Forms: α. 45 fumeter(e, 4, 6 -terre, 47 fumiterre, 45 -ytere, (5 fumtere, fymterre), 6 femiter, -ar. β. 6 fume(n)torie, femetary, fumitarie, -orie, (fumyterry, -tory), 7 fume-, fumitery. 8 fumetory, 6 fumitory. [a. OF. fumeterre, ad. med.L. fūmus terræ lit. smoke of the earth; so called because it spryngyth out of the erthe in grete quantyte as smoke dooth other fumosyte that comyth of the erthe (Trevisa, trans. Barth. De P. R., XVII. lxix.). In the 16th c. the ending was confused with -ARY, -ORY.
The med.L. name is also represented by Pr. fumterra, and corruptly by It. fummosterno; translated forms are Ger. erdrauch, Sw. jordrök, Eng. earth-smoke; cf. the Sp., Pg. fumaria, whence the mod.L. botanical name.]
A plant of the genus Fumaria (or the related Corydalis), usually F. officinalis.
α. c. 1386. Chaucer, Nuns Pr. T., 143. Of lauriol, centaure, and fumeterre.
a. 1387. Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon), 22/1. Fumus terre, fumeter.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 161. Fymterre, herbe, fumus terre.
c. 1450. M. E. Med. Bk. (Heinrich), 158. Take þe jus of celydoyne, of fumtere, [etc.].
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 67. I sau fumeterre, that tempris ane heyt lyuyr.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, I. xv. 23. There is two kindes of Fumeterre.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 247. Fumiterre the herb whosoeuer do eat, shal purge choler by vrine.
β. 1516. Grete Herball, Kvj a. De Fumo terre, Fumyterry.
1533. Elyot, Cast. Helthe (1541), 58 a. Wylde hoppes: Wormewode: Centorie: Fumitorie.
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes (E.D.S.), 23. Capnos called in latin Fumaria, and in englishe Fumitarie in frenche fumiterre.
1573. Tusser, Husb. xci. (1878), 182. Get water of Fumentorie, Liuer to coole.
1650. H. Brooke, Conserv. Health, 53. Whey with Fumitery.
1670. Ray, Catal. Plant. Angl., 122. Climbing-Fumitory.
1736. Bailey, Househ. Dict., 295. Fumitory is good to cure the itch, scurf and tetters.
1785. Martyn, Rousseaus Bot., xxiv. 346. Fumitory has two filaments, each of them terminated by three anthers.
18023. trans. Pallas Trav. (1812), I. 90. The Fumaria bulbosa, or great bulbous fumitory.
1861. Delamer, Fl. Gard., 88. FumitoryFumaria of the old botanists, Corydalis of the moderns . The Tuberous Fumitory, C. bulbosa.
b. attrib.
1576. Baker, Jewell of Health, 199 b. Taken with Fumyterre water [it] cureth ye Leprie.