peacock's tailn.

Brit.

/ˌpiːkɒks ˈteɪl/, U.S.

/ˈpiˌkɑks ˌteɪl/

Inflections: Plural peacock's tails, peacocks' tails.

Forms:

α. 1500s peacockes taile, 1500s pecockes tayle, 1500s peycokes tayll, 1600s peacockes tailes (plural), 1600s peacocks tail, 1600s peacocks tayl, 1600s peacocks tayle, 1700s– peacock's tail.

β. (In compounds) 1800s peacock tail.

Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: peacock n., tail n.¹

Etymology: < the genitive of peacock n. + tail n.¹ In β form < peacock n. + tail n.¹

I. Literal use.

1. The tail coverts of a peacock collectively, which the bird is able to erect and expand like a fan behind its body. (In quot. 1513 in Heraldry).

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > birds > order Galliformes (fowls) > family Phasianidae (pheasants, etc.) > [noun] > paro cristatus (peafowl) > parts of

peacock's tail1513

strain1653

strand1847

1513 MS Cotton Cleopatra C.V f. 61 Sir John Leyk bayryth syluer a Peycokes tayll.

1570 J. Dee in H. Billingsley tr. Euclid Elements Geom. Math. Præf. sig. bj^v As with a Pecockes tayle.

1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World I. 396 They make a shew of the eyes appearing in Peacockes tailes.

1655 I. Walton Compl. Angler (ed. 2) v. 145 The black-fly,..the body made of black wool and lapt about with the herle of a Peacocks tail.

1702 S. Parker tr. Cicero Five Bks. De Finibus iii. 168 Parts of the Body..such as have no manifest Use, but serve only to beautifie, as the Peacock's Tail.

1794 R. J. Sulivan View of Nature II. 16 The luminous and coloured circle, tinged like the peacock's tail.

1823 J. F. Cooper Pioneers I. xiii. 191 He wore a tuft of eagle's feathers, as bright as if they had come from a peacock's tail.

1862 Jrnl. Royal Geogr. Soc. 32 154 There they bring all the silk.., robes, skins, horns of ivory, peacocks' tails, &c., which the active Chinese merchants sell again with a good profit at Ban-kok.

1936 V. Elwin Leaves from Jungle 24 They built a wonderful house with cross-bars of jay's feathers and rafters of a peacock's tail.

1995 Independent 21 Mar. 1/6 Mr Mandela..gave the Queen a brooch in the shape of a peacock's tail, its diamonds, tourmaline, onyx and gold, symbolising the colours of the new South African flag.

II. Extended uses.

a. Geometry. The eighth proposition of the third book of Euclid's Elements, which is accompanied by a figure in which a fanlike series of lines are drawn from a point outside a circle to its circumference, demonstrating that the longest of the lines is that through the centre of the circle. Now historical.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > number > geometry > line > [noun] > set or system of

peacock's tail1570

harmonicala1746

pencil1840

harmonic pencil1862

sheaf1863

congruency1864

linkage1874

congruence1879

1570 H. Billingsley tr. Euclid Elements Geom. iii. f. 88 Thys Proposition is called commonly in old bookes amongest the barbarous,..the Peacockes taile.

1926 T. L. Heath Thirteen Bks. Euclid's Elem. (ed. 2) I. viii. 99 Two not inapt terms are used in this edition [sc. that of Luca Paciuolo (1509)] to describe the figures of iii. 7, 8, the former of which is called the goose's foot (pes anseris), the second the peacock's tail (cauda pavonis).

b. Alchemy. An iridescent or multicoloured stage in the preparation of the philosopher's stone. Now historical.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > alchemy > colours > [noun]

peacock's tail1612

plumed swan1612

a1550 ( G. Ripley Compend of Alchemy (Bodl. e Mus.) f. 63^v And in one glas & with one gouernance, foure natures turne in one: Pale and blacke with fals citrine, imperfit whit and Red, The pecockes fethers in colors gaie... These shall apere afore ye whit, gray.]

1612 B. Jonson Alchemist ii. ii. sig. D2 Your seuerall colours, Sir, Of the pale Citron, the greene Lion, the Crow, The Peacocks tayle .

1654 G. Starkey Marrow of Alchemy ii. 30 After black, The colours of the Rainbow did appear, the Peacocks-Tayl.

1991 M. Haeffner Dict. Alchemy 89 A dramatic indicator of success in the opus is the appearance of the ‘Peacock's Tail’, (cauda pavonis).., the multi-coloured flowering and blossoming of the opus.

