cuckoo's meatcuckoo-meatn.
a. Wood sorrel, Oxalis Acetosella, which flowers at the time the cuckoo is heard; also called gowk's-meat.
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the world > plants > particular plants > plants and herbs > according to family > Oxalidaceae (wood-sorrel and allies) > [noun]
sorrel de boysa1400
wood-soura1400
hallelujahc1425
cuckoobread1526
cuckoo's meat1526
wood sorrel1526
stubwort1541
sour trefoil1578
stobwort1597
salad sorrel1611
French sorrel1633
three-leaved grass1634
stab-wort1640
lujula1651
oxalis1706
goat's foot1787
sour grass1866
sour-sop1885
soursob1907
1526 Grete Herball l. sig. C.vi, (heading) Alleluya: woodsorell or cukowes meate.
1538 W. Turner Libellus de re Herbaria at Oxys Cuckowes meat.
1578 H. Lyte tr. R. Dodoens Niewe Herball iv. xliii. 503 This herbe is called in..English Wood-sorel..Cockowes meate.
1853 G. Johnston Terra Lindisfarnensis I. 50.
1860 H. Marryat Resid. Jutland I. v. 74 The forest is carpeted with the green trefoil leaves of the ‘giögemad’ or cuckoo's meat.
b. Locally applied, in error, to Robert's Geranium, G. Robertianum; Greater Stitchwort, Stellaria Holostea; and Sour Dock, Rumex Acetosella.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online June 2021).
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