jasmine, -in, jessamine, -in
(ˈdʒæsmɪn, ˈdʒæz-, ˈdʒɛsəmɪn)
Forms: α. 6 gesmine, iasmyne, 6–7 iesmin(e, iasmine, 7 iassmine, 7– jasmin(e. β. 6 gessemine, (gethsamine), iacemine, 6–7 iesemin(e, iessemine, -yne, 7 jesamin, -an, jeci-, geci-, gessamin(e, jasemine, 8 jessemin, jas(s)amine, 7– jessamine, 8– jessamin. γ. 6 gelsemine, 6–7 gelsomine, 7 jelsomine, (gelsom).
[Of this there are 3 types: α. jasmin(e, corresp. to F. jasmin, † josmin (Paré 16th c.), Sp. jazmin, † jasmin, Pg. jasmim, Ger. jasmin, Du. jasmijn, It. geˈsmino, Bot.L. jasmīnum; β. jessamin(e, in 16th c. also gessemine, = obs. 16th c. F. jas(s)emin, jessemin, josimin, gensemin; α and β are united by such forms as gesmine, jesmin; γ. gel-, jelsomine = It. gelsomino. Of these α and β are both in current use, jessamine being the more popular, and also frequent in the poets, jasmine more common with botanical writers; γ is obs. All the European forms derive from the Arabic yās(a)mīn, adopted from Pers. yāsmīn, also yāsman, and yāsam, with which cf. Gr. ἰάσµη, ἰασµέλαιον, ἰάσµινον µύρον, name of a Persian perfume, prob. oil of jasmine, in Dioscorides.]
1. a. orig. The plant Jasminum officinale, a climbing or ascending shrub with fragrant white flowers, long naturalized in Southern Europe, and grown in England since the 16th c.; hence, b. Any species or plant of the botanical genus Jasminum, comprising shrubs, often of climbing habit, chiefly natives of the warmer regions of the Old World, with white or yellow salver-shaped flowers; several of which are cultivated for their beauty and fragrance, while some yield an oil used in perfumery. Also the flower of any of these.
Next to the Common or White Jasmine, the ordinary ‘jessamine’ of English literature, the best known is the Yellow-flowered, J. fruticans; other species are cultivated, the total number known being about ninety.
| α 1578 Lyte Dodoens vi. ii. 657 Iasmine groweth in maner of a hedge or quickeset. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. cccxxix, The yellow Iasmine differeth not from the common white Gesmine. 1663 Cowley Verses & Ess., Garden (1669) 117 Who, that has Reason, and his Smell, Would not among Roses and Jasmin dwell? 1676 Dryden Aurengz. iv. i. 1655 What sweets so e'er Sabean springs disclose, Our Indian Jesmine or the Syrian rose. 1796 Coleridge Refl. having left place Retirem. 6 In the open air Our myrtles blossomed; and across the porch Thick jasmins twined. 1807 Crabbe Par. Reg. iii. 315 Where jasmine trails on either side the door. 1882 Garden 9 Sept. 233/2 The golden Jasmine (Jasminum aureum) is really golden. |
| β 1548 Turner Names of Herbes 44 Iasminum otherwise called Iasme. 1562 ― Herbal ii. 19 b, Iesemin or Gethsamine, as I suppose is called in Greke iasme, and it is the flower wher of the oyle called in Dioscorides oleum iasminum is made. 1563 T. Hill Art Gard. (1593) 13 That sweet tree or floure named Iacemine. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. cccxxv, There be found at this day fower sorts of Iasmine:..White Gessemine..Great White Gessemine..Yellow Iasmine..Blew Iasmine. 1594 Spenser Amoretti lxiv, Yong blossomed Iessemynes. 1622 Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. II. ii. x. 200 Gecimines, Muske-roses, & other sweet flowers. 1637 Milton Lycidas 143 The tufted crowtoe and pale gessamine. 1657 R. Ligon Barbadoes (1673) 15 Other kinds..good to smell to, as Mirtle, Jesaman. 1707 Curios. in Husb. & Gard. 252 If we graft the Spanish Jessemin..on Spanish Broom, the Flowers of the Jessemin will grow yellow. 1719 Young Revenge iv. i, In yonder arbour bound with jessamin. 1838 Dickens O. Twist xxxiv, A cottage-room, with a lattice-window: around which were clusters of jessamine and honeysuckle. |
| γ 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. cccxxv, Iasmine or Gelsemine. 1598 Florio, Gelsomino,..gelsomine or gesmine. a 1649 Drummond of Hawthornden Poems 130 Simplicity, more white than Gelsomine. 1652 C. B. Stapylton Herodian xiv. 115 Light Torches, Gelsoms, Odours and Musk Roses. |
c. With qualification, applied to plants of various other genera: as
Arabian j. = night j. (see below);
bastard j., the genus
Cestrum, natives of S. America and the W. Indies;
Cape j.,
Gardenia florida and
G. radicans;
Carolina j.,
Gelsemium nitidum;
Chile j.,
Mandevilla suaveolens;
French j.,
Calotropis procera, a shrub found in Southern Asia and Africa, also called
French Cotton;
ground j.,
Passerina Stelleri (
Treas. Bot. 1866);
night j.,
Nyctanthes Arbor-tristis, a shrub or small tree of Southern Asia, allied to the jasmine, with fragrant night-blooming flowers;
red. j.,
Plumieria rubra, a W. Indian shrub with fragrant red flowers;
wild j., ‘of Jamaica, a species of
Pavetta’ (
Treas. Bot.); ‘of the W. Indies,
Faramea odoratissima and the genus
Ixora’ (Miller); see also
quot. 1879.
