a. and sb. rare. [ad. L. lactāri-us, f. lact-, lac milk.]
A. adj. Of or pertaining to milk; concerned with milk. † Of a plant: Yielding a milky juice.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., VI. x. 323. Why also from Lactary or milky plants which have a white and lacteous juice dispersed through every part, there arise flowers blue and yellow?
1657. Tomlinson, Renou’s Disp., 263. A Lactary and a ferulaceous Herb.
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Column, Lactary Column, at Rome [= L. lactaria columna].
1892. Ld. Lytton, King Poppy, I. 381. The Titular Head Of the State’s Lactary Department, she.
B. sb. † a. (See quot. 1623.) Obs.–0 b. A dairy.
1623. Cockeram, Lactarie, She that selleth milke.
1669–81. Worlidge, Syst. Agric., Dict. Rust., Lactary, a Dairy-house.
1755. in Johnson. Hence in mod. Dicts.
