parsley
(ˈpɑːslɪ)
Forms: α. 1 petersilie, 4–5 petrosilye, -sili. β. 3–5 percil, 4–5 peresil, persil, -sel, -cel, -cyl(l, -sile, -syle, -sylle, -cile, -cyle, -cell(e, -cylle, 4–7 -cell; 5 parcyl, -celle, 6 Sc. -sell, 8 Sc. -sel, 8–9 dial. -sil, -cel. γ. 4–6 percely, 4–7 persely, 5 -selye, -selee, -celi, -celli, -cyly, -sol(e)y, 5–6 -celly, 6 -seley, -celey, 6–7 -selie; 5 parcel(l)y, 6 -selye, -celye, -celay, 6–7 -sely. δ. 5 persle, 5–7 (8 dial.) persley, 6 -lie, 7 -ly; 6 parslye, 6–8 parsly, 6– parsley.
[In α forms (cf. OHG. petarsile, MHG. petersîl, Ger. petersilie, MDu. petersilie, Du. peterselie), ad. late L. petrosīlium, an unexplained alteration of cl. L. petroselīnum, a. Gr. πετροσέλῑνον ‘rock-parsley’, f. πέτρα rock, or πέτρος + σέλῑνον parsley. In β forms. a. OF. peresil (13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), later persil:—late L. petrosīlium; in It. petrosillo (Florio), now petrosellino. In γ and δ, perselye, etc., app. a mixture of the OF. forms with the ending of the OE.]
1. A biennial umbelliferous plant (Petroselinum sativum, sometimes classed as Apium or Carum Petroselinum), a native of the Mediterranean region, having white flowers, and aromatic leaves which in the commonly cultivated variety are finely divided and curled, and are used for seasoning and garnishing various dishes; in another variety (Hamburg parsley) the large spindle-shaped root is dressed and eaten. Hence, the leaves of this plant, or the plants collectively. (Not used with a or in pl., exc. as = kind of parsley.) Also extended to the genus Petroselinum.
| α c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 240 Hy sume men..petersilie hateþ. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. cxxx. (MS. Bodl.) lf. 223/1 Petrosilye [1495 Petrosili] hatte Petrosilium and is an herbe þat groweþ in gardynes wiþ goode smel. |
| β [c 1265 Voc. Plant-n. in Wr.-Wülcker 556/11 Petrosillum i. peresil, i. stoansuke.] 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. vii. 273, I haue porettes and percyl [v.rr. persil(e, persely]. a 1400 Pistill Susan 107 Þe persel, þe passenep, poretes to preue. c 1440 Anc. Cookery in Househ. Ord. (1790) 427 Take sage and parcyl. 14.. Nom. in Wr.-Wülcker 710/14 Hoc petrocillum, persylle. c 1450 Alphita (Anecd. Oxon) 169 Persile. 1483 Cath. Angl. 270/1, 275/2 Parcelle, Percelle, petrocillum. 14.. Treat. Gardening in Archæologia LIV. i. 164/126 The kynde of percell. 1595 Duncan App. Etymol., Petroselinum, parsell. 1828 Craven Gloss. (ed. 2), Parsil. |
| γ, δ c 1386 Chaucer Cook's Prol. 26 Of thy percely [v.rr. persle, -sele, -sely, -celly] yet they fare the wors. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. ix. 310 Ich haue porett-plontes perselye [v.r. percile] and scalones. c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 31 Take persoley and sage and grynde hit wele. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 393/2 Persley, herbe (K. percyly, S. percyle, P. percyll), petrocillum vel petrocilium. c 1450 Two Cookery-bks. 72 Take parcelly, Sauge, Isoppe, Rose Mary. 1530 Palsgr. 252/1 Parcelay, parsil. 1542 Boorde Dietary xix. (1870) 278 The Rootes of percelly soden tender. 1570 Levins Manip. 99/32 Parcelye. 1584 Cogan Haven Health xxxi. (1636) 50 The chiefe vertue of perselie is in the roote. 1594 Lyly Moth. Bomb. iii. iv, Me thought his hose were cut and drawen out with parsly. 1617 Minsheu Ductor, Parsley,..Perselie,..Persly. 1620 Venner Via Recta vii. 133 Sodden with Orgaine and Parsely. 1699 Evelyn Acetaria 8 Fried in fresh Butter crisp with Persley. 1747 Wesley Prim. Physick (1762) 39 A Plaister of chopt Parsley mixt with Butter. 1876 Harley Mat. Med. (ed. 6) 581 Parsley yields an aromatic volatile oil. |
