† ˈolorine Obs. rare.
[ad. L. olōrīna ‘of swans’, in herba olorina swans' grass.]
A grass or ‘herb’ eaten with avidity by swans; swans'-grass.
The grass of Loch Spiney, referred to by Boece (see olour) and Leslie, is app. Glyceria fluitans, called locally ‘Swan girss’ (Rampini County Hist. Elgin 58) and ‘Pike girss’.
| 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 45 Moray hes a freshe water loch called Spynie, that mekle abundes in Swanis, in quhilke loch is a certaine herb verie rare and sindle to be found, in quhilke because the Swan hes sa gret delyte, we cal the herbe olorine (because the swan in latin is olor) [tr. Leslie De Orig. (etc.) Scot. (1578) 28 Herba quædam rara..qua quòd olores impensè delectantur, Olorinam eam dicimus]. 1796 Morse Amer. Geog. II. 150 The plant olorina which grows in its waters. |