uva
(ˈjuːvə)
Pl. uvæ (ˈjuːviː).
[L. ūva grape, uvula, etc. (whence It., Pr., Sp., Pg. uva, F. uve).]
† 1. (See quot.) Obs. rare—1.
App. an error for, and misunderstanding of, uvea.
| 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 67 Oliue..is good for the diseases of the ey called vua, and for wheles. [Hence in Langham Garden of Health (1579) 439.] |
2. Bot. A grape or raisin; a grape-like fruit.
| 1670 Evelyn Sylva (ed. 2) 25 Nor may we here omit to mention the Galls, Misletoe, Polypod, Agaric (us'd in Antidots) Vuæ, Fungus's to make Tinder. [Hence in Mortimer Husb. (1707) 327.] 1753 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl., Uva, Grape. See the article Grape. 1862 M. C. Cooke Man. Bot. Terms 87 Uva, (Lat. a grape), applied to such succulent indehiscent fruits as have a central placenta. [Hence in Imp. Dict. (1884), and later Dicts.] 1892 C. E. A. Semple Elem. Mat. Med. 225 Uvæ—Raisins.—The ripe fruit of Vitis Vinifera. |
3. uva ursi (ˈjuːvə ˈɜːsaɪ), the bearberry, Arctostaphylos Uva-ursi, a trailing plant valued as furnishing an astringent tonic.
| 1753 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. s.v., There is only one known species of the Uva Ursi, which is the plant called..the whortle-berry. 1786 Abercrombie Arrangem. 39 in Gard. Assist., Evergreen Trees and Shrubs [include]..Uva ursi, or bearberry. 1820 Good Nosology 454 The powder of the uva ursi,..recommended by Linnéus as [a] valuable lithontriptic. 1822 Encycl. Metrop. (1845) XIV. 742 As a remedy the Uva-Ursi was used by the ancients. 1873 Bentley Man. Bot. (ed. 3) 562 Trailing Arbutus.—The leaves and stems possess similar properties to Uva-Ursi. |
b. Med. The leaves of the bearberry, or an infusion of these.
| 1805 Med. Jrnl. 465 A combination of such medicines with the uva-ursi, was..administered. 1842 Brande Dict. Sci., etc. 138 The leaves of this plant, under the name uva ursi, are used as an astringent and tonic in medicine. 1892 C. E. A. Semple Mat. Med. 318 Uva ursi may also be used for gleets. |
Hence † ˈuval a. = uveal a. 1. [Cf. F. uval.]
| 1656 Blount Glossogr., Uval,..pertaining to a Grape or Vine. |