verdure
(ˈvɜːdjʊə(r))
Also 5 uerdure, 6 verdur, 7 verdeur, 8 verduer.
[a. OF. verdure (12th c.; = It., Sp., Pg. verdura), f. verd green + -ure. Cf. verdour1.]
I. 1. a. The fresh green colour characteristic of flourishing vegetation; greenness, viridity.
| 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 161 Alle his vesture uerayly was clene verdure. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483) iv. i. 58 This appel was..borne fro the grene tree and put vpon the drye tre for to restoren this drye tree to verdure and to fresshenes. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 212 The large feeldys shulde be bareyn, No corn up growe nor greyn in his verdure. 1610 Shakes. Temp. i. ii. 87 He was The Iuy which had hid my princely Trunck, And suckt my verdure out on't. 1639 N. N. tr. Du Bosq's Compl. Woman ii. 67 We see the Ivy full of Verdure, on the most withered tree. 1675 Traherne Chr. Ethics 404 Ingratitude..cuts off the soul like a branch from the root that gave it life and verdure. 1700 Prior Carmen Seculare xli, Let twisted Olive bind those Laurels fast, Whose Verdure must for ever last. 1765 Museum Rust. IV. 229 When the snow lay very thick upon the burnet, that part of it which was above the snow had all the verdure of spring. 1838 Murray's Hand Bk. N. Germ. 165/2 Another valley..clothed with meadows of the brightest verdure. 1910 19th Cent. Feb. 285 The perennial verdure of cypress and pine, ilex and box was invaluable. |
| fig. 1675 Traherne Chr. Ethics 390 A spark of fire,..if it falls..into green wood or watery places,..does no harm. Penitent tears, and the verdure of humility prevent such flames and extinguish the quarrel. |
b. With
a and
pl. A shade or tint of green.
| 1523 Skelton Garl. Laurel 776 A cronell of lawrell with verduris light and darke I haue deuysyd for Skelton. 1610 J. Guillim Heraldry (1611) 10 Most vegitables, so long as they flourish, are beautified with this verdure: and is a colour most wholsome and pleasant to the eie. 1796 H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) I. p. xxv, The fir..clothed with leaves stiff, filiform, and of a dark verdure. |
2. a. Green vegetation; plants or trees, or parts of these, in a green and flourishing state.
| a 1400–50 Alexander 4979 A ferly faire tre..void of all hire verdure & vacant of leues. c 1477 Caxton Jason 104 Some ran for to gadre of the grene herbes and verdure for to caste a long on the waye. a 1513 Fabyan Chron. vii. 431 The tyme of wynter which trees doth deface And causyth all verdure to a voyde quyte. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 828 Then shall this Mount..by might of Waves be moovd Out of his place,..With all his verdure spoil'd. 1729 T. Cooke Tales, Proposals, etc. 115 To him who longest shall maintain the Field This blooming Verdure on my Brows I yield. 1775 Johnson Lett. (1788) I. 288, I can look into Lucy's garden... I believe she has hardly any fruit but gooseberries; but so much verdure looks pretty in a town. 1822 Shelley tr. Calderon's Mag. Prodig. iii. 59 Voluptuous Vine,..To the trunk thou interlacest [thou] Art the verdure which embracest. 1832 H. Martineau Homes Abroad i. 2 Flourishing young plantations put forth their early verdure. 1886 Sheldon tr. Flaubert's Salammbô 14 The fire spread from tree to tree, until the tall mass of verdure resembled a volcano beginning to smoke. |
| fig. 1818 Keats Endym. iii. 187 At this a surpris'd start Frosted the springing verdure of his heart. |
| Comb. 1912 Blackw. Mag. Sept. 316/1 Around us were the precipitous verdure-clad cliffs. |
b. esp. Green grass or herbage.
| 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys Introd. (Roxb.) 3 In may was neuer no medews sene Motleyd with flours on hys verdure grene. 1515 Barclay Egloges v. (1570) D ij/1 What time the verdure of ground & euery tre, By frost and stormes is priuate of beautee. 1638 Cowley Love's Riddle iv, [Thoughts] and the pleasant verdure of the fields Made me forget the way. 1690 Locke Hum. Und. iv. xiii. §2 The earth will not appear painted with flowers, nor the fields covered with verdure, whenever he has a mind to it. 1794 Mrs. Radcliffe Myst. Udolpho iii, Along the bottom of this valley the most vivid verdure was spread. 1846 M{supc}Culloch Acc. Brit. Empire (1854) I. 143 The Cheviot hills are..distinguished by their fine green verdure. 1878 Browning La Saisiaz 52 Praising still That soft tread on velvet verdure, as it wound through hill and hill. |
† c. pl. Green plants or herbs.
