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VIOLET.
i8j^ Greenhouse Cot»p. 1. 107 Purple ''violet-like flowers on
coriaceous roundish leaves. 1840 Mrs. Norton Dicam 238
The *violet-scented lanes — the warm south-wall. 1859
Geo. Eliot A. Bede xii, An afternoon in which destiny.
poisons us with violet-scented breath. 1851 Mrs. Browning
Casa Guidi Wind. i. 411 Like some new bee-swarm
leaving the old hive, Despite the wax. .so *violet-sweet.
C. With vbl. sbs., as violetfarming, -plucking^
'poisonings setting. »
fi44o Pallati. on Husb, (1896) 268 Vioiette settyng in
Feuerer. 1833 T. Hook Parson's Dau. i. i, Daisy-picking
and violet-plucking [were now] the only pursuits she really
loved. 1896 Westm. Gaz. 28 Oct. 8/2 The aljove case of
violet-poisoning. 1902 Daily Chron, 17 July 6/3 Rose
culture, violet farming, bee-keeping, or poultry rearing.
6. Special Combs.: f violet-apple, a violetscented
sort of apple; violet-blind d., colourblind
as regards the violet rays of the spectrum
heiice violet-blindness ; f violet-pear, a violetscented
sort of pear ; violet-powder, a variety
of toilet-powder; YitncQ violet-poxoder \h. \ f violet
tables, lozenges made from violets and sugar ;
violet tree ;?) ; violet-wood, {a) kingwood
{b) the wood of the Australian Acacia pendula ;
{c) the wood of Andiraviolacea, a tree of Guiana
violetworts, Lindiey*s name for the Violace:^.
1664 in Evelyn Pomona 47 Herefordshire affords several
sorts of Cider-apples, as. .the Gennet-moyle, the Summer.
*vio!et or Fillet,and the Winter-fillet. 1676 Worlidgf. Cyder
163 The Violet-.AppIe is of a most delicate aromatick taste.
1894 Abnev Colour Vision (1895) 70 The kind of colour
that these colour blind imagine as white, wliether they bo
red-, green-, or *vioIet-b!ind. Ibid. 73 So far I have only
met with what appears to be one genuine case of "violet
blindness. 1683 Evelyn A*a/. Hor(.{cd.-j) 104 ''Violet-pear.
Petworth-pear, otherwise called the Winter- Windsor. 1858
SiMMONDS Diet, Trade, *l'ioiet-pozvder, powdered starch
or flour scented, used, .to powder the skin. 1859 Habits 0/
Gd. Society 1. 114 The use ofviolet-powder after shaving, now
very common ... is one that should be avoided. 1876 Miss
Brouchton yoan vi, She has, however, violet-powdered
her fresh cheeks. 1620 Venner Via Recta vii, 147 There
is.. made of Violets and Sugar, certaine Plates, called
'Violet Tables, which are very pleasant to the taste. 1878
H, M. Stanley Dark Cont. II. ix. 281 Vou may also see
here[fc. Rarundu] the Strelitja vagina, or the wild banana,
or the *violet-tree, and the oil-berry tree. 1698 T. Fboger
yay. 129 Letter-wood (as they call it) and that of * Violet, .,
are very common in that country. 1843 Holtzapfkel
Turning I. 89 King-wood, called also Violet-woocl, is imported
from the Brazils. x8sa [see Myall ^J. 1866 Treas.
Bot, 1218/2. 1846 Lindlev I'eg. Kiug.i. 338 The *Violetworts
are di.-itinctly de5ned by their definite stamens,
tVi-olet, sb:^' Obsr-^ [ad. It. violetta^ dim. of
viola \'iOLA ^.'\ (See quot. and cf. Violette.)
s688R. HoLMKArwoury in. xvi. (Roxb.) 58/1 The Violet
or Violin, a diminitiue of the viol, being a very small Instrument,
yet in all respects answereth to the forme of the
Treble Viole in the body.
Violet (vai'tXIt't), a. Also 4-6 violett, 5 vyolet(te,
vyelett, vlalet, 6 violitt. ^a, OF. violet
vielet, villet (naod.F. violet') adj. : see Violet sb.\
Cf. It. violetto, Pg. violete.l^
1. Having the colonr of violets ; of a blue or
blaish-purple colour.
In early use only of woven fabrics.