†c. A multicoloured shower of sparks from a firework. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > matter > light > firework > [noun] > that forms a shower of sparks

golden rain1629

gold rain1635

cascade1749

rainfall1765

peacock's tail1799

golden shower1839

1799 tr. Laboratory (ed. 6) I. i. 9 This shower is commonly called the peacock's tail, on account of the various colours that appear in it.

†a. More fully peacock's tail maple. Maple wood with a whorled pattern of grain. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > wood > wood of specific trees > [noun] > maple > types of

peacock's tail1664

sugar maple1731

curled maple1778

bird's eye maple1793

soft maple1806

Queensland maple1915

tiger maple1961

1664 J. Evelyn Sylva x. 28 Especially the Bruscum, the French-Maple, and the Peacocks-tail Maple, which is that sort so elegantly undulated, and crisped into variety of curles.

1670 J. Evelyn Sylva (ed. 2) xi. 64 The other has a curl'd grain, so curiously maculated, that from a neer resemblance, it was usually cal'd the Peacocks-tayl, &c.

1738 W. Ellis Timber-tree Improved I. xii. 79 This [sc. maple] Wood is of more Value, than ordinary Woods are, for their diaper'd Knots and curled Grain, that have given it the Name of the Peacock's Tail.

b. The seaweed Padina pavonia, which has broadly fan-shaped fronds marked with fringed bands in shades of brown and green.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > particular plants > algae > seaweed > [noun] > peacock's tail

turkey-feather fucus1768

peacock's tail1857

1857 J. G. Wood Common Objects Sea Shore 50 The name of it is the Peacock's-Tail, deriving its title from its shape.

1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. II. 835/1 Padina pavonia, our Turkey-feather Laver or Peacock's Tail, is one of the most remarkable species.

1966 F. H. Brightman Oxf. Bk. Flowerless Plants 8 Padina pavonia (‘Peacock's Tail’) grows in summer and autumn at mid-shore level on sunny beaches in Southern England.

Compounds

† peacock-tail tarnish n. Obsolete rare an iridescent tarnish found on some ores and metals.

ΚΠ

1805 R. Jameson Treat. External Characters Minerals 5 Peacock tail or pavonine tarnish. This is an assemblage of yellow, green, blue, red, and a good deal of brown, on a yellow ground... Example, copper pyrites.

