ˈsemence
[a. F. semence (= Pr. semensa, It. semenza):—pop.L. *sēmentia, f. L. sēmenti-s a sowing, f. sēmen seed.]
† 1. Seed; in quots. = semen. Obs.
| 1480 Caxton Ovid's Met. xiv. xiii, Which [Pallas] was conceyved and born of the semence of the fader w{supt}oute semence carnal. a 1693 Urquhart's Rabelais iii. xxxi. 257 Which..do..benumb..with Cold the prolifick Semence. |
¶ 2. Used for: A sowing. rare—1.
| 1859 R. F. Burton Centr. Afr. in Jrnl. Geog. Soc. XXIX. 401 The ground is rarely weeded unless wanted for a second and different semence. |