1370 Bjiry IVills (Camden) 5, j violett toga, c 1440 Promp,
Parr'. 509/2 Vialet, yn colowre, violacens. 1464 Maldon
(Essex) Court Rolls Bundle 40, No. 6, ii togas blewe et
yyolette, i dobelet. c 1481 Cely Papers (Camden) 202 Item
iij stykkes of tarny sateyn or els vyelett sateyn of Bruges.
i5»4 l^incoln IV'ills (1914) 1. 130 S. violitt reband with silver
aglyttes. 1544 Knaresborough Wills (Surtees) I. 34 To
Agocs Gill my violett kirtell. 1575 ^*'^'^y.
^'f'
Council
Scot. III. 195 Thre single pandis, freinyeit with violet silk.
ci6ao MoRVSON Itin. iv. v. i. (1903) 438 Next rode some
20, of the Pope's Chamberlayns and cheefe officers, cloathed
in gownes of violett Cloth. i8ir Sir H. Daw Cheni.
Philos. 223 The luminous particles at the violet end of the
spectrum. 1857 Miller F.lem. Chem., Org, viil 537 Boiling
nitric acid colours it violet, i88f Marq. Differin in Lyall
Life (1905) II. 64 Directly fronting you, risesa magni5cent
violet stretch of mountain.
b. Qualifying colour^ hue, tint^ etc.
CX400 Maundev. (Roxb.)xvii. 80 Men find dyamaundz of
violet colour. 1548 Cooper Elyot's Diet., Violarius, he
that dieth violet colour. i6ox Holland Pliny II. 621 There
is not one of these Ameythysts, but it is transparent with
a Violet colour. 1622-3 Essex Archdeaconry Depositions
Bk. (MS.) 27 Feb. 26 One cloake for a man made of broade
cloath and of a violett couler. 1648 Hexham ii, Pen Violette
venve, a Violet Dye or colour. 1706 London & Wisk
Retir'd Gard. I. ix. 41 The Maugeron is [a plum] of a
Violet Colour, large and round. 1750 tr. Leonardits' Mirr.
Stones 79 The carbuncle brandishes its fiery rays, of a violet
colour, on every side. 1800 tr. Lagrange's Chem. I. 419
Hydrogen gas alters the colour of bismuth, and gives it a
violet tint. 1834 J. Forbf.s La^'nnecs Dis. CAM/(ed.4)4D5
The lung . , was of a violet hue, soft and flabby, a 1878 \V,
Carleton Farm Ballads (1893) 84 The squire swore oaths
of a violet hue.
O. Qualifying names of other colours, as violet
blacky bhtey etc
In later use frequently hyphened (cf. next), and in some
cases (esp. violet-blue) also repr. the sb, used attrib.
17x8 Chambers Cycl. s.v. Red, In Limning, and Fresco,
for a Violet Red, .. they use a natural F.arth found in England.
178a Latham Gen, Syn. Birds 1. 11. 754 The quills
of a violet brown. 1819 Stephens Shaw's Gen. Zool.
XI. I. 3 The wings.. are of a fine deep violet-blue. 1843
Florist's Jrnl. (1846) IV. iii Flower-spike producing three
to four flowers, and very handsome, of a beautiful violetpurple,
188a Garden 17 June 418/1 The petals.. bordered
with violet-crimson.
Vol, X.
225
d. Forming adj. combs., vls violet- blackj 'blue,Gtc.
Many e.vamples occur in Shaw's Ge?t. Zooh
1697 Drvden Virg. Georg. iv. 394 From one Root the
rising Stem bestows A Wood of Leaves, and Vi'let-purple
Boughs. i«3 Chambers' Cycl. Suppl. s.v. Star-zvort^ The
tall hairy New England aster with very large violet-purple
flowers. xSoa Shaw Geu. Zool. III. n. 423 Violet-black
Snake, with the abdomen and sides crimson. 1819 Stephens
I/'id. XI. I. 59 The upper parts of the body [are] violet-red.
1838 T. Thomson Chem. Org. Bodies 746 The whole liquid
assumes a very strong and fine violet-blue colour. 1887 W.
Phillips Brit. Discomycetes 70 Hymenium violet-brown;
juice violet.
2. a. In names of varieties of fruits or plants, as
violet clover ^ maize f plum, etc. Also ellipt.