1825 W. Hamilton Hand-bk. Terms Arts & Sci. Pavonine..In Painting, peacock tail tarnish.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	peacocks tail
释义	peacock's tailn. Brit. /ˌpiːkɒks ˈteɪl/, U.S. /ˈpiˌkɑks ˌteɪl/ Inflections: Plural peacock's tails, peacocks' tails. Forms: α. 1500s peacockes taile, 1500s pecockes tayle, 1500s peycokes tayll, 1600s peacockes tailes (plural), 1600s peacocks tail, 1600s peacocks tayl, 1600s peacocks tayle, 1700s– peacock's tail. β. (In compounds) 1800s peacock tail. Origin: Formed within English, by compounding. Etymons: peacock n., tail n.¹ Etymology: < the genitive of peacock n. + tail n.¹ In β form < peacock n. + tail n.¹ I. Literal use. 1. The tail coverts of a peacock collectively, which the bird is able to erect and expand like a fan behind its body. (In quot. 1513 in Heraldry). ΘΚΠ the world > animals > birds > order Galliformes (fowls) > family Phasianidae (pheasants, etc.) > [noun] > paro cristatus (peafowl) > parts of peacock's tail1513 strain1653 strand1847 1513 MS Cotton Cleopatra C.V f. 61 Sir John Leyk bayryth syluer a Peycokes tayll. 1570 J. Dee in H. Billingsley tr. Euclid Elements Geom. Math. Præf. sig. bj^v As with a Pecockes tayle. 1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World I. 396 They make a shew of the eyes appearing in Peacockes tailes. 1655 I. Walton Compl. Angler (ed. 2) v. 145 The black-fly,..the body made of black wool and lapt about with the herle of a Peacocks tail. 1702 S. Parker tr. Cicero Five Bks. De Finibus iii. 168 Parts of the Body..such as have no manifest Use, but serve only to beautifie, as the Peacock's Tail. 1794 R. J. Sulivan View of Nature II. 16 The luminous and coloured circle, tinged like the peacock's tail. 1823 J. F. Cooper Pioneers I. xiii. 191 He wore a tuft of eagle's feathers, as bright as if they had come from a peacock's tail. 1862 Jrnl. Royal Geogr. Soc. 32 154 There they bring all the silk.., robes, skins, horns of ivory, peacocks' tails, &c., which the active Chinese merchants sell again with a good profit at Ban-kok. 1936 V. Elwin Leaves from Jungle 24 They built a wonderful house with cross-bars of jay's feathers and rafters of a peacock's tail. 1995 Independent 21 Mar. 1/6 Mr Mandela..gave the Queen a brooch in the shape of a peacock's tail, its diamonds, tourmaline, onyx and gold, symbolising the colours of the new South African flag. II. Extended uses. 2. a. Geometry. The eighth proposition of the third book of Euclid's Elements, which is accompanied by a figure in which a fanlike series of lines are drawn from a point outside a circle to its circumference, demonstrating that the longest of the lines is that through the centre of the circle. Now historical. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > number > geometry > line > [noun] > set or system of peacock's tail1570 harmonicala1746 pencil1840 harmonic pencil1862 sheaf1863 congruency1864 linkage1874 congruence1879 1570 H. Billingsley tr. Euclid Elements Geom. iii. f. 88 Thys Proposition is called commonly in old bookes amongest the barbarous,..the Peacockes taile. 1926 T. L. Heath Thirteen Bks. Euclid's Elem. (ed. 2) I. viii. 99 Two not inapt terms are used in this edition [sc. that of Luca Paciuolo (1509)] to describe the figures of iii. 7, 8, the former of which is called the goose's foot (pes anseris), the second the peacock's tail (cauda pavonis). b. Alchemy. An iridescent or multicoloured stage in the preparation of the philosopher's stone. Now historical. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > alchemy > colours > [noun] peacock's tail1612 plumed swan1612 a1550 ( G. Ripley Compend of Alchemy (Bodl. e Mus.) f. 63^v And in one glas & with one gouernance, foure natures turne in one: Pale and blacke with fals citrine, imperfit whit and Red, The pecockes fethers in colors gaie... These shall apere afore ye whit, gray.] 1612 B. Jonson Alchemist ii. ii. sig. D2 Your seuerall colours, Sir, Of the pale Citron, the greene Lion, the Crow, The Peacocks tayle . View more context for this quotation 1654 G. Starkey Marrow of Alchemy ii. 30 After black, The colours of the Rainbow did appear, the Peacocks-Tayl. 1991 M. Haeffner Dict. Alchemy 89 A dramatic indicator of success in the opus is the appearance of the ‘Peacock's Tail’, (cauda pavonis).., the multi-coloured flowering and blossoming of the opus. †c. A multicoloured shower of sparks from a firework. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > matter > light > firework > [noun] > that forms a shower of sparks golden rain1629 gold rain1635 cascade1749 rainfall1765 peacock's tail1799 golden shower1839 1799 tr. Laboratory (ed. 6) I. i. 9 This shower is commonly called the peacock's tail, on account of the various colours that appear in it. 3. †a. More fully peacock's tail maple. Maple wood with a whorled pattern of grain. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > wood > wood of specific trees > [noun] > maple > types of peacock's tail1664 sugar maple1731 curled maple1778 bird's eye maple1793 soft maple1806 Queensland maple1915 tiger maple1961 1664 J. Evelyn Sylva x. 28 Especially the Bruscum, the French-Maple, and the Peacocks-tail Maple, which is that sort so elegantly undulated, and crisped into variety of curles. 1670 J. Evelyn Sylva (ed. 2) xi. 64 The other has a curl'd grain, so curiously maculated, that from a neer resemblance, it was usually cal'd the Peacocks-tayl, &c. 1738 W. Ellis Timber-tree Improved I. xii. 79 This [sc. maple] Wood is of more Value, than ordinary Woods are, for their diaper'd Knots and curled Grain, that have given it the Name of the Peacock's Tail. b. The seaweed Padina pavonia, which has broadly fan-shaped fronds marked with fringed bands in shades of brown and green. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > particular plants > algae > seaweed > [noun] > peacock's tail turkey-feather fucus1768 peacock's tail1857 1857 J. G. Wood Common Objects Sea Shore 50 The name of it is the Peacock's-Tail, deriving its title from its shape. 1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. II. 835/1 Padina pavonia, our Turkey-feather Laver or Peacock's Tail, is one of the most remarkable species. 1966 F. H. Brightman Oxf. Bk. Flowerless Plants 8 Padina pavonia (‘Peacock's Tail’) grows in summer and autumn at mid-shore level on sunny beaches in Southern England. Compounds † peacock-tail tarnish n. Obsolete rare an iridescent tarnish found on some ores and metals. ΚΠ 1805 R. Jameson Treat. External Characters Minerals 5 Peacock tail or pavonine tarnish. This is an assemblage of yellow, green, blue, red, and a good deal of brown, on a yellow ground... Example, copper pyrites. 1825 W. Hamilton Hand-bk. Terms Arts & Sci. Pavonine..In Painting, peacock tail tarnish. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2005; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.1513
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