▪ I. vetch
(vɛtʃ)
Forms: α. 4–5 fecch(e, 5 fechche, fehche, fech, 5–6 feche, 4–7 fetche, 4–8, 9 dial. fetch. β. 5 vache, 5, 9 s.w. dial., vatch; 5–7 veche (5 vessche), vech (5 wech), 4–6 vetche, 6– vetch (9 veitch). See also fatch and fitch n.1
[a. ONF. veche, vecche, veiche, vesche, = OF. vecce, vece, vesse (mod.F. vesce):—L. vicia, whence also It. veccia.]
1. The bean-like fruit of various species of the leguminous plant Vicia.
Also with defining terms, as gore-vetch: see 3 b.
Occas. used as a type of something of little or no value (see quots. c 1374, 1632).
| α c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iii. 936 (Harl. MS.), This seid is by hem that be not worth two fecchis. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 209 Oon [cancer] comeþ of malancolie rotid, & bigynneþ for to wexe in þe mychilnes of a fecche or of a pese. a 1513 Fabyan Chron. vii. 612 For this scarcyte of whete in Englande, in many places the people made them brede of fetches, pesyn, and benys. 1533 in Archaeologia XXV. 519 Fetchys bought for sede..ij combe of fetchys. 1552 Cooper Elyot's Dict., Eruum..is greater and bitterour then a fech. 1615 Latham Falconry (1633) 95 Take of alloes the quantity of a Fetch unwashed. 1632 Rowley Woman never vext ii. 26 You may Imagine it to be Twelfe-day at night, and the Beane found in the corner of your Cake, but 'Tis not worth a fetch I'l assure you. 1661 Petit. for Peace 11 The Fetches are beaten out with a staff. |
| β 1388 Wyclif Ezek. iv. 9 Take thou..beenys, and tillis, and mylie, and vetchis [1382 vetche]. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. xcv. (Bodl. MS.), Amonge codware,..tilles & vacches beþ smalleste in quantite. c 1483 Caxton Dial. 22 Otes, vessches, Benes, pesen. 1539 Elyot Cast. Helthe 84 b, Some is lyke lyttelle redde vetches. 1578 Lyte Dodoens 482 Afterward there come vp long flat coddes, wherein are Vetches. 1617 Moryson Itin. iii. 112 English Merchants bring into Italy..Conny skins, Veches, Kersies, and sometimes English Corne. 1711 Addison Spect. No. 59 ¶4 Cicero.. was marked on the Nose with a little Wen like a Vetch. 1756 J. Kennedy Curios. Wilton House (1786) 65 The Busts of Cicero,..with the Mark of the Cicer or Vetch on his Face. 1790 Cowper Iliad xiii. 715 As vetches or as swarthy beans Leap from the van and fly athwart the floor, By sharp winds driven. 1866 C. C. Felton Anc. & Mod. Gr. I. vi. 406 Beans, lupines, radishes, Vetches, wild pears, when we can, And a locust now and then. 1870 Bryant Iliad xiii. II. 32 The swarthy beans Or vetches bound before the whistling wind. 1901 Daily News 12 Mar. 8/6 Some large Swedish gore-vetches are now offering at attractively low rates. |
† b. = fitch n.1 2 (
q.v.).
Obs. 2. pl. Plants belonging to the genus
Vicia,
esp. to the species
Vicia sativa, the common tare.
Frequently with special reference to the produce.
| α a 1387 Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.) 43 Vesces, i. fecches vel mous pese. 1388 Wyclif Isaiah xxviii. 25 He schal not sette wheete bi ordre, and barli..and fetchis in his coostis. c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. i. 237 Lupyne and fetches sleyn, and on thaire roote Up dried, are as dounging landes boote. 1610 Shakes. Temp. iv. i. 61 Rich Leas Of Wheate, Rye, Barley, Fetches, Oates and Pease. c 1640 J. Smyth Lives Berkeleys (1883) I. 303 From hence also came their great proportions of wheat, rye, barly,..and ffetches, apples and pears. a 1661 Fuller Worthies, Leicester ii. (1662) 126 Whereas lean land will serve for puling peas and faint fetches. 1879 G. F. Jackson Shropsh. Word-bk. 145. |
| β 1552 Huloet, Tares or vetches, a kinde of pulse or grayne, eruila, eruum, orobum. 1575 in Phillipps Wills (c 1830) 457 Corne in the felde... Item, 9 acres of peaze... Item, 12 acres vetches. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 352 With Wheate,..with Vetchesse, with Millette, & all other kinde of pulse. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 572 Vetches also doe manure and fat the ground where they be sowed. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 97/2 Vetches, Lentils, Tares, have leaves like Pease. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 110 Where Vetches, Pulse, and Tares have stood, And Stalks of Lupines grew. 1765 Museum Rust. IV. 386 Beans, Peas, and Tares or Vetches. 1792 A. Young Trav. France 7 A piece of wheat; a scrap of lucerne; a patch of clover or vetches. 1846 J. Baxter Libr. Pract. Agric. (ed. 4) I. 28 The vetches attained by the 4th of July a height of ten inches. 1882 ‘Ouida’ Maremma I. 188 Amidst the maiden⁓hair and the vetches about the orifice of the warrior's tomb. |
3. In generic use as a plant-name (or, in early use, as that of a grain), usually without article or with
the; also
occas., with
a and
pl., one or other species of the genus
Vicia.
