comfits or seedes together with Apples. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, v. iii. 3 We will eate a last yeares Pippin of my owne graffing, with a dish of Carrawayes. 1620 Melton Astrol. 75 A piece of Cheese, Pippins, or Carrowayes. 1620 Venner Via Recta vii. 162 In meates, I prefer the Carewayes before..Fennel-seeds. 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 5 The Caraways that the people of Paris buy out of the Shops. |
3. Comb., as
caraway-comfit, a sweetmeat containing caraway-seeds;
caraway-seed (see 1); also
attrib., as in
caraway-seed biscuit.
| 1710 Steele Tatler No. 245 ¶2 One Silver gilt [box] of a large Size for Cashu and *Carraway Comfits. |
| 1548 Turner Names of Herbes s.v., Ye may use *carawey seede or carot seede. 1626 Bacon Sylva §54 Adding a little Coriander-seed and Carraway seed. 1694 Phil. Trans. XVIII. 212 Oyl of Carui-Seeds. 1836–7 Dickens Sk. Boz (1850) 141/2 Some sweet carrawayseed biscuits. |