α. 1700s– pursly, 1900s– pursley.
β. 1800s– pusley, 1800s– pussley, 1800s– pussly.
pussleyn.
/ˈpʌsli/, U.S. /ˈpəsli/ North American.
Purslane, Portulaca oleracea.
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular vegetables > [noun] > culinary herbs > purslane
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moss rose1929
1775 J. Adair Hist. Amer. Indians 230 They are forced to feed them [sc. hogs]..chiefly on pursly, and other wholesome weeds.
1805 T. E. White Jrnl. 26 July (1904) 28 I filled my little tin kettle with pusley for greens.
1833 A. Greene Life & Adv. D. Duckworth II. 71 All their writin is like pussly and witch-grass—you never can know where to find it.
1861 N. A. Woods Prince of Wales in Canada & U.S. 309 The instant the land is ploughed a weed called ‘Pussley’ makes its appearance... This, when boiled, is a most delicious and wholesome vegetable, the leaves being like spinach.
1888 Amer. Naturalist 22 778 To select the most offensive among the worst weeds..among the annuals, especially in gardens, the purslane or ‘pusley’ perhaps takes the lead.
1943 National Geographic Mag. Dec. 756/1 The 11-year-old boy had made a toy wagon... Every morning he used this handy vehicle to haul ‘pusley’ and other weeds to the pigs.
1987 Chron.-Telegram (Elyria, Ohio) 26 July g6/5 Portulaca oleracea is Purslane or Pussley, one of the worst pests of garden weeds.
2005 Mother Earth News Apr.–May 55 Common purslane..—also known as duckweed, fatweed, pursley, pussley, [etc.].
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2007; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1775