2. Applied, with defining words, to various plants (almost all umbelliferous), mostly with finely-divided leaves; as
bastard parsley, the genus
Caucalis,
esp. C. daucoides;
beaked parsley, the genus
Anthriscus (from its beaked fruit);
black parsley, (
a) Stone-Parsley,
Sison Amomum; (
b) a shrubby umbelliferous plant of Madeira,
Melanoselinum (Thapsia) decipiens;
corn parsley, a cornfield weed,
Petroselinum segetum, allied to the common parsley;
garden parsley,
Hamburg parsley (see 1);
† great parsley, an old name for Alexanders,
Smyrnium Olusatrum;
hedge parsley,
† (
a)
= Bastard Parsley; (
b)
Torilis Anthriscus (see
hedge n. 10), or the genus
Torilis;
Macedonian parsley,
Seseli (Bubon L.) macedonicum; also identified by Lyte, etc. with various other umbellifers;
marsh parsley,
† (
a) an old name for smallage or wild celery,
Apium graveolens; (
b) ‘
Œnanthe Lachenalii and the genus
Elæoselinum’ (Miller
Plant-n. 1884);
milk,
milky parsley, a name for species of
Peucedanum and
Selinum with milky juice;
mountain parsley, (
a) an umbelliferous plant,
Peucedanum Oreoselinum; (
b) the Parsley Fern,
Allosorus crispus (
Cryptogramme crispa);
pig's parsley, ‘probably
Anthriscus sylvestris’, Cow-parsley (Britten & Holland);
rock parsley,
† (
a) Stone-parsley; (
b) the Parsley Fern;
† rose parsley, a name suggested by Turner for the garden anemone;
square parsley,
† (
a) applied by Turner to
Carum Bulbocastanum; (
b) now usually applied to
Ptychotis heterophylla (
Carum heterophyllum);
† thorough-bored parsley, ‘an old name for
Smyrnium apiifolium’ (Miller), from its hollow stem;
wild parsley, name for various wild umbellifers with finely-divided leaves. See also
ass1 parsley,
bur parsley,
cow-parsley,
dog's parsley (
dog n.1 20 d),
fool's parsley (
fool n.1 7 c),
hemlock parsley,
horse parsley,
sheep's parsley,
stone-parsley,
water-parsley.
| 1548 Elyot, Caucalis,..an herbe like fenel with a white flowre and short stalke, and is supposed to come of naughtye persely seede. It is also called *bastarde persely. 1578 Lyte Dodoens v. xlviii. 612. |
| 1841 Withering's Arr. Brit. Pl. (ed. 5) 143 Common *Beaked-parsley. Fruit egg-shaped. |
| 1562 Turner Herbal ii. 139 b, Sison..is called of som *black perselye. 1861 Miss Pratt Flower. Pl. III. 3 A shrubby plant of this Order..called the Black Parsley. |
| 1633 Johnson Gerarde's Herbal ii. cccc. 1017 Of *Corne Parsley, or Hone-wort. 1640 Parkinson Theatr. Bot. 931. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 321 Parsley, Corn, Sison. |
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens v. xli. 605 *Garden Parsely hath greene leaues, iagged, and in diuers places deepe cut, and snypt. 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 2 A plant which resembles..our Garden-Parsley. |
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens v. xlv. 608 Of *great Parsely or Alexander. Ibid. 609 The seede of great Parsely is of lyke vertue to the seede of the garden Parsely. |
| 1796 C. Marshall Garden. xv. (1813) 245 Parsley broad leaved, as an esculent root, is commonly called *Hamburgh parsley and is eat as carrots. |
| 1633 Johnson Gerarde's Herbal ii. cccciii. 1022 Caucalis minor flosc. rub...I haue thought good to call *Hedge, or field Parsley. 1683 Salmon Doron Med. i. 7 Hedge, or Bastard Parsly. |
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens v. xliv. 607–8 Of stone Parsely..The whiche..is the true Parsely, called by the name of the place, where as it groweth most plentifully, *Parsely of Macedonie. 1640 Parkinson Theatr. Bot. 924–5. 1706 Phillips, Macedonian Parsley, otherwise called Alisanders, one of the Furnitures of Winter-Sallets. 1746 Watson in Phil. Trans. XLIV. 230 Two Persons, who had eaten these roots, mistaking them for Macedonian Parsley. |
