fennel
(ˈfɛnəl)
Forms: 1 finuᵹl, finul(e, fenol, finol, 3, 5 fenyl(le, (4 fynel, 5, 7 fenil, 6 foenall), 4–7 fenel(l(e, 6–7 fennell, 7– fennel. See also finkle.
[OE. finuᵹl, finule wk. fem., fenol, finul masc., ad. popular L. fēnuclum, fēnoclum (substituted for class. L. fæniculum, dim. of fænum hay); from the same form come OF. fenoil (mod.F. fenouil), Pr. fenolh, It. finocchio, Sp. hinojo.]
1. A fragrant perennial umbellifer (Fæniculum vulgare) having yellow flowers, cultivated chiefly for its use in sauces eaten with salmon, etc.
| a 700 Epinal Gloss. 451 Finiculus, finuᵹl. c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 322 Feniculum, fenol. a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. xiii. 44 The fenyl ant the fille. 1393 Gower Conf. III. 129 His herbe..The vertuous fenel. 1486 Bk. St. Albans B iv b, Wassh the flesh..in y⊇ Juce of fenell. 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1539) 41 a, Wyne..wherin the rootes of persely or fenel be stieped. 1538 Turner Libellus, Foenell, Feniculum. 1602 Shakes. Ham. iv. v. 180 There's Fennell for you. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 581 A savorie odour..more pleas'd my sense Than smell of sweetest Fenel. 1732 Arbuthnot Rules of Diet 260 Fennel..contains a subtil Spice. 1770 Goldsm. Des. Vill. 234 With aspen boughs, and flowers and fennel gay. 1796 H. Glasse Cookery xviii. 291 Garnish with fennel and parsley. 1841–6 Longfellow Goblet of Life v, The fennel with its yellow flowers. 1879 Browning Pheidippides 82 This herbage I bear—Fennel, whatever it bode. |
b. With qualifying words indicating different species;
esp. Indian fennel,
Fæniculum Panmorium, an annual variety of
F. vulgare employed in India in curries and for medicinal purposes.
sweet fennel,
Fæniculum dulce or
officinale, grown in kitchen-gardens for the sake of its leaves.
| 1796 C. Marshall Garden. xvi. (1813) 267 Sweet fennel is an annual, cultivated for its seeds in medicine. 1811 A. T. Thomson Lond. Disp. (1818) 34 The root of..the common fennel, and the seed of..the sweet fennel, are officinal. |
2. Popularly applied to plants resembling the preceding, as
dog or dog's fennel,
Anthemis Cotula;
hog's fennel,
Peucedanum officinale;
horse fennel,
Seseli Hippomarathrum;
sea fennel,
Crithmum maritimum;
sow fennel = hog's f.;
water fennel,
Callitriche verna.
| 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §20 Doggefenell..in the commynge vp is lyke fenell, and beareth many white floures. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 73/1 The dog Fennel hath small deep dark leaves. 1712 tr. Pomet's Hist. Drugs I. 7 Another kind of Fennel..bears the Name of Sea-Fennel. 1863 Prior Plant-n. (1879) 77 Dog's Fennel. |
b. fennel-flower, a herb of the genus
Nigella. Also with distinguishing epithets, as
common fennel-flower,
Spanish fennel-flower,
small fennel-flower,
wild fennel-flower.
| 1863 Prior Plant-n. (1879) 77 Fennel-Flower, from its fennel-like finely divided leaves. 1868 Hereman Paxton's Bot. Dict. 392/2 The species of Fennel-flower are curious and ornamental. |
c. fennel-giant (
Ferula communis), a plant of the genus
Ferula; also with distinguishing epithets, as
broad-leaved,
furrowed,
knotted, etc.
= giant-fennel.
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. lxxxix. 269 The seconde kinde is called..wilde Fenell, and great Fenell: and of some Fenell Giant. 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. iii. (1641) 27/2 Th' Hearb Sagapen [side note Fenelgyant] serves the slowe Asse for meat. 1654 Gataker Disc. Apol. 70 A Ferula, or Fennel-giant, as some term it. 1794 Martyn Rousseau's Bot. xxii. 237 It [Ferula] is so lofty and large a plant as to have acquired the name of Fennel Giant. 1848 in Craig. |
3. As an emblem of flattery.
| 1584 Lyly Sappho ii. iv, Fancy is a worme, that feedeth first upon fenell. 1592 Greene Upst. Courtier (1871) 2 Womans weeds, fennel I mean for flatterers. 1634 Phyala Lachrymarum (Nares), Nor fennell-finkle bring for flattery. |
4. attrib. and
Comb., as
fennel-plant,
fennel-root,
fennel-seed,
fennel stalk;
fennel-like,
fennel-rubbed adjs.: also
† fennel apple, the name of a variety of apple;
fennel oil, ‘the oil of common fennel containing anethol and a terpene’ (Watts);
fennel water, a spirituous liquor prepared from fennel seed,
= fenouillette.
| 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. (1729) 225 Apples..*Fennel Apple. 1721 in Bailey. |
| 1855 Singleton Virgil I. 65 Blooming *fennel-plants And giant lilies tossing to and fro. |
| 1642 Milton Apol. Smect. (1851) 288 To see clearer then any *fenell rub'd Serpent. |
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 28 *Finol sæd..gnid to duste. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. v. 156, I haue..A Ferþing-worþ of Fenel-seed for þis Fastyng dayes. 1626 Bacon Sylva §528 Take Earth made with Marjoram..bruised, or stamped, and set in it Fennell-Seed. |
| 1691 Ray Creation i. 75 You can by no Culture..extend a *Fennel Stalk to the stature and bigness of an Oak. |
| 1757 A. Cooper Distiller ii. v. (1760) 126 Simple Waters now commonly made are..Cinamon-water, *Fennel-water, etc. 1879 Encycl. Brit. (ed. 9) IX. 76/1 The fruits..are used for the preparation of oil of fennel and fennel water. |