Forms: 3–6 letus(e, 4–6 lettuse, 5 latewes, 5–6 letews, letuce, 6 let(t)yse, lettes(se, -is, -us, -uze, -yce, lectuse, lacteux, -use, laictuce, Sc. lattouce, 6–7 lactuce, lettise, 6–8 lettice, 7 lectuce, 8 lattice, 6– lettuce. [ME. letuse, connected with OF. laituë (Cotgr. laictuë, mod.F. laitue):—lactūca, f. lact-, lac milk, the name having reference to the milky juice of the plant.
The exact origin of the Eng. word is uncertain. Prof. Skeat conjectures that it may be a. OF. *letuse, *laituse:—L. *lactūcea, an adjectival derivative of lactūca. Palsgrave in 1530 gives lectus as a Fr. form, and a vocabulary of c. 1475 (Wright-Wülcker, 787) gives letusa as the Latin equivalent of Eng. letuse; but the genuineness of these is doubtful.]
1. Any plant of the genus Lactuca; esp. Lactuca sativa or Garden Lettuce, the leaves of which are much used as a salad; often collect. in sing. for the plants or their leaves. Wild lettuce: some plant of this genus growing wild; spec. in England = L. Scariola and L. virosa; in America = L. Canadensis. Also applied to various plants resembling this genus. For Cabbage, Cos, Hare, Indian, Lamb’s Lettuce etc., see the first member.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 18/598. A fair herbe, þat men cleopez letuse.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6079. Wit therf bred and letus wild.
1382. Wyclif, Exod. xii. 8. Therf looves with wylde letuse.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 73. Wylde letus þat feldmen clepin skarioles.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., II. 176. Letuce is to be sette in Ianyueer.
c. 1483. Caxton, Dialogues, iv. 13. Yet ben in the gardynes … Letews, porselane.
1533. Elyot, Cast. Helthe (1539), 39. Breade steped in white brothe, with sodden lettyse, or cykorie, are good to be vsed.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 26. Muche vse of lettes hurteth the eysight.
1566. Painter, Pal. Pleas., I. 39. When the yong lactuse begin to growe, I cutte of the bitter and sower stalkes from them.
1614. J. Cooke, Greene’s Tu Quoque, L 3 b. Did I eate any Lettice to supper last night, that I am so sleepie.
1633. Johnson, Gerarde’s Herbal, II. xxxviii. 309. The greater wilde Lettuce smelling of Opium.
1651–3. Jer. Taylor, Serm. for Year (1678), 108. A dish of Lettice and a clear Fountain can cool all my Heat.
1671. H. M., trans. Erasm. Colloq., 100. It is very fine Broth which he is served up in; the Lettice are very choyce ones.
1733. Pope, Hor. Sat., II. i. 18. If your point be rest, [take] Lettuce and cowslip-wine.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 317. Lettuce, Wild, Prenanthes.
1876. Harley, Mat. Med. (ed. 6), 540. Lettuce has glaucous vertical leaves.
† 2. Proverb. Like lips, like lettuce = ‘like has met its like’; an echo of L. similem habent labra lactucam, an alleged saying of M. Crassus, when he saw an ass eating thistles.
a. 1540. Barnes, Wks. (1573), 189/1. No doubt the prouerbe is true, such lippes such lectuse, such saintes such miracles.
1583. Leg. Bp. St. Androis, 433. Sic lipps, sic lattouce; lordis and lownes.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1017/2. Like lips, like lettice, as is their cause so are the rulers.
1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 92. He left such lettice as were too fine for his lips.
1599. H. Buttes, Dyets drie Dinner, To Rdrs. Here are Lettuses for euery mans lips.
1619. Pasquil’s Palin. (1877), 130. If he like not these Lettice, let him pull backe his lips.
1677. W. Hughes, Man of Sin, III. iv. 140. Well, but the Lettice and the Lips do well together.
3. attrib. and Comb., as lettuce-bed, -juice, -leaf, -seed; † lettuce-cabbage = cabbage-lettuce; lettuce-opium = LACTUCARIUM; lettuce-water, a decoction of lettuce.
1897. Mary Kingsley, W. Africa, 380. The fierce currents of the wet season … play great havoc with these *lettuce beds.
1731. Gentl. Mag., I. 408. Make Plantations of *Lettuce Cabbage for Winter use.
1832. Veg. Subst. Food, 299. The narcotic property of *lettuce-juice has been long familiarly known.
c. 1540. Vicary’s Anat. (1888), App. 227. Nightshade leaves, *lactuce leaves, henbayne leaves.
1816. A. Duncan, in Mem. Caled. Hortic. Soc. (1819), II. 312. A substance … which I have denominated Lactucarium or *Lettuce Opium.
1577. Mountaine, Gardener’s Labyrinth, II. 43. *Lettice seedes.
1683. Salmon, Doron Med., III. 660. Oyl of Lettice Seeds.
1713. Derham, Phys.-Theol., 9, note. Some Lettice-Seed being sown … in the open Air.
1836. J. M. Gully, Magendie’s Formul. (ed. 2), 104. *Lettuce water 4 ounces.
