Forms: 5 coli-, colophonie, 7– -phony. [ad. L. colophōnia (Pliny) for Colophōnia rēsīna resin of Colophon (a town of Lydia): in Pr. colophonia, It. and Sp. colofonia, 16th c. F. colophone, -phane. (Some of these occur in Eng. use; also an erroneous L. colophonium.)] The dark or amber-colored resin obtained by distilling turpentine with water. Formerly also called Greek pitch (Pix græca).
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. lxxvii. (1495), 651. Powder of Coliphonie that hyghte Pitis in grewe.
1477. Norton, Ord. Alch., v. in Ashm. (1652), 79. Some with Brenning, as Colophonie.
1585. Lloyd, Treas. Health, M j. Mixt … with pitch called Collofonia.
1694. Westmacott, Script. Herb., 67. In the Shops, Colophony is the Rezine of the Firr-Tree boiled.
1770. New Dispens., 420/1. A blackish resin called colophony.
1831. J. Davies, Manual Mat. Med., 194. Colophony or Dry Resin … is the resinous part of the turpentine remaining in the still after the extraction of the essential oil by distillation.
1888. Sale & Exchange, 13 Sept., 5/1. One pound of colophony (bought of any chemist).