1706 London & Wise Retir'd Card. I. 147 The Fourth
ikind is} the Violet* Fig. Ibid., The Violet ripens perfectly
well. « 172a Lisle Husb, (1757) 379 A violet-plum,
a standard,.. which is a plum that does not cleave fiom
the stone. 1725 Fam. Diet. s.v. Plum, The Violet Damson
or Maugeron Plum. 1760-72 tr. Juan ^ Ulloas V'oy,
(ed. 3) II. 140 They first pulverize the cochineal by grinding,
and after mixing four ounces of it, with twelve of violet
maize, they form it into square cakes. 1786 Abercrombie
Arrangem. 13 in Gard. Assist, Cherry plum, Violet plum,
Apricot plum, i860 Hogg Fruit Mnn, 72 Figs. ..Skin
dark. Flesh red. ..Early Violet, Malta. Ibid. 251 Purple
Gage (. .Violet Gage). 1867 Chambers's Eneycl. IX. 803/2
The Violet Moss {Byssus Iolithus),.yiisis formerly in use as
a popular remedy for feverish cutaneous eruptions. 1890
Times 22 Sept. 4/2 The cut of violet clovers in France is not
likely to be large,
b. In names of birds, insects, etc., as violet
beCy cormorant^ crab, creeper^ heron, etc. ; violetear,
one or other species of the genus Petasophora
of humming-birds ; violet-fly, an artificial fly
used in angling ; violet-tip, an American butterfly
(see quot.).
Latham's names are repeated in Shaw's Gen, Zool.
(181 1-26).
1845 Eneycl. Metrop. XIV. 153/1 A *violet bee, which
they now sent offifrom the balloon], flew quickly away with
its usual humming noise, c i88a Cassetl's Nat. Hist. V.
367 'I'he Violet Carpenter Bee {Xylocopa violacea) . .'inhabits
the south of Europe. 1785 Latham Gen. Synop,
Birdsm. 11.600 *Violet Corvorant...This bird is said to be
wholly black, glossed with violet. 1826 Stephens Shaw's
Gen. Zool. XIII, i. 86 Violet Cormorant, Phalacrocorax
violaceus. 1774 Golds.m. Nat. Hist. (1824) III. 86 The
* Violet Crab of the Carribec Islands. 1895 Pall MallG.
26 July 2/3 The much advertised land-crabs are precisely the
same 'violet crab ' . . found on similar tropical islands. 178a
Latham Gen. Synop. Birds I. n. 705 *Violet. Creeper. 1861
Gould Trochilidae IV. PI, 223 Brazilian *VioIet-ear. Ibid.
PI. 226 Mexican Violet-ear. 1887 R. B. Sharfe G«ulds
Trochilidx Suppl. V, PI. i Petasophora Germaua, Guiana
Violet-ear. 1676 Cotton Walton's Augler 11. vii. (1874) 253
A fly called the *Violet-Fly; made of a dark violet .stuff;
with the wings, of a grey feather of a mallard. 1787 Best
Angling {fifX. 2) 101 The Violet fly. ..Dubbed with dark
violet stufT, and a little dun bear's hair mixed with it. 183a
LvrTON Eugene A. i. Ix, The old Corporal .. busily employed
in fixing to his line., what anglers.. call tho' violetfly
, 18x5 Stephens .9/iaw'f Gen. Zool. IX. 11. 249 *Violet
Grosbeak, with a streak above the eyes. 1785 Latham
Gen. Synop. Birds III. 1, 97 *Violet Heron,, .of a blueish
black, glossed with violet. 1788 Ibid. I. n. 756 *Violet
Humming Bird;. .the whole head, the neck, back, breast,
and belly, of a violet purple. 1864-5 J. G. Wood Homes
ivithout H. iv,I(i868) 88 The * Violet Land Crab of Jamaica
{Geearcinus rurieola) is the most familiar of these creatures.
183a J. Rennie Consp. Butterfl. ^ M. 205 The *Violet
Pygmy i^Microsetia violaceella). Wings;.. first pair deep
black, with a tinge of violet. X785 Latham Gen. Synop.
Birds III. 11. 600 *Violet Shag. Violet Corvorant. x^
Baibd Cycl. Nat, Set. 307/2 Jauthina. The "Violet Shells.
