colophony
(ˈkɒləfəʊnɪ, kəˈlɒfənɪ)
Forms: 5 coli-, colophonie, 7– -phony.
[ad. L. colophōnia (Pliny) for Colophōnia rēsīna resin of Colophon (a town of Lydia): in Pr. colophonia, It. and Sp. colofonia, 16th c. F. colophone, -phane. (Some of these occur in Eng. use; also an erroneous L. colophonium.)]
The dark or amber-coloured resin obtained by distilling turpentine with water. Formerly also called Greek pitch (Pix græca).
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. lxxvii. (1495) 651 Powder of Coliphonie that hyghte Pitis in grewe. 1477 Norton Ord. Alch. v. in Ashm. (1652) 79 Some with Brenning, as Colophonie. 1585 Lloyd Treas. Health Mj, Mixt.. with pitch called Collofonia. 1694 Westmacott Script. Herb. 67 In the Shops, Colophony is the Rezine of the Firr-Tree boiled. 1770 New Dispens. 420/1 A blackish resin called colophony. 1831 J. Davies Manual Mat. Med. 194 Colophony or Dry Resin..is the resinous part of the turpentine remaining in the still after the extraction of the essential oil by distillation. 1888 Sale & Exchange 13 Sept. 5/1 One pound of colophony (bought of any chemist). |