Middle English Dictionary Entry
rūbarbe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | rūbarbe n. Also rubarb, -berbe, -barde, reubarb(e, -bard, reobarb, rebarbe, (Latinate) rubarbi & (errors) reuballe, rembarbe. |
| Etymology | OF reubarbe, rubarbe & AL reubarbum, rybarba, vars. of ML reubarbarum. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A plant of the genus Rheum, either Rheum officinale or Rheum palmatum; also, the rootstock of this plant used medicinally; jus ~, juice from this plant; pelotes (pilules) of ~, pills made with rhubarb as the chief ingredient; (b) error for jubarb(e n.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390 Susan.(Vrn)112 : Columbyne and Charuwe clottes þei creue, With Ruwe and Rubarbe, Ragget ariht.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)182/26 : Aneuen do þeron poudre of mirabolani citrin [dram] j & of rubarbe.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)284/27 : Ȝeue him þe pelottis of rubarbe.
- (1420-21) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.513 : Pro..vii barellis sugre i barello mile et reobarb.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)473 : Take ginger, canel, long pepur..rubarbi, reupontici, of ichone nine pennyweight.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)197b/a : Rubarbarum, Rubarbe, is a rote h. & d..founden in barbarie, in ynde.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)165/4 : Voyde þe mater by þe wombe wiþ pillulis of rubarbe.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)59/33 : Tak rubarbe & schafe it in a copefull of calde water.
- a1450 Treat.Horses (Sln 2584)95/153 : Take a pynte of þe ius of planteyne & a pynte of þe ius smalache & half a pynte of þe jus rubarbe..medle hem al to-gederes.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)1986 : The rembarbe [read: reubarbe]..Take out of mesure is dedly and venym.
- (c1470) Stonor1.110 : Ples yt yow to be remembyrde apon genciayn, ruberbe, bays.
- c1475 Abbrev.Trip.SSecr.(UC 85)362/5 : Whan the wyne is taken outrageouslye..It causeth the mouthe to stynk..he chaungeth his nature as doth an herbe callid reubarbe [Lambeth: Reubarb].
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)70/8 : Þou shalt take a-latred, þat ys to say, of þe electuary of the tree of Aloes..and..of..reubard [Ashmole: rvbarb; Hisp.: þe roote of rubarbe; Abbrev.: reuballe, whiche is a precious herbe], foure peny weght.
- a1500 Hrl.2378 Recipes (Hrl 2378)102/22 : [Take] groundsuille..and lemke and chiken-mete..and rubarde, [etc.].
- a1500 Travel Instruc.(CotApp 8)281 : A pece of good rebarbe the quantite of a grote is sette alle nyght in a pece with water, the whiche rebarbe maketh an esy laxatife.
b
- a1500 Agnus Castus (Bal 329)204/3 : Semperuiua ys an erbe þat me clepyth sengrene, housleke, or rubarbe.