ˈscurvy-grass Bot.
Forms: see scurvy n.; also scruby-grass.
1. A cruciferous plant, Cochlearia officinalis, believed to possess anti-scorbutic properties.
| a 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. lxxxii. 323 Round leafed Scuruie grasse is a low or base herbe. 1611 Middleton & Dekker Roaring Girl F 2 b, Would any husband suspect that a woman crying, Buy any scurui-grasse, should bring loue letters amongst her herbes to his wife. 1741 Compl. Fam.-Piece i. iv. 247 Take..of Scurvygrass half a Bushel. 1767 Byron's Voy. round World 47 We carried off a great quantity of cocoa nuts, scurvy-grass, and other vegetables, for the use of the sick. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. I. xxi. 269 Peterson brought me quite a handful of scurvy-grass (C. fenestrata). 1872 H. Macmillan True Vine vii, The saxifrage and the scurvy-grass give a faint tinge of verdure to the snow-white sterility of the arctic lichens. |
| β 1622 R. Banister 113 Dis. Eyes N 5 b, Scorby-grasse, water-cresses, brooke-lime. |
† b. spirit of scurvy-grass: a volatile oil distilled from the plant.
Obs.| 1676 Grew Anat. Plants, Lect. ii. (1682) 242 Spirit of Scurvy-grass maketh no Luctation with any Acid. 1694 Salmon Bate's Dispens. (1713) 184/2 If it be made with Spirit of Scurvy-grass [etc.]. |
† 2. sea scurvy-grass or
Scottish scurvy-grass: the sea bindweed,
Convolvulus soldanella.
| 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. ccxciii. 690 Soldanella..in English Sea Withwinde,..of some Sea Folefoote, and Scottish Scuruie grasse. 1676 T. Glover Virginia in Phil. Trans. XI. 629 Soldanella or Sea-Scurvygrass. |
† 3. = scurvy-grass ale (see 4).
Obs.| 1664 G. Etherege Love in Tub i. ii 5 And but this morning the Chandler refus'd to score a quart of Scurvy-grass. 1708 J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Britain i. iii. vii. (1743) 188 There are sold in London..many sorts of ales, very different, as Cock, Steponey,..Betony, Scurvy grass, &c. |
4. attrib. and
Comb., as
† scurvy-grass ale, ale medicated with scurvy-grass; similarly
† scurvy-grass drink;
† scurvy-grass medicine, a medicine containing scurvy-grass as the chief ingredient.
| 1661 in W. M. Myddelton Chirk Castle Acc. (1908) 152 Pd for a qrte of *scurvigrasse ale and plaine ale 8{supd}. 1679 J. Locke in Ld. King Life 135 There are also several sorts of compounded ales, as cock-ale,..scurvy grass-ale, college-ale, &c. |
| 1658–9 Wood Life (O.H.S.) I. 273 *Scurvy-grass drink began to be frequently drunk in the mornings as physic-drinke. |
| 1609 T. Cocks Diary (1901) 77/5 Paide for longe pepper graynes, cloves, mace, and saffron for my *skurvye-grasse medicine, vj d. |