Obs.| c 1475 Partenay 3824 She lepte the fenestre vppon, Aboue beheld she uerdures flouresshing. c 1481 Caxton Dialogues 13/22 In wodes ben the verdures, Brembles, bremble beries. 1631 G. Townshend Tempe Restor'd 4 All this second story seem'd of Silver worke mixt with fresh Verdures. 1693 Evelyn De la Quint. Compl. Gard. II. 199 Parsley..is comprehended under the Title of Verdures or green Pot-herbs. 1719 London & Wise Compl. Gard. ix. 282 May. It is now the time of the flourishing reign of all Verduers and green things. 1722 Wollaston Relig. Nat. ix. 206 He might perhaps now and then meet with a little smooth way,..or be flattered with some verdures and the smiles of a few daisies on the banks of the road. |
3. A rich tapestry ornamented with representations of trees or other vegetation. Now
Hist. Common
c 1525–
c 1550 after French usage: see also
verder1 1,
verdour1 2.
| 1513 MS. Papers 5 Hen. VIII, No. 4101 (Publ. Rec. Office), A Counterpoynt of paly verdure,..an old counterpoint of Redde verdures. c 1550 Dice-Play (Percy) 9 Divers well trimmed chambers, the worst of them apparelled with verdures. 1586 Rates of Custome E viij, Tappistry with wul or Verdure the flemish elle, xii. d. 1934 Burlington Mag. Feb. 65/2 The work of the oldest tapestry factory in England... A ‘verdure’, a type very popular with Worcestershire weavers. 1977 Anc. Tapestries from Belgium (Nat. Arts Centre, Ottawa) 77 Oudenarde was famous for its ‘verdures’ (tapestries representing trees or foliage). |
II. † 4. a. Freshness or agreeable briskness of taste in fruits or liquors; also simply, taste, savour.
| 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge i. 614 A swete tree bryngeth forth..Swete fruyte and delycyous in tast and verdure. c 1540 tr. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden) I. 216 Being parched and brent..it engenderethe the verdure and taste of salte. 1574 R. Scot Hop Gard. (1578) 6 That Ale..boroweth the Hoppe, as without the which it wanteth his chiefe grace and best verdure. 1601 Holland Pliny I. 424 Upon such a chaunce and unhappie accident it [new wine] looseth the verdure and quicke tast. 1611 Speed Theat. Gt. Brit. xxiv. (1614) 47/1 The very wines made thereof..being little inferior in sweet verdure to the French wines. |
| fig. 1630 Donne Serm. (1640) 133 Every word in them [the Scriptures] hath his waight and value, his taste and verdure. |
† b. Sharpness, tartness, or unpleasantness of taste.
Obs. In last
quot. perh. only a contextual application of the general sense of ‘taste’: see
prec.| 1508 Stanbridge Vulgaria (W. de W.) B v b, This wyne is of verdure. Hoc vinum est acre. 1601 Holland Pliny II. 152 The wines which by age and long keeping, lay downe their verdure and become sweet. 1626 Bp. Hall Contempl., O.T. xxi. vi. 512 Something they must haue to complaine of, that shall giue an vnsauory verdure to their sweetest morsels. |
† 5. Smell; odour. Also
fig. Obs.| 1520 Whitinton Vulg. (1527) 15 This wyne drynketh of a good verdure (delicati odoris). 1589 Greene Tullies Loue Wks. (Grosart) VII. 165 Let lillies wither on the stalke, and weare violets in thy hand, the one faire and vnsauorie, the other blacke but of sweete verdure. 1594 R. C[arew] Huarte's Exam. Wits (1616) 309 What is the cause, that the excrements of brute beasts haue not so vnpleasant a verdure, as those of mankind? 1601 Holland Pliny I. 377 The good Baulme..in smell..should have an harsh verdeur. Ibid. 429 The Oile-oliue..hath of all other the best verdure, and in tast excelleth the rest. 1716 M. Davies Athen. Brit. II. 351 The powerful Verdures of the foresaid Allium, Cepa, &c. |
6. fig. Fresh or flourishing condition.
| c 1586 C'tess Pembroke Psalms lxxi. v, Do not then, now age assaileth, Courage, verdure, vertue faileth, Do not leave me cast away. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. i. i. 49 Euen so by Loue, the yong and tender wit Is turn'd to folly, blasting in the Bud, Loosing his verdure, euen in the prime. 1619 Donne Lett. (1651) 222 Whatsoever I should write now, of any passages of these days, would lose their verdure before the letter came to you. a 1664 K. Philips Poems (1667) 44 In Youth she did attract (for she The Verdure had without the Vanity). 1670 Clarendon Contempl. on Psalms Tracts (1727) 653 If he discontinues to give, all his former bounties have lost their verdure, and wither away. 1726 Pope Odyss. xix. 149 My lord's protecting hand alone would raise My drooping verdure, and extend my praise. 1754 H. Walpole Lett. (1846) III. 67, I am in no fear of not finding you in perfect verdure. 1829 Lytton Disowned x, Those years make the prime and verdure of our lives. |
7. fig. Signs of gullibility;
= green n. 2 c.
| 1861 H. C. Pennell Puck on Pegasus 75 Perceiv'st thou verdure in my eye? |