[a. mod. Fr. absinthe, the plant wormwood, and hence the liqueur; ad. L. absinthium.]
1. The plant Absinthium or wormwood.
1612. Benvenuto, Passenger’s Dialogues (Nares). Absinth and poyson be my sustenaunce.
1657. Tomlinson, De Renou’s Dispens., xxxvii. 316. Though Absynth be an herb of vulgar dignotion, yet scarce two agree in … describing its species.
1860. Piesse, Lab. Chem. Wonders, 172. The principal bitter used in England is … derived from the hop plant … in Italy it is from absinth.
2. Essence of wormwood; also fig.
1865. Carlyle, Fredk. Gt., III. IX. iv. 115. What a drop of concentrated absinth follows next.
3. An alcoholic liqueur originally distilled from wine mixed with wormwood, but said now often to contain none.
1854. Thackeray, Newcomes, I. 63. Barnes orders absinthe-and-water.
1861. Times, 25 March, 8/6. Algeria … imports great quantities of Burgundy wines and absinth.
1869. Pall Mall G., 24 Sept., 12. Every man taking his coffee or his absinthe.