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens v. xlii. 606 Of *Marish Parsely, March or Smallache. 1657 W. Coles Adam in Eden 290. 1866 Treas. Bot. 849/1 Parsley, Marsh, Elæoselinum. |
| 1806 J. Galpine Brit. Bot. 131 *Milk parsley (Selinum). 1884 Miller Plant-n., Peucedanum palustre, Brimstone-wort, Milk-Parsley. |
| 1640 Parkinson Theatr. Bot. 928, I have entituled it in English, Wild *milkie Parsley. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 321 Parsley, Milky, Selinum. |
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens v. xliii. 607 The Auncientes haue alwayes described a kinde whiche they name *Mountayne Parsely..albeit it be nowe growen out of knowledge. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 321 Parsley, Mountain, Athamanta. 1861 Miss Pratt Flower. Pl. VI. 168 Curled Rock-brake, Mountain Parsley, or Rock Parsley. 1866 Treas. Bot. 849/1 Parsley, Mountain, Peucedanum Oreoselinum. |
| a 1697 Aubrey Wilts. (R. Soc. MS. p. 120) (Br. & Holl. s.v. Pig's Parsley), The taylor's wife..made a pultesse of *Pigges-Parseley stampt with oatemeale grutts, and tooke of the swelling in a very short time. |
| 1611 Cotgr., Persil de roc..*Rocke Parseley, stone Parseley. 1861 [see mountain parsley]. |
| 1548 Turner Names of Herbes 13 Anemone groweth muche about Bon in Germany..it may be called in english *rose perseley. |
| Ibid. 22 Bunium..may be called in englishe *square perseley. 1866 Treas. Bot. 849/1 Parsley, Square, Ptychotis heterophylla. |
| 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. ccclxxxvii. 869 Smyrnium..in English..*Thorowbored Parsley. |
| c 1265 Voc. Plant-n. in Wr.-Wülcker 556/12 Closera, i. alisaundre, i. *wilde percil. a 1450 Stockh. Med. MS. ii. 783 in Anglia XVIII. 326 Wylde persyle most is he lyk. 1548 Turner Names of Herbes 74 Sison... Ther groweth a kinde of this besyde Shene, and it maye be called in englishe wylde Perseley. 1611 Cotgr., Persil aigrun, Wild Parseley, great water Parseley, sallade Parseley. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 321 Parsley, Wild, of America, Cardiospermum. 1861 Miss Pratt Flower. Pl. III. 23 Petroselinum segetum (Corn Parsley)... This is the truly Wild Parsley. |
3. attrib. and
Comb., as
parsley-crown,
parsley-leaf,
parsley-pie,
parsley-root,
parsley-wreath;
parsley-dark,
parsley-flavoured,
parsley-like adjs.;
† parsley apple, a (? green-skinned) variety of apple;
parsley-bed, (
a) a bed of parsley; (
b) see
quot. 1622 [
cf. Gr. σέλινον];
parsley break-stone = parsley-piert (see
breakstone);
parsley butterfly U.S., the black swallowtail butterfly,
Papilio polyxenes asterius;
parsley camphor = apiol;
parsley caterpillar U.S., the larva of the anise swallowtail butterfly,
Papilio zelicaon, which is a pest of umbelliferous plants in western North America;
parsley fern, name for the Rock Brake (
Allosorus crispus or
Cryptogramme crispa), also applied to a variety of the Lady Fern (
Athyrium Filix-femina), from their finely-divided fronds;
parsley frog, a spadefoot toad,
Pelodytes punctatus, found in western Europe;
parsley green, a colouring additive used in cookery;
parsley haw, a species of hawthorn (
Cratægus apiifolia) of Southern
U.S., with finely-cut leaves;
parsley-leaved elder, a cultivated variety of the elder,
Sambucus nigra var. laciniata, distinguished by its cut leaves;
† parsley-more, parsley-root;
parsley sauce, a white sauce flavoured with parsley;
† parsley vine, some variety of grape-vine;
parsley-worm U.S., the larva of the parsley butterfly, which is a pest of umbelliferous plants.
