centaury
(ˈsɛntɔːrɪ, -ərɪ)
Forms: (1 centaurie, 4–5 centauria), 4–5 centaure, -ture, sentaurye, 5 centary(e, -torye, 6 sentorye, centuary, 6–7 centorie, centaurie, (7 centry), 6–9 centory, 6– centaury.
[ad. med.L. centaurēa, -ia, for L. centaurēum, or centaurion, a. Gr. κενταύρειον, or κενταύριον, f. κένταυρος centaur.]
1. A plant, of which the medicinal properties were said to have been discovered by Chiron the centaur; two species were distinguished, Centaurion majus, and C. minus (also lepton). The herbalists identified these (probably correctly) with two Gentianaceous plants, More or Yellow Centaury (Chlora perfoliata), and Common or Lesser Centaury (Erythræa Centaureum). Hence Centaury is sometimes used as the book-name for all the species of Erythræa.
| [c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 186 Nim centaurian þæt is felterre sume hatað..eorð ᵹeallan.] c 1386 Chaucer Nun's Pr. T. 143 Take youre laxatyues Of lawriol Centaure [v.r. sentaurye, Centure] and ffumetere. 1483 Cath. Angl. 56 Centary, centauria, felterre. 1542 Linacre Macer's Herbal in Prior Plant-n. s.v., More Centory or Earthgall hath..yelowe flowers. 1551 Turner Herbal i. I j a, Centaurium minus, that is the les centaury..our common centory in england, is an herbe lyke vnto organe, or wyld marierum, or saynt Johnes worte. 1599 A. M. tr. Gabelhouer's Bk. Physicke 138/1 Boyle Sentorye in wine, & drinck therof warme. 1601 Holland Pliny xxv. vi, The greater Centaury is that famous herbe wherewith Chiron the Centaure (as the report goeth) was cured. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 97/2 Yellow Centory hath the leaves seven or eight on a side. 1784 Twamley Dairying 114 Centaury, lesser centaury or gentian, is an extream bitter plant. 1861 Miss Pratt Flower. Pl. IV. 8 Common Centaury..a pretty and frequent plant on heaths. |
| attrib. 1647 Sir R. Fanshawe tr. Guarini's Pastor Fido (1676) 190 Squeesing out The juice, and mingling it with Centry root. |
2. By 16th c. herbalists,
great centaury was (by some confusion) applied to a composite plant or plants; and to the genus containing these the name
Centaurea was appropriated by Linnæus.
Great Centaury of Turner was
C. Rhapontica, of Lyte and his successors,
C. Scabiosa, and ‘Centaury’ has since been extended as a book-name to all the species, as
Australian centaury,
black centaury,
corn centaury,
erect centaury,
mealy centaury,
mountain centaury.
| 1551 Turner Herbal i. I j a, Great centaury other wyse called ruponticum..the seed is like wyld safforne wrapped in certayn flockes. 1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. ix. 325 The great Centorie..The flowers be of small hearie threddes or thrommes, of a lyght blewe purple colour, and they growe out of the scalye knoppes at the toppes of the braunches. 1741 Compl. Fam. Piece ii. iii. 386. 1794 Martyn Rousseau's Bot. xxvi. 401 The Great or Officinal Centaury..the scales of the calyx are ovate. |
3. American centaury: a name for
Sabbatia, a genus of North American herbs of the Gentian family,
esp. S. angularis.
| 1831 J. Davies Manual Mat. Med. 116 American Centaury..This plant is a pure bitter, justly held in estimation as a valuable tonic and febrifuge. |
Hence
ˈcentaurin,
ˈcentaurite, names proposed for the bitter substance existing in the leaves of
Erythræa Centaureum; formerly also for the
cnicin or bitter principle of many Compositæ.
| 1838 T. Thomson Chem. Org. Bodies 707 Centaurite may be given to the bitter substance which exists in the leaves of the centaurea benedicta. |