—A genus of molluscous animals belonging to the class
Gasteropoda. X845 Gosse Oeean vii. (1849) 343 The *Vio
let-snaif (yofithina/ragilis),. .\j\\Qse shell. .is of a pearly
white above, and beneath violet. 1873 Dawson Earth .V
Man iv. 76 Those singular molluscous swimmers by fin or
float known to zoologists as violet-snails. 1783 Latham
Gen. Synop. Birds II. 11. 574 *Violet Swallow, ..general
colour of the plumage deep blue, reflecting violet in different
tints. Ibid, i, 222 'Violet Tanager, . .colour of the plumage
a deep violet. Ibid. 57 *Violet Thrush,.. the whole plumage
of a changeable violet blue, x88x S. H. Scudder
Butterfiies 167 The most conspicuous case [of dimorphism]
is in the largest, the *'Vio\ct-Tip{Polygoniainterrogatiouis),
where the two forms were once universally considered distinct
species.
o. With names of minerals, etc.
1796 KiHWAH Elem. A/in. (ed. 2) II. 280 Violet Cobalt ore.
1830 De la Beche Rep. Geol. Cornwall, etc, xv. 497 The
violet rock crystal, or amethyst, seems scarce. 1867 Cham,
bers's Eneycl. IX, 803/2 VioletStones, . .certain stones found
upon high mountains, as in Thuringia. ..which, in consequence
of being covered with.. Violet Moss, emit a smell
like that of violets. 1871 Routledge's F.v. Boy's Ann. June
335 Violet ebony is used for making inlaid chairs.
3. In parasynthetic combs., as violet-eared,
-headed, -hooded, -horned, -ringed, etc.
178a Latham Gen. SynoA. Birds I. 11. 767 *Violet-Eared
Humming Bird ;. .beneath theears, is a very splendid violet
spot. 1898 Daily Ne^vs 12 Feb. 6/3 Violet-eared waxbills,
African firefinches, black-crested yellow bulbuls. X78a
L.\THAM Gen. Synop, Birds 1, 11. 718 "Violet- Headed
Creeper, Certhia violacea. 1815 Stephens Shaw's Gen.
Zool. IX. I. 8 Violet-headed Curucui (Trogon violaceus).
1847 Tennvson Princ. 11. 354 With .scraps of thundrous
Epic lilted out By •violet-hooded Doctors. x8aa Hortus
Augl. II. 10 "Violet-horned Poppy. 1880 A. H. Swinton
Insect Variety 4 A "violet-ringed Oak Eggar caterpillar.
x8ai Shelley Fpipsych.(x)Axi thou not. . A *violet-shrouded
grave of WoeV a i8aa -^ Death Adonis 4 Wake *violetstolcd
queen, and weave the crown Of Death. 1786 Abercrombie
Arrangem. 77 in Gard. Assist. ^ White, "violet
VIOLIN.
striped [tulip]. X803 Shaw Gen. Zool. IV. ii. 382 Violetstriped
Acanthurus. Acanthurus Sohal. X78a Latham
Gen. Synop. Birds I. ir. 754 *Violet Tailed Humming Bird.
i8iiShaw Geu. Zool. VIII. 1.208 "Violet-throated Creeper.
Certhia affinis.
Violet (vai-Jlet), v. [f. Violet sb> or «.]
1. trans. To tin^e with a violet hue.
x6a3 tr. Favine's 'J heat. Hon. i. iv. 35 For the Noble
Kings of France mourne in Scarlet violetted. 183a [R,
Cattermole] Beckett, etc. 192 The sea, Yet darklier violeted,
almost frowned With splendor. X855 Meredith
Amazing Marriage v, One flank of the white in heaven
was violetted wonderfully,
2, intr. To gather violets,
18x3 Miss Mitford in L'Estrange Life {1870) I. 226 To.
morrow I shall go violeting, 1827 Mrs. Hemans in H. F.
Chorley.il/ew/. (1836) 1. 151 Having accompanied you again,
and again, as I have done, in ' violetting and seeking for
wood-sorrel, 1873 Argosy XVI. 270 How delightful was
that day among the Kentish Downs! We began it by
violeting in the woods.
Violet-coloTired, a. [Violet j^ Oceana
ii. 27 Looking round us and down into nothing but the
violet-coloured ocean.