| 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 315 Jasmine, Arabian, Nyctanthes. [Eight others named.] 1772–84 Cook Voy. (1790) V. 1723 The..odoriferous gardenia, or Cape Jasmine. 1794 Martyn Rousseau's Bot. xvi. 209 Cestrum or Bastard Jasmine..requires a stove to keep it alive in these northern countries. 1866 Treas. Bot. 715/1 Mandevilla..a climbing shrub, a native of Buenos Ayres, whence it was first introduced, under the name of Chili Jasmine. 1879 Britten & Holland Plant-n., Jessamine, Wild, Anemone nemorosa. Dumfriessh. |
2. A perfume derived from the flowers of the jasmine or jessamine.
| 1670 Moral State Eng. 16 They would daub their Heads with a whole pot of Jasmine at once. 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 128/2 To put Jecimin on the palms of your hands and rub it on the hair. Mod. Price List, Perfumery..Jasmin. |
3. attrib. and
Comb., as
jasmine or jessamine bower,
jasmine flower,
jasmine grove,
jasmine leaf,
jasmine wood;
j. bordered adj.;
† j.-butter, an ointment perfumed with jasmine;
j.-tea, tea perfumed with jasmine; also
ellipt.;
† j.-water, a perfume made from jasmine-flowers. Also in names of plants resembling jasmine, as
j.-box, the genus
Phillyrea;
j.-mango,
j.-tree = red jasmine (see 1 b);
j.-wood,
Ochna Mauritiana (Miller
Plant-n. 1884).
| 1883 F. M. Peard Contrad. xviii, Standing together in the *jessamine-bordered window. |
| 1750 Johnson Rambler No. 78 ¶2 The fragrance of the *jessamine bower is lost after the enjoyment of a few moments. |
| 1678 Phillips (ed. 4), With the flowers whereof *Jesemin Butter is made. |
| 1644 Evelyn Diary 15 Oct., The perfumes of Orange, Citron and *jassmine flowers. |
| 1727–46 Thomson Summer 761 From *jasmine grove to grove. |
| 1832 Tennyson Margaret v, Let your blue eyes dawn Upon me thro' the *jasmine-leaves. |
| 1933 N. Waln House of Exile i. iii. 44 We finished our meal with..cups of *jasmine tea..served without milk or sugar. 1967 V. C. Clinton-Baddeley Death's Bright Dart 64 Neither Lapsang..nor Jasmine, was what he wanted. 1967 S. Knight Window on Shanghai 119 Just broke off to..make myself a cup of jasmine tea which smells delicious. 1972 Korea Herald 17 Nov. 5/1 Between sips of jasmine tea they haggle. |
| 1749 Lady Luxborough Lett. to Shenstone 14 Mar., I send you half the *jessamine-water I have left. |
| 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 61 This Wood..bears the Name of *Jessamine-Wood from its Flowers. 1870 Disraeli Lothair lxxvi, A large pipe of cherry or jasmine wood. |
Hence
ˈjasmined,
ˈjessamined (
-ɪnd)
a., adorned with jasmine or jessamine.
| 1827 G. Darley Sylvia 17 The jasmined cottage in the glen. 1840 W. Kennedy Poems 41 The trellised porch..Was jessamined and honeysuckled o'er. |