† ˈmeadwort Obs.
Forms: 1 medo-, medewyrt, 3 medwurt, 4, 8 medewort, 5 -wourth, 6 -wurt, 5 medwor, -wert, 6 Sc. meduart, -wart, 6 medæwart, medow wurt, 7 medowort, 8 meadwort.
[OE. medowyrt, f. medo mead1 + wyrt wort, plant; corresponding to Sw. dial. mjödört (and equivalents in Norw., Da., mod.Icel.); possibly the flowers may have been used for flavouring mead. The first element was, however, early associated with mead2 (= meadow), the confusion being helped by the circumstance that another name for the plant was ‘queen of the meadow’ (L. regina prati, F. reine des prés, G. wiesenkönigin, Da. engdronning).
With regard to the possible use of meadow-sweet for flavouring mead, cf. the statement in Zedler Universal-lex. (1733) s.v. Barba-capræ, that the flowers were used to give to wine a flavour like that of malmsey.]
1. = meadow-sweet.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 70 ᵹenime neoþowearde medowyrt, & lustmocan. c 1265 Voc. Plants in Wr.-Wülcker 555/8 Regina, reine, medwurt. a 1387 Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.) 29/2 Melissa,..medewort. c 1450 Alphita (ibid.) 115/1 Mellissa,..medwor. Ibid. 156/2 Reginela,..mede⁓wort. Ibid. 177/2 Scrophularia,..medwert. 1549 Compl. Scot. vi. 42 Than the scheiphyrdis vyuis..gadrit mony fragrant grene meduart. 1568 Turner Herbal iii. 8 Of Mede⁓wurt, or Medow wurt, or Medeswete... It groweth about watersydes. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 336 The fluir laid witht greine cherittis witht sprattis med⁓wartis and flouris. 1579 Langham Gard. Health (1633) 388 Medowort: Drinke the decoction or powder of it to stop the laske. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. viii. 20 The metall first he mixt with Medæwart, That no enchauntment from his dint might save. 1736–83 [see meadsweet]. |
† 2. ? Watercress. Also women's meadwort. Obs.
| a 1400–50 Stockholm Med. MS. fol. 209 Freynch cresse or wymmannys medewourth: nascorium gallicanum. ? 14.. MS. Harl. 3388 in Sax. Leechd. II. 399 Nasturtium ortolan[um], medwort. |