Violetish (vai-JletiJ), a. [f. Violet sh?--^
-ISH.] Somewhat violet in colour.
x87X Routledge's Ev. Boy's Aun. June 359 A grey partaking
of a violetish tone. 1906 Westm. Gaz. 24 Feb. 16/3 Its
flesh is a violetish black or a blackish violet, overrun by a thin
network of white veins.
Viole 'tte. rare^^. [ad. It. violetta.} = Violet
sb/'i
1884 Haweis My Musical Life I. 239 The smaller viols or
violettes of the seventeenth century fell into violins.
Violety (vai'^eti), a. [f. Violet .f^.i + -y.]
Of or belonging to violets; more or less violet in
colour.
183X Keightlev Mytlwl. Anc. Greece^ It. 399 His
mother called him lamus, Violety. 1891 T. Hvrdv Tess
(1900) 06/2 Dark eyelashes and brows, .. and large eyes
violety-oluey.blackish.
Violin {y^\divny val'^in), sb. Forms : 6 violine,
7 vyoline, viallin, 7- violin, [ad. It.
violino (Pg. violinOf Sp. violin)^ f. viola Viola 2,
Of. ViOLON.]
1, A musical instrument in common use, having
four strings tuned in fifths and played with a bow ;
a fiddle.
In general structure the vIoHn is composed of a resonant
box of elaborately curved outline, and a neck or handle
from the end of which the strings are stretched over a bridge
to a tail-piece.
X579 Spenser Sheph, Cal., April 103, 1 see Calliope speede
her to the place, where my Goddesse shines : And after her
the other Muses trace, with their Violines. 15B9 R. Harvey
PI. Perc. (1590) 6 Then were it high time for. .all Peace.
Makers, to put vp their pipes, or else in steed of the soft
violine, learne to sound a shrill trumpet, x6o8 B. Jonson
Masques Wks. (1616) 964 The first [dance] was to the Cornets,
the second to the Vyolincs. 16x8 Bolton F'lorus
(1636) lis Some excellently pleasing lesson plaid upon soft
winde-instruments, or Violins. 1^0 Pepys Diary 6 Mar.,
I played upon a viall, and he a viallin, after dinner. iTxr
Steele Sped. No. 258 f 4 Violins, Voices, or any other
Organs of Sound. X756-7 tr. Keysler's Trav. (1760) II. 10
Orpheus or Amphion in bronze, playing upon a violin. 1843
LvTToN Zanoui i. j, He was not only a composer, but also
an excellent practical performer, especially on the violin.
1884 Haweis My Musical Life I. 237 The violin is not an
invention, it is a growth.
trans/, 1670 Lachard Cont. Clergy 62 People. .presently
phanst'd the Moon, Mercury.and Venus to be a kind
of violins or .trebles to Jupiter and Saturn.
b. With distinguishing terms.
160X B. JoNsoN Poetast, iii. iv, Come, we must haue you
turne fiddler againe, slaue, 'get a base violin at your backe.
c 1670 Wood Life (O.H.S.) I. 212 Before the restoration
of K. Charles 2 and especially after, viols began to be out of
fashion, and only violins used, as treble-violin, tenor and
bass-violin. 1685 Plavford {title), The Division- Violin :
containing a Collection of Divisions upon several Grounds
for the Treble. Violin. J7a8 Chambers Cycl. h.v., The Word
Violin, alone, stands for Treble Violin. Ibid., The Counter.
Tenor, Tenor, or Bass-Violin. 1888 Eneycl. Brit. XXIV.
245/1 The tenor violin, in compass a fifth lower than the
treble violin, appears to have preceded the latter.
C. To play first violin^ to take the leading part.
(Cf. FiDiiLE sb. I b.)
1780 Mme. D'Abblav Diary May, [He] seemed to think
nobody half so great as himself, and. .chose to play firstviolin
without further ceremony.
2. One who plays on the violin ; a violinist.
1667P1 pvs /^/rtr>'2o Feb., They talked how the King's
viallin. Bannister, is mad. c 1670 Wood Life (O.H.S.) I.
485 Thomas Baltzar, one of the violins in the king's service.
1690 J. Jacksom Let. to Pepys 25 Dec, Corelli the famous
violin playing, in concert with above 30 more. xS^^ Penny
Cycl. XXVI. 346/3 At the early age of twenty he was
chosen to fill the situation of first violin in the royal chapel
of Turin. 1878 Miss Fothekgill {title). The First Viofin.
29