radish
(ˈrædɪʃ)
Forms: α. 1 redic, rædic, 3 redich, 4 radiche, 5 radik, raddyk. β. 5 radissh, 5–6 radys(s)he, 6– -ishe, -ice, redish, 6–7 raddish, 7 reddish, (7–8 erron. rhadish), 5– radish.
[In the α-forms ad. L. rādīc-em, with subsequent palatalization in southern Eng.; in the 15th c. readopted from F. radis, a. Pr. raditz, or It. radice:—L. rādīc-em: see radix and race n.6]
1. a. The fleshy, slightly pungent, root of a widely cultivated cruciferous plant (Raphanus sativus), commonly eaten raw as a relish or in salads. b. The plant of which this is the root.
wild radish, a field-weed (R. Raphanistrum), also called jointed or joint-podded charlock.
| α c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 64 Wiþ sidan sare..redic, & hwite clæfran wyrc to clame. c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 135/23 Raphanum, uel radix, rædic. c 1265 Voc. Plants ibid. 556/20 Raffarium,..redich. a 1387 Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.) 36 Raphanum, radiche. c 1425 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 645/20 Raparium, raddyk. |
| β c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. ix. 30 Now rape and neep in places drie is sowe..and radish last. Ibid. 44 Radish female hath litel bitternesse. 1548 Turner Names Herbes (1881) 66 There are two kindes of radice, the one is the commune radice wyth the longe roote..The other kynde hath a rounde roote. 1598 B. Jonson Ev. Man. in Hum. i. v, We will have a bunch of redish, and salt, to tast our wine. 1620 Venner Via Recta vi. 99 Some Physitians commend the eating of Radishes before meate. 1649 W. Blithe Eng. Improv. Impr. (1652) 248 You may Plant your garden with Onions, Reddishes or any sallet herb. 1718 Quincy Compl. Disp. 158 Radish..is much in Diet amongst our Spring-Sallets, but little used as Medicine. 1784 Cowper Task iv. 173 Enjoyed, spare feast! a radish and an egg. 1853 Lytton My Novel iv. viii, It was with some such tract that Lenny was seasoning his crusts and his radishes. |
2. attrib. and
Comb., as
radish-bed,
radish-oil,
radish-pod,
radish-root,
radish-seed;
radish-leaved,
radish-like adjs.;
radish communist, one who professes communism but is not sincerely devoted to it; also
ellipt.;
radish-fly (
U.S.), a small dipterous insect,
Anthomyia raphani, whose larvæ burrow in radishes (
Cent. Dict. 1891);
radish tree = horse-radish tree (
b).
| 1855 E. S. Delamer Kitch. Garden (1861) 115 The traveller who has no *radish-bed to go to. |
| 1920 Times 31 Oct. 11/1 A ‘*radish’ is a man who fervently professes devotion to the Communist cause while harbouring a secret longing for its overthrow. Red outside, but white..inside. The epithet was invented by Trotsky. 1966 Listener 29 Sept. 445/1 Stalin would speak disparagingly of Mao's men as being ‘not real communists’, mere ‘margarine communists’, ‘radish communists’—red on the outside and white on the inside. |
| 1753 Chambers Cycl. Supp. s.v. Sisymbrium, The short-podded *radish-leaved water-sisymbrium. |
| 1711 J. Petiver in Phil. Trans. XXVII. 385 Auriculated, or rather small wing'd *Radish-like Leaves. |
| 1728 E. Smith Compl. Housew. Index, *Radish Pods pickled. 1855 Delamer Kitch. Garden (1861) 134 Radish-pods..make an excellent pickle. |
| 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1539) 25 *Radyshe rootes, haue the vertu to extenuate, or make thyn. 1626 Bacon Sylva §408 A Beet-Root, a Borrage-Root, and a Raddish-Root. 1868 Watts Dict. Chem. V. 76 Radish-roots contain..water 959.74 [parts in 1000]. |
| 1538 Elyot Dict., Cortinon, *radyshe seede. 1599 Hakluyt Voy. II. 163 Some others..that practised to worke that effect by Radish seed. 1626 Bacon Sylva §401 There were sown in a Bed, Turnip-seed, Radish-seed [etc.]. |
| 1898 Morris Austral Eng. 378/1 *Radish-Tree, an Australian timber-tree, Codonocarpus cotinifolius, called also Poplar in Central Australia. |