damson
(ˈdæmz(ə)n)
Forms: 4–9 damascene, 4–5 damacene, -yne, 4 damesene, 5 damesyn, -ys(s)yn, 5–6 -asyn, 6 dameson, -ysen, -isen, -ozin, dammosen, damasson, -en, 6–7 dam(m)asin, 6–9 damascen, 7 -azine, -azeene, -osin; 5 damsyn, 6 dampson, damsine, -ing, 6–7 damsen, 7 -zin, 7–8 damsin, 5– damson.
[ME. (or ? AngloFr.) damascene, ad. L. Damascēnum for Prūnum Damascēnum plum of Damascus (Isidore xvii. vii. 10 Damascena a Damasco oppido). The various weakenings, damesene, damesen, damsen, damson, appear to be all of English development.]
1. A small plum, black or dark purple, the fruit of Prunus communis or domestica, variety damascena, which was introduced in very early times into Greece and Italy from Syria.
| a 1400 Pistill of Susan 89 Þer weore growyng so grene Þe Date wiþ þe Damesene. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 192 Take xx. damascenes & xii. figis. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 77 in Babees Bk. 122 Serve fastynge, plommys, damsons, cheries. Ibid. 668 Damesyns. 1542 Boorde Dyetary xxi. (1870) 285, .vi. or .vii. damysens eaten before dyner, be good to prouoke a mans appetyde. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 76 Damsens, white and black. 1626 Bacon Sylva §509 In Fruits, the white commonly is meaner, as in Pear-plumbs, Damosins, etc. 1657 R. Austen Fruit Trees i. 57 The Damazeene also is an excellent fruit. 1747 H. Glasse Cookery xviii. heading, To preserve damsons whole. 1750 Johnson Rambler No. 51 ¶14 The art of scalding damascenes without bursting them. 1818 Mrs. Sherwood Fairchild Fam. (1829) I. xiv. 115 Mrs. Fairchild and Betty boiled up a great many damascenes in sugar. 1866 Treas. Bot., Prunus institia, the Bullace..A variety occurs with yellowish fruit, which latter are sold in London as White Damsons. |
b. Locally, a distinction is sometimes made between damson and damascene, the latter being applied to the so-called damson-plum: see c.
| 1818 Todd Suppl., Damascene. This and the damson are distinct sorts of plums: the damascene is the larger of the two, and not at all bitter; the damson is smaller, and has a peculiar bitter or roughness. 1891 Daily News 17 Nov. 5/2 In Nottinghamshire there is, it seems, a recognised distinction between ‘damsons’ or ‘damasons’ and ‘damascenes’..in the Newark County Court..a greengrocer..complained that whereas he had ordered damsons he was supplied with damascenes. |
c. damson plum: formerly = damson: but now applied to a sub-variety of plum somewhat like the damson: see quot 1892.
| 1586 Cogan Haven Health (1636) 104 The Damasin Plummes are woont to be dried and preserved as figges. 1611 Cotgr., Damaisine, a Damascene, or Damsen plum. 1770 Foote Lame Lover iii. Wks. 1799 II. 85 It was..the best of plum-trees, it was a damascen plum. 1892 Daily News 13 Sept. 3/2 The damson plum..is quite as good for most purposes as the damson, and has not its acridity or roughness. |
2. The tree which bears this: also damson tree.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. de P.R. xvii. cxxxv. (1495) 686 Of plumme tree is many manere of kynde but the Damacene is the beste. 14.. T. of Erceldoune 180 (Cambr. MS.) Þe darte and also þe damsyn tre. 1575 Art of Planting 11 To set Damsons or Plum trees. 1625 Bacon Ess., Gardens (Arb.) 556 In Aprill follow..The Dammasin, and Plum-Trees in Blossome. 1860 Delamer Kitch. Gard. 158 In shallow or wet soils it is better to bud [peaches] on plum stocks, such as damsons, St. Juliens, &c. |
3. Applied to Chrysophyllum oliviferum of the W. Indies (damson-plum, quot. 1756); bitter damson or mountain damson, a name for Simaruba amara.
| 1756 P. Browne Jamaica 171 The Damson-plumb..is found wild in many parts of Jamaica. 1811 A. T. Thomson Lond. Disp. (1818) 327 The Simaruba quassia, or mountain damson, as it is called in Jamaica. 1858 R. Hogg Veg. Kingdom 224 Simaruba officinalis..attains the height of sixty feet, and is called Bitter Damson, Mountain Damson, and Slave Wood. |
4. a. attrib. or adj. Of the colour of the damson. Also damson brown.
| 1661 Lovell Hist. Anim. & Min. Introd., Partridge, grecian, reddish, cinereous, white, and damascen. 1684 Lond. Gaz. No. 1963/4 A Damson brown Mare. 1791 Hamilton Berthollet's Dyeing II. ii. vi. iv. 347 Damascene colours, and other shades of browns of the common dye. |
b. attrib. and Comb., as damson dumpling, etc.; damson-cheese, an inspissated conserve of damsons and sugar; damson-pie, -tart (slang, after damn), profane language; damson-plum (see 1 c, 3).
| 1769 Mrs. Raffald Eng. Housekpr. (1778) 183 To make Damson Dumplins. c 1803 C. K. Sharpe New Oxford Guide ii. in Mem. (1888) I. 15 Cakes, ruskins, prunelloes, and sweet damson cheese. 1887 Jessopp Arcady 213 His language is profane from long habit—‘given over to damson tart like’, as they say in Arcady. 1888 W. Black Strange Adv. House Boat viii. (Farmer), Even if you were to hear some of the Birmingham lads giving each other a dose of damson-pie..you wouldn't understand a single sentence. |