Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 4–5 ficche, fetch, 5–6 fiche, 6 feche, fytch, fitohe, 5– fitch, [var. of VETCH.]
1. = VETCH; the plant Vicia sativa, or its seed. Also attrib., as fitch-grass.
1381. Wyclif, Isa. xxviii. 25. Barly, and myle, and ficche [1388 fetchis] in ther coestes.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., I. 550.
| Let barly bake, or bene, or fitches, flynge | |
| Afore hem [briddes] ofte. |
1559. Bp. Aylmer, Harborowe, H j. In these dayes, wherein Sathan spiting the happy grouthe and grenes of Gods field, soweth tares and fytches of heresies and sectes continually, to choke or to empayre the good corne if it may be.
1611. Bible, Isa. xxviii. 25. Doth he not cast abroad the fitches, and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principall wheate, and the appointed barly and the rye in their place?
1715. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Sand, It was sowed with Oats and Fitches.
1789. Trans. Soc. Encourag. Arts (ed. 2), II. 57. Rib-grass, fitch-grass, cow-grass, and some common hay seeds and and rye-grass.
1876. in Whitby Gloss., Fitches.
† b. With reference to the size of a vetch-seed.
1590. Barrough, Meth. Phisick., I. xxxvii. 61. Put in a peece of a spunge as much as the fiche, in the hole which the powder made, and it will purge the drines of the wound.
1634. Peacham, Gentl. Exerc., I. xxii. 69. A little eare-waxe to the quantitie of a fitch.
† 2. transf. Something resembling the seed of a vetch. Obs.
1625. Hart, Anat. Ur., II. viii. 102. Red Vetches or Fitches in the residence … are recorded by our Authors, to signifie either great inflammation of the Liuer, or colliquation of the whole body, or of the kidneyes onely.
