Forms: α. 6 gesmine, iasmyne, 6–7 iesmin(e, iasmine, 7 iassmine, 7– jasmin(e. β. 6 gessemine, (gethsamine), iacemine, 6–7 iesemin(e, iessemine, -yne, 7 jesamin, -an, jeci-, geci-, gessamin(e, jasemine, 8 jessemin, jas(s)amine, 7– jessamine, 8– jessamin. γ. 6 gelsemine, 6–7 gelsomine, 7 jelsomine, (gelsom). [Of this there are 3 types: α. jasmin(e, corresp. to F. jasmin, † josmin (Paré 16th c.), Sp. jazmin, † jasmin, Pg. jasmim, Ger. jasmin, Du. jasmijn, It. gesmi·no, Bot.L. jasmīnum; β. jessamin(e, in 16th c. also gessemine, = obs. 16th c. F. jas(s)emin, jessemin, josimin, gensemin; α and β are united by such forms as gesmine, jesmin; γ. gel-, jelsomine = It. gelsomino. Of these α and β are both in current use, jessamine being the more popular, and also frequent in the poets, jasmine more common with botanical writers; γ is obs. All the European forms derive from the Arabic yās(a)mīn, adopted from Pers. yāsmīn, also yāsman, and yāsam, with which cf. Gr. ἰάσμη, ἰασμέλαιον, ἰάσμινον μύρον, name of a Persian perfume, prob. oil of jasmine, in Dioscorides.]
1. a. orig. The plant Jasminum officinale, a climbing or ascending shrub with fragrant white flowers, long naturalized in Southern Europe, and grown in England since the 16th c.; hence, b. Any species or plant of the botanical genus Jasminum, comprising shrubs, often of climbing habit, chiefly natives of the warmer regions of the Old World, with white or yellow salver-shaped flowers; several of which are cultivated for their beauty and fragrance, while some yield an oil used in perfumery. Also the flower of any of these.
Next to the Common or White Jasmine, the ordinary ‘jessamine’ of English literature, the best known is the Yellow-flowered, J. fruticans; other species are cultivated, the total number known being about ninety.
α. 1578. Lyte, Dodoens, VI. ii. 657. Iasmine groweth in maner of a hedge or quickeset.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, II. cccxxix. The yellow Iasmine differeth not from the common white Gesmine.
1663. Cowley, Verses & Ess., Garden (1669), 117. Who, that has Reason, and his Smell, Would not among Roses and Jasmin dwell?
1676. Dryden, Aurengz., IV. i. 1655. What sweets so e’er Sabean springs disclose, Our Indian Jesmine or the Syrian rose.
1796. Coleridge, Refl. having left place Retirem., 6. In the open air Our myrtles blossomed; and across the porch Thick jasmins twined.
1807. Crabbe, Par. Reg., III. 315. Where jasmine trails on either side the door.
1882. Garden, 9 Sept., 233/2. The golden Jasmine (Jasminum aureum) is really golden.
β. 1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 19 b. Iesemin or Gethsamine, as I suppose is called in Greke iasme, and it is the flower wher of the oyle called in Dioscorides oleum iasminum is made.
1563. Hyll, Art Gard. (1593), 13. That sweet tree or floure named Iacemine.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, II. cccxxv. There be found at this day fower sorts of Iasmine:… White Gessemine … Great White Gessemine … Yellow Iasmine … Blew Iasmine.
1594. Spenser, Amoretti, lxiv. Yong blossomed Iessemynes.
1622. Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., II. II. x. 200. Gecimines, Muske-roses, & other sweet flowers.
1637. Milton, Lycidas, 143. The tufted crowtoe and pale gessamine.
1657. R. Ligon, Barbadoes (1673), 15. Other kinds of trees, we found good to smell to, as Mirtle, Jesaman, Tamarisk.
1707. Curios. in Husb. & Gard., 252. If we graft the Spanish Jessemin … on Spanish Broom, the Flowers of the Jessemin will grow yellow.