| c 1440 Alph. Tales (E.E.T.S.) xxiv. 18 Þer come so swete a savur oute of his *parcell bed & his erbis. a 1592 Greene Jas. IV, iv. iii, She is like a frog in a parsley-bed. 1622 Mabbe tr. Aleman's Guzman d'Alf. i. 25 margin, That phrase which we vse to little children, when we tell them they were borne in their mothers Parsly-bed. 1687 Settle Refl. Dryden 51 Little less Poetical, then Parsly-beds for the conception of Children. 1796 Pegge Anonym. i. §91 (1809) 52 The child, when new-born, comes out of the persley bed, they will say in the North. 1892 T. Hardy Well-Beloved iii. iii. |
| 1633 Johnson Gerarde's Herbal App. iii. 1594 In the West countrey about Bristow they call this Herbe Percepier; but our herbe women in Cheapside know it by the name of *Parsley Breakestone. 1825–80 Jamieson, Parslie Break-stone, Parsley-Piert. |
| 1889 S. H. Scudder Butterflies Eastern U.S. II. 1353 Papilio Polyxenes.—The black swallow-tail... *Parsley butterfly (Emmons). |
| 1879 Watts Dict. Chem. VIII. 118 Apiol, or *Parsley Camphor, is a crystalline substance, extracted..by distilling parsley-seeds with water. |
| 1926 E. O. Essig Insects Western N. Amer. xxvii. 634 The western *parsley caterpillar, Papilio zelicaon,..is yellow or orange and black. 1962 Metcalf & Flint Destructive & Useful Insects (ed. 4) xiv. 598 In the West it [sc. the parsleyworm] is replaced by the western parsley caterpillar. |
| 1648 Herrick Hesper., Epigr. to Larr, No more shall I from mantle-trees hang downe, To honour thee, my little *parsly crown. 1693 G. Stepney in Dryden's Juvenal viii. (1697) 212 The poor Renown Of putting all the Grecian Actors down, And winning at a Wake their Parsley-Crown. |
| 1920 E. Sitwell Wooden Pegasus 31 Face as white as any clock's Cased in *parsley-dark curled locks. |
| 1777 Lightfoot Flora Scot. II. 655 Osmunda crispa... Crisped Fern. *Parsley Fern. 1866 Treas. Bot. 489/2 Fern, Parsley, Allosorus crispus; also sometimes applied to Athyrium Filix-fœmina crispum. |
| 1897 Proc. Zool. Soc. 577 (title) On the structure and development of the hypobranchial skeleton of the *Parsley-Frog. 1934 J. Fletcher tr. Rostand's Toads vii. 72 In a pond near Paris..the larvae of the Common Frog were in the North and West;..those of the Parsley Frog, the South-east. 1960 R. Mertens World of Amphibians & Reptiles ii. 34 The parsley frog (Pelodytes)..occurs only in south-western Europe and the Caucasus. |
| 1845 E. Acton Mod. Cookery iv. 151 (heading) *Parsley green, for colouring sauces. Gather a quantity of young parsley,..pound it in a mortar,..set it into a pan of boiling water. |
| c 1400 Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) xii, Take þe leues of leekes..and of *persle leues. |
| 1731 P. Miller Gardener's Dict. s.v. Sambucus. The Cut or *Parsley-leav'd Elder. 1838 J. C. Loudon Aboretum II. 1028 The Parsley-leaved Elder; has the leaflets cut into fine segments. 1904 E. Step Wayside & Woodland Trees 125 An Elder with its leaflets deeply cut into very slender lobes{ddd}is an escape from cultivation—a garden variety (laciniata) known as the Cut-leaved or Parsley-leaved Elder. |
| 1486 Bk. St. Albans B iij, Take the Juce of *percelly Moris otherwise calde percelly Rootis. |
| 1866 Treas. Bot. 79/2 In Cornwall it is..largely used in *parsley pies, which are peculiar to that part of England. 1876 M. E. Braddon J. Haggard's Dau. vii. 93 A parsley-pie..in which tender young chickens nestled in a bed of parsley and cream. |
| a 1450 Stockh. Med. MS. i. 429 in Anglia XVIII. 306 Take..sawge and *percely-rotys. |
| 1836 E. Copley Cook's Compl. Guide ii. v. 359 *Parsley Sauce. Boil a bunch of green parsley in salt and water for five minutes; when done, chop it fine, put in half a pint of bechamel sauce, or good melted butter. 1877 E. S. Dallas Kettner's Bk. of Table 329 Parsley Sauce..is generally in England given to what in the French kitchen is known as maître d'hôtel sauce. 1965 R. Carrier Cookbk. ii. 90 (heading) English parsley sauce. 1978 Listener 23 Mar. 366/1, I've just dialled for the weather... There was a slight crossed line. The outlook is warm with parsley sauce, Regulo 7. |
| 1657 Austen Fruit Trees i. 59, I know none so good, and fit for our Climate as the *Parsley Vine. |
| 1842 T. W. Harris Insects Injurious to Vegetation 211 In the month of June, there may be found, on the leaves of the parsley and carrot, certain caterpillars, more commonly called *parsley-worms. 1972 Swan & Papp Common Insects N. Amer. 204 Black Swallowtail (Parsleyworm). Papilio polyxenes asterius. |