Obs. (revived as an alien word.) In 1 leax, laex, lex, 7 lauxe, lask, (pl.) lack(e)s. [OE. leax = OHG., MHG. lahs (mod.G. lachs), Du., ON., Sw., Da. lax:—OTeut. *lahs- (cons.-stem); cognate and synonymous forms are Lith. laszisza, Lettish lasis, Russian лосось, Polish losoš.] A salmon; in later use some particular kind of salmon (see quots.).

1

  In the 17th c. the word seems to have been obsolete exc. in the north; southern writers merely guess at the meaning; Minsheu 1617 (followed by Phillips) app. connected the word with LAX a. In recent examples it represents the Sw. or Norwegian word, as applied to the salmon of those countries.

2

c. 725.  Corpus Gloss., E 315. Essox, laex.

3

a. 1000.  Boeth. Metr., xix. 12. Hwy ʓe nu ne settan on sume dune fiscnet eowru, þonne eow fon lysteð leax oððe cyperan?

4

c. 1050.  Suppl. Ælfric’s Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 180/33. Esocius, uel salmo, lex.

5

c. 1300.  Havelok, 754. He tok þe sturgiun, and þe qual, And þe turbut and lax with-al. Ibid., 896. He bar up wel a carte lode Of segges, laxes, of playces brode.

6

c. 1320.  Pol. Songs (Camden), 151. Thenne mot ych habbe hennen a-rost, Feyr on fyhshe day launprey ant lax.

7

1488.  Acta Dom. Conc., 89/1. Extending ȝerely to ix11 of salmond laxis takin vp be him.

8

1589.  Rider, Eng.-Lat. Dict., 1721. A Laxe, a fish so called, exos, esox.

9

1601.  Holland, Pliny, I. 242. The Lax, in the Rhene.

10

1617.  Minsheu, Ductor, Lax, a fish so called, a fish which hath no bones.

11

1621.  Naworth Househ. Bks. (Surtees), 165. One great lauxe, iiijs. Ibid., 84. Lask.

12

1656.  W. D., trans., Comenius’ Gate Lat. Unl., § 154. The pointed Sturgeon, and gristly Lax, greatning to the length of fowr and twentie feet.

13

1677.  Johnson, in Ray’s Corr. (1848), 127. In the mouth of Eden, in Cumberland, the fishers have four distinctions of yearly growth … before they come to be lackes;… the Lacks, or overgrown salmon.

14

1882.  Mrs. H. Reeve, Cookery & Housek., xiv. 104. Norwegian Lax (Salmon).

15

1883.  Fisheries Exhib. Catal., 68. Tunny, Char, Lax, Cod, Haddock, Herring, Oysters, &c.

16

  b.  Comb., as lax-fisher; † lax-pink, ? a salmon at a certain stage of growth (cf. LASPRING).

17

1533–4.  Act 25 Hen. VIII., c. 7. The yonge frye spaune or broode of any kynde of Salmon called lakspynkes smowtis or salmon pele.

18

1543.  Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1844), I. 187. I and Johnn Freser, laxfyschar.

19

a. 1670.  Spalding, Troub. Chas. I. (Bannatyne Club), I. 305. The masters and lax-fishers of Dee and Don.

20

1875.  New Hist. Aberdeensh., I. 99. A very pleasant footpath for the lax fishers.

21