sb. Also 6 strigge. [Of obscure origin.]

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  1.  The stalk of a leaf, fruit or flower; a petiole, peduncle or pedicel. Also, the stem of the hop cone.

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1565.  J. Halle, Hist. Expost. Table, 114. Certayne tender strigges of Iuncio palustris … the marshe rushe.

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1572.  in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 156. Strigges of bay Leaves for twigg heades at vid the peece.

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1577.  B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., IV. 187. Perfume them with Galbanum, Reazins, or olde strigges of Grapes.

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1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, VI. xvi. 678. The roote [of Heath] is tender … and putteth foorth in diuers places many newe twigges or strigges.

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1674.  Ray, S. & E. C. Words, 76 (bis) The Strig: the footstalk of any fruit. Petiolus. Suss[ex].

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1682.  Wheler, Journ. Greece, IV. 309. A quadrangular Stalk, set at several distances with Leaves, upon a long strig or stem.

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1881.  Whitehead, Hops, 13. One fault in the flower cones of the old-fashioned Grape hops is that they … have a thick strig or stem.

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1891.  Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., 852. The central stem, or ‘strig’ of the hop cones.

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1901.  Times, 2 Sept., 6/2. They [birds] will strip a currant-bush of its fruit so effectively as to leave nothing but the bare strigs.

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  2.  A long thin appendage in various tools; the tang of a sword-blade (Cent. Dict.); the stem of a marking-gauge; or the like. Also, the projection under the bowl of a tobacco-pipe.

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1703.  [R. Neve], City & C. Purchaser, 195. The Scraper … is … of Steel, in the form of an Equilateral Triangle, in the middle of which is fixed an Iron Strig, on the end of which is fixed a Wooden-knob, or Handle.

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1805.  R. W. Dickson, Pract. Agric., II. 596. The earthing up may be accomplished with facility by the above implement, merely by fixing a small piece of wood on the strig of it.

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1844.  Florist’s Jrnl. (1846), V. 159. From the base of the two lower ones the strig or tail is fastened, which is thrust into the earth to support and retain the label in its place.

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1875.  Sir T. Seaton, Fret Cutting, 83. The marking gauge is composed of two pieces, the gauge block, through which passes the bar or strig on which is fixed the iron point that marks the work.

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  Hence Strig v. trans., to remove the strig or stalk from (currants, etc.); Strigging vbl. sb. (attrib. in strigging machine).

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1887.  Kentish Gloss., 165. Will you help me strig these currants?

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1899.  Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., Ser. III. X. 46. Some Dutch black currants … were being put through a patent strigging machine.

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