▪ I. fimble, n.1
(ˈfɪmb(ə)l)
Also 5–6 femble, 6 fembull, femle, flemble, (fyrble).
[a. Du. femel, LG. fimel, a. F. (chanvre) femelle, lit. ‘female hemp’, this name being popularly applied to what modern botanists call the male plant.]
1. The male plant of hemp, producing a weaker and shorter fibre than the carl hemp or female plant. Formerly also the fibre of this as prepared for use. Also more fully, fimble hemp.
| 1484 Churchw. Acc. Wigtoft, Boston (Nichols 1797) 78 Paide for femble, and for makyng thar of in bell-ropes, 1s. 5d. 1577 Wills & Inv. N.C. (Surtees) I. 415 Tenn dosen femle hempe vijl. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. 39 b, The Female or fyrble Hempe. 1669 Worlidge Syst. Agric. (1681) 277 Gather the Fimble, or earliest Hemp and Flax. 1707 Mortimer Husb. 118 The light Summer-hemp, that bears no Seed, is called Fimble hemp. 1731–59 Miller Gard. Dict. (ed. 7) s.v. Cannabis, The Fimble Hemp..is the male Plants. 1877 N.-W. Linc. Gloss., The fimble, or female hemp, was applied to..domestic purposes. 1877 [see carl hemp 1]. |
2. attrib.
| a 1519 Invent. in Gentl. Mag. Apr. (1864) 501 Ij payr of ffembull Shetts, ijs viij{supd}. 1548–9 Will of A Peyrson (Somerset Ho.), A payre of shettes a lynnyne & a Femble. 1622–3 Invent. in Best Farm. Bks. (Surtees) 162 note, Three [pound] of femble harne, 4s. |
▪ II. † ˈfimble, n.2 Obs.
[? var. of thimble.]
App. a ring for fastening a gate.
| 1597 Althorp MS. in Simpkinson Washingtons App. p. xxxviii, For a hoke and fimble for Great Norrells gate. |
▪ III. † ˈfimble, v. Obs. exc. dial.
[app. an onomatopœic variant of famble or fumble, altered to express a more delicate movement.]
a. intr. To move the fingers lightly and frequently over anything. b. trans. To touch lightly and frequently with the ends of the fingers. See also quot. a 1825.
| 1577 Dee Relat. Spir. i. (1659) 6 She is much fimbling about the Stone on her breast. 1647 H. More Song of Soul i. ii. lxxxiii, When he the black silk rope soft fimbling felt. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Fimble, to pass through without cutting. Ex. ‘My scythe fimble the grass.’ |