| 1382 Wyclif Ezek. iv. 9 Take thou..bene, and lent, and mylie, and vetche. 14.. Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 619 Vicia, a wech. Ibid. 625 Uicia, vache. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 153/1 Fetche, corne, or tare,..vicia. c 1532 G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 915 Fetche, uesche. 1552 Huloet, Vetche, fetche, or tare, passilus. 1578 Lyte Dodoens 482 The Vetche hath stalkes of a sufficient thicknesse. 1649 J. Ogilby Virg. Georg. i. 241 Wouldst thou the Ground should Vetch and Fasels bear. 1707 Mortimer Husb. (1721) I. 139 The Chich, Fetch or Vetch are of several sorts, but the most known are the Winter and the Summer Vetch. 1750 Shenstone Rural Elegance 204 The tangled vetch's purple bloom. 1797 Washington Writ. (1892) XIII. 407 The Vetch of Europe has not succeeded with me. 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. II. 144 Heath's creeping vetch, and glaring yellow brooms. 1866 Treas. Bot. 662/2 The true Lathyri..are herbs..with fewer and larger leaflets than in the vetches. 1867 Baker Nile Tribut. viii. (1872) 125 A peculiar species, that resembles a vetch, bears a circular pod as large as a horse-bean. 1890 D. Davidson Mem. Long Life viii. 211 In a field of toor (a kind of vetch), we saw a fine buck antelope lying pretty well concealed. |
b. With distinguishing names, denoting various species of
Vicia.
| a 1722 Lisle Observ. Husb. (1757) 125 The pebble-vetch is a summer-vetch, different from the goar-vetch and not so big; they call it also the rath-ripe vetch. 1725 Fam. Dict. s.v., The most known [sorts] are the Winter and Summer Vetch. 1731 Miller Gard. Dict. s.v. Vicia, Common Vetch or Tare... White Vetch. .. Many-flower'd Vetch. 1753 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. s.v. Vicia, The species of Vetch, enumerated by Mr. Tournefort are these: 1. The common cultivated Vetch... 4. The great wild bush Vetch... 12. The white-flowered hairy wild Vetch [etc.]. 1777 Jacob Catal. Plants 122 Vicia sativa, Common Vetch... Vicia sepium, Bush Vetch. Vicia lathyroides,..Wild Vetch. 1777 Lightfoot Flora Scot. (1789) I. 394 Vicia cracca. Tufted Vetch. 1796 Withering Brit. Pl. (ed. 3) III. 638 Vicia lathyroides. Strangle Vetch. Ibid. 639 V. lutea. Yellow Vetch... V. hybrida. Bastard Vetch... V. bithynica. Rough Vetch. 1805 [see tufted a. 3]. 1813 [see tare n.1 4]. 1829 Loudon Encycl. Pl. (1836) 622 [Many species]. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXVI. 296 [Biennial, Pea-like, Bush, Rough⁓podded Yellow and Purple Vetch, etc.]. 1846–50 A. Wood Class-bk. Bot. 220 Vicia Americana. American Vetch... V. Caroliniana. Carolinian Vetch... V. tetrasperma. Slender Vetch. 1850 Miss Pratt Comm. Things Sea-side 78 The rough-podded Yellow Vetch (Vicia lutea). Ibid. 79 The smooth-podded Vetch (Vicia lævigata)... The rare rough-podded purple Vetch (Vicia Bithynica). |
4. Applied, with distinguishing terms, to plants of various genera more or less resembling vetches.
See also
milk-vetch milk n. 10 b,
wood-vetch.
