chervil
(ˈtʃɜːvɪl)
Forms: 1 cærfille, cerfelle, cerfille, 3 chareuille, 4 chiruylle, 4–6 cheruell(e, 5 cherefelle, 6 cheruyle, -uel, -uyll, charuiel, -uel, -vyle, 6–7 chervill, chervile, 7 cherfill, 6– chervil.
[OE. cærfille, cerfille, -felle, ad. L. chær(e)phylla pl. of chærephyllum, a. Gr. χαιρέϕυλλον, applied to the same plant. Cf. OHG. kervela, kervola wk. fem., MHG. kervele, f. kervel m., Ger. kerbel m., MLG. and MDu. kervele, kervel, Du. kervel fem., from the same L. word or ? its variant cærefolium. The second element of the Gr. is ϕύλλον leaf, the first possibly from the vb. χαιρ- rejoice, be glad, χαῖρε hail. Cf. cerfoil.]
1. A garden pot-herb (Anthriscus Cerefolium, formerly Chærophyllum sativum, family Umbelliferæ) the young leaves of which are used to impart an aromatic flavour to soups, stews, salads, etc.
| a 750 Corpus Gl. in Wr.-Wülcker 12 Cerefolium, cerfelle. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 80 Wið springe..cerfillan. c 1265 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 558 Herba Roberti, i. herbe Robert, i. chareuille. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. vii. 281 Chibolles, cheruelys [v.r. & chiriuellis, B cheruelles] and ripe chiries monye. c 1450 Alphita (Anecd. Oxon.) 38 Cerfolium, gall. cerfoil, angl. cherefelle. 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1541) 27 a, Cheruyle is verye profytable unto the stomacke. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 97 Necessarie herbes to growe in the garden for Physick..Charuiel. 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, Cerfueil, Charuel. 1699 Evelyn Acetaria 18 Chervil, whose tender Tops..are never to be wanting in our Sallets. 1813 C. Marshall Garden. xvi. (ed. 5) 265 Chervil..was formerly in much estimation for its warm taste. 1860 Delamer Kitch. Gard. 124 Chervil..is largely used, though in small quantities, chopped fine, in salads, stuffings, sauces, and omelettes. |
2. With various qualifying words:
bur chervil, Anthriscus vulgaris; great c., sweet c., Myrrhis odorata; hemlock c., rough c., Torilis Anthriscus; cow c., mock c., wild c., also called Cow Parsley, Anthriscus sylvestris; needle c., wild c., Scandix Pecten, commonly called Venus' Needle.
| 1578 Lyte Dodoens 615 In Englishe, Shepheardes Needel, Wilde Cheruel, and Needel Cheruill. 1597 Gerard Herbal ii. ccccxvi. 1039 Sweet cheruill, or sweet Cicely. 1688 R. Holme Armoury ii. 98/1 Sweet Cisley, or Chervil..[hath]..the leaves much cut and jagged. 1783 Ainsworth Lat. Dict. (Morell) ii. Pecten Veneris, a kind of herb, wild chervil. 1794 Martyn Rousseau's Bot. xvii. 231 Two umbellate plants..under every hedge, called Wild Chervil and Rough Chervil. 1804 Med. Jrnl. XII. 370 Wild Cicely, Cow weed, Cow parsley, Cow weed chervil. 1879 Lubbock Sci. Lect. i. 21 The common Wild Chervil, Chærophyllum sylvestre [now Anthriscus]. |