agrimony
(ˈægrɪmənɪ)
Forms: 1 agrimonia, 4 egremounde, 4–5 egrimoigne, egremoyne, 4–6 egrymoyn(e, 5–7 egrimonie, -y, 6 egremonie, agremony, agrymonye, 5–6 agrimonie, 5– agrimony.
[ad. L. agrimōnia (Cels.), said to be a transformation of Gr. ἀργεµώνη (Dioscor.), of unkn. etym. The Middle Eng. forms were adopted from Fr. aigremoine.]
1. A genus of plants (family Rosaceae), of which one species (A. Eupatoria), to which the Eng. name is usually attached, is common in Britain.
| 1040–50 Sax. Leechd. I. 130 Þas wyrte þe man agrimoniam, & oðrum naman garclife nemneð. c 1328 Chester Pl. 119 Raydishe and egremounde which be my erbes. c 1386 Chaucer Can. Yeom. Prol. & T. 247 And herbes couthe I telle eek many oon, As egrimoigne, valirian [v.r. egremoyne, egrymoyn(e]. 1440 Promp. Parv., Agrimony, or egrimony, herbe. Agrimonia. 1551 Turner Herbal i. 177 Agrimony groweth among bushes and hedges and in myddowes and woddes. 1604 Middleton Courtly Masque V. 196, I grant there's bitter egrimony in 'em. 1671 Salmon Syn. Medic. iii. xxii. 389 Agrimony nobly opens the Liver and Spleen. 1866 Johns in Treas. Bot. i. 31/1 Agrimony..contains tannin, and will dye wool of a nankeen colour. |
2. Through confusion as to the application of Eupatoria and Liverwort, old names of Agrimony, the name has been, with or without qualification, extended to other plants. a. Bastard, Dutch, Hemp, or Water Agrimony, Eupatoria cannabina. b. Noble, Three-leaved Agrimony, Hepatica (Lyte). c. Water Agrimony, Bidens (Gerard). d. Wild Agrimony, Potentilla anserina (Lyte).
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens 57 There be sundry kindes of herbes called in Latine Hepatica or Jecoraria, that is to say Lyuerwortes..The two first kindes are Bastarde Agrimonie. The third is Three leaued Agrimonie, or noble Lyuerwurte. Ibid. 57 In English wilde Tansie, Siluer weede, and of some wilde Agrimonie. 1597 Gerard Herball ii. ccxl. 710 Water Hempe or Water Agrimony is seldomer found in hot regions. |