| [1562–1727 (see ax-fitch).] 1753 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. App., *Ax-vetch, in botany, the English name of a genus of plants, called by authors securidaca. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 330 Ax Vetch: see Hatchet Vetch. |
| 1829 Loudon Encycl. Pl. (1836) 636 Phaca. *Bastard Vetch. |
| 1753 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. s.v. Aphaca, There is only one known species of Aphaca, which is the yellow vetchling, called by some the *bind-weed-leaved vetch. |
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens 482 Of the *bitter Veche called in Greeke Orobus, and in latine Eruum. 1597 Gerarde Herbal 1051 Cich, or true Orobus..: in English it is called bitter Vetch. 1661 Lovell Hist. Anim. & Min. 44 Betony,..bitter vetch with Wine. 1728 Bradley Dict. Bot., Ervum of Columella..is the Orobus or Bitter Vetch. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 330 Jointed Podded Bitter Vetch, Ervum. |
| 1866 Treas. Bot. 1212/2 *Bladder Vetch, Phaca. |
| 1731 Miller Gard. Dict., Lathyrus, *Chichling Vetch. 1756–1861 [see chickling2 b]. 1887 Amer. Naturalist XXI. 710 Chickling Vetch. Lathyrus sativus L. |
| 1846–50 A. Wood Class-bk. Bot. 221 Ervum hirsutum. Hairy or *Creeping Vetch. |
| 1671 Phillips s.v., The crimson *grasse Vetch [is called] Cantananee. 1731 Miller Gard. Dict., Nissolia, Crimson Grass-Vetch. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 331 Crimson Grass Vetch, Lathyrus. 1822 Hortus Anglicus II. 243 Lathyrus Nissolia. Crimson Lathyrus, or Grass Vetch. |
| 1846–50 *Hairy Vetch [see creeping vetch]. |
| 1597 Gerarde Herbal 1055 The first kinde of *hatchet Fetch, hath many small branches trailing..vpon the ground. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Pelecinus or Pelecinum.., Hatchet-vetch, a Weed that grows amidst Corn. 1728 Bradley Dict. Bot., Hedysarum,..in English, Hatchet Vetch, or Sickle-wort. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 331 Hatchet Vetch, Coronilla. Ibid., Clusius's foreign Hatchet Vetch, Biserrula. 1829 Loudon Encycl. Pl. (1836) 628 Coronilla Securidaca. Hatchet-Vetch. Ibid. 638 Biserrula Pelecinus. Bastard Hatchet Vetch. |
| 1640 Parkinson Theat. Bot. 1091 The greater *Horse shooe Vetch. Ibid., Many codded Horse shooe Vetch. 1671 Skinner Etymol. Ling. Angl. L lll, Horshoe Vetch, Ferrum Equinum. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 331 Horse-shoe Vetch, Hippocrepis. |
| 1640 Parkinson Theat. Bot. 417 Galega... Some with us call it *Italian Vetch, but most commonly Goates Rue. 1728 Bradley Dict. Bot. s.v., Italian Vetch, or Goats-Rue, in Latin, Galega. |
| 1597 Gerarde Herbal 1060 *Kidney Vetch hath a stalke of the height of a cubite. Ibid., The Starrie Kidney Vetch, called Stella leguminosa. 1640 Parkinson Theat. Bot. 1094 Bladder Pease or Kidney Vetch of Spaine. Ibid., Crooked Kidney Vetch of Candy. 1753 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. s.v. Vulneraria, The common yellow-flowered Vulneraria, called kidney-vetch, and ladies finger. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 331 Kidney Vetch, Anthyllis. 1865 Gosse Land & Sea (1874) 7 The kidney vetch or lady's finger. |
| 1640 Parkinson Theat. Bot. 1098 The most common *Licoris Vetch. 1731 Miller Gard. Dict., Apios, the knobbed rooted Virginian Liquorice-Vetch. Ibid., Astragalus, Wild Liquorice, or Liquorice Vetch. 1753 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. App. s.v., Liquorice-Vetch, the English name of a genus of plants, known among botanists by that of glycine. 1882 [see liquorice 4]. |
| 1597 Gerarde Herbal 1064 Onobrychis montana... Mountain *Medick Fetch. 1753 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. App. s.v., Medic-Vetch, the name by which many call the onobrychis. 1760 J. Lee Introd. Bot. App. 331 Medic Vetch, Hedysarum. |
| 1731 Miller Gard. Dict. s.v. Orobus, Broad-leav'd Creeping Orobus, with a small Pod, commonly call'd, *Venetian Vetch. 1741 Compl. Fam.-Piece ii. iii. 367 Persian Lilly, Lichnis, Venetian Vetch. |
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens 485 The *wilde Vetche [Galega altera]..serueth onely but for pasture, and feeding for cattell. 1597 Gerarde Herbal 1053 Of the yellow wilde Fetch, or Tare euerlasting. 1640 Parkinson Theat. Bot. 1067 Aphaca. The yellow wilde Vetch. 1725 Fam. Dict. s.v., The Seed of the Wild Vetch is bitter. |
5. attrib. and
Comb., as
vetch flower,
vetch-grass,
vetch-leaf,
vetch seed;
vetch-leaved,
vetch-like adjs.| 1725 Fam. Dict. s.v., Vetch Flower mixt with Honey..will take away Freckles. 1731 Miller Gard. Dict. s.v. Orobus, Wood Orobus, with Vetch-Leaves. 1753 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. s.v. Onobrychis, The great, vetch-leaved onobrychis. Ibid., The stone onobrychis, with long, and narrow, vetch-like leaves. Ibid., App. s.v. Grass, Vetch-grass, the English name of a distinct genus of plants called by authors nissolia. 1831 J. F. South tr. Otto's Path. Anat. 455 One [knot] as large as a date seed..and a third of the size of a vetch seed. 1845–50 A. H. Lincoln Lect. Bot. 184 Vicia sativa. Common vetch-tare. 1852 Mundy Antipodes (1857) 14 The Kennedya, with a purple vetch-like blossom. |
▪ II. vetch southern
dial. variant of
fetch v.