1719. Young, Revenge, IV. i. In yonder arbour bound with jessamin.
1838. Dickens, O. Twist, xxxiv. A cottage-room, with a lattice-window: around which were clusters of jessamine and honeysuckle.
γ. 1597. Gerarde, Herbal, II. cccxxv. Iasmine or Gelsemine.
1598. Florio, Gelsomino,… gelsomine or gesmine.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, 130. Simplicity, more white than Gelsomine.
1652. C. B. Stapylton, Herodian, XIV. 115. Light Torches, Gelsoms, Odours and Musk Roses.
b. With qualification, applied to plants of various other genera: as
Arabian J. = Night J. (see below); Bastard J., the genus Cestrum, natives of S. America and the W. Indies; Cape J., Gardenia florida and G. radicans; Carolina J., Gelsemium nitidum; Chili J., Mandevilla suaveolens; French J., Calotropis procera, a shrub found in Southern Asia and Africa, also called French Cotton; Ground J., Passerina Stelleri (Treas. Bot., 1866); Night J., Nyctanthes Arbor-tristis, a shrub or small tree of Southern Asia, allied to the jasmine, with fragrant night-blooming flowers. Red J., Plumieria rubra, a W. Indian shrub with fragrant red flowers; Wild J., ‘of Jamaica, a species of Pavetta’ (Treas. Bot.); ‘of the W. Indies, Faramea odoratissima and the genus Ixora’ (Miller); see also quot. 1879.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 305. Jasmine, Arabian, Nyctanthes. [Eight others named.]
1772–84. Cook, Voy. (1790), V. 1723. The … odoriferous gardenia, or Cape Jasmine.
1794. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xvi. 209. Cestrum or Bastard Jasmine … requires a stove to keep it alive in these northern countries.
1866. Treas. Bot., 715/1. Mandevilla … a climbing shrub, a native of Buenos Ayres, whence it was first introduced, under the name of Chili Jasmine.
1879. Britten & Holland, Plant-n., Jessamine, Wild, Anemone nemorosa. Dumfriessh.
2. A perfume derived from the flowers of the jasmine or jessamine.
1670. Moral State Eng., 161. They would daub their heads with a whole pot of Jasmine at once.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 128/2. To put Jecimin on the palms of your hands and rub it on the hair.
Mod. Price List, Perfumery … Jasmin.
3. attrib. and Comb., as jasmine or jessamine bower, flower, grove, leaf, wood; j.-bordered adj.; † j.-butter, an ointment perfumed with jasmine; † j.-water, a perfume made from jasmine-flowers. Also in names of plants resembling jasmine, as j.-box, the genus Phillyrea; j.-mango, j.-tree = Red Jasmine (see 1 b); j.-wood, Ochna Mauritiana (Miller, Plant-n., 1884).
1883. F. M. Peard, Contrad., xviii. Standing together in the *jessamine-bordered window.
1750. Johnson, Rambler, No. 78, ¶ 2. The fragrance of the *jessamine bower is lost after the enjoyment of a few moments.
1678. Phillips (ed. 4), With the flowers whereof *Jesemin Butter is made.
1644. Evelyn, Diary, 15 Oct. The perfumes of Orange, Citron and *jassmine flowers.
1727–46. Thomson, Summer, 761. From *jasmine grove to grove.
1832. Tennyson, Margaret, v. Let your blue eyes dawn Upon me thro’ the *jasmine-leaves.
1749. Lady Luxborough, Lett. to Shenstone, 14 March. I send you half the *jessamine-water I have left.
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. 61. This Wood … bears the Name of *Jessamine-Wood from its Flowers.
1870. Disraeli, Lothair, lxxvi. A large pipe of cherry or jasmine wood.
Hence Jasmined, jessamined a., adorned with jasmine or jessamine.
1827. G. Darley, Sylvia, 17. The jasmined cottage in the glen.
1840. W. Kennedy, Poems, 41. The trellised porch … Was jessamined and honeysuckled o’er.
