a. and sb. [ad. L. succulentus (sūculentus), f. succus (sūcus) juice: see -LENT, -ULENT. Cf. F. succulent.] A. adj.
1. Full of juice; juicy. a. Applied to plants and their parts having a fleshy and juicy substance.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 444. Their [sc. figs’] succulent substance … when they begin to ripen, is white like milke.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 507. Such Plants, as are very Succulent.
1668. Wilkins, Real Char., II. iv. § 3. 70. Texture of the Leaf;… Succulent; having thick juicie leaves, covered with a close membrane, through which the moisture cannot easily transpire, which makes them continue in dry places.
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, I. 43. The succulent tribe of aloes and ficoides.
1785. Martyn, Lett. Bot., vii. (1794), 75. The fruit, which … is succulent in the peach.
1813. Sir H. Davy, Agric. Chem. (1814), 280. All green succulent plants contain saccharine or mucilaginous matter.
1837. M. Donovan, Dom. Econ., II. 323. The carrot is valuable on account of the facility with which it is kept in a recent and succulent state for a length of time.
1882. Vines, trans. Sachs’ Bot., 417. These peculiar stipules remain fresh and succulent not only during the life of the leaves but also after they have fallen.
1908. [Miss E. Fowler], Betw. Trent & Ancholme, 49. The succulent house-leek, green and red.
b. Of various other things.
1615. Crooke, Body of Man, 30. From the substance some [parts] are dense, others rare and succulent or iuicy, others spongie & soft.
1666. Boyle, Orig. Formes & Qual., II. 245. That it [sc. coral] is oftentimes found very succulent.
1877. Black, Green Past., xliv. 357. Rich, deep black, succulent mud.
1878. T. Bryant, Pract. Surg., I. 116. Each tumour … becomes solid, more succulent, and more rapid in its growth.
c. of food or articles of food.
1669. W. Simpson, Hydrol. Chym., 66. The succulent parts of the aliment.
1725. Fam. Dict., s.v. Gravy, Such Messes, into which some of it is to be put to render them more Succulent.
1831. Scott, Ct. Robt., xii. The succulent and highly-spiced messes indulged in by the nations of the East.
1907. S. Elliot, Rom. Plant Life, 181. Sussex downs so famous for succulent mutton.
† d. Of persons: Well nourished. (Cf. SAPPY 4.)
1673. R. Head, Canting Acad., 147. Her name was … Wheedle, a plump succulent Girl.
2. transf. and fig. ‘Juicy,’ ‘sappy,’ rich.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 512. Yellow is a lesse Succulent Colour than Green.
1660. Waterhouse, Arms & Arm., 147. In short, from these the learned Nobility and Gentry … grow to be succulent Philosophers.
1692. Bentley, Boyle Lect., iv. 127. In the flower of her Youth, while she [sc. the Earth] was succulent and fertil.
1827. Hallam, Const. Hist., iv. (1876), I. 224. The queen and her courtiers … continued to prey upon their succulent victim [sc. the Church].
1859. Meredith, R. Feverel, xii. Pluming a smile upon his succulent mouth. Ibid., xxxv. His air of rather succulent patronage.
1866. Geo. Eliot, F. Holt, xl. It occurred to her that when she had known about them a good while they would cease to be succulent themes of converse or meditation.
1898. G. B. Shaw, Plays, II. You never can tell, II. Stage-direct., He … is at present reduced to the advertisements, which are not sufficiently succulent to induce him to persevere with them.
3. Comb., as succulent-fruited, -leaved adjs.
1830. Lindley, Nat. Syst. Bot., 183. The berries of the succulent-fruited kinds.
1842. Loudon, Suburban Hort., 267. Sedums, and other succulent-leaved plants.
B. sb. Bot. A succulent plant.
1825. Greenhouse Comp., I. 105. Green-house succulents are of the easiest possible culture and propagation.
1842. Loudon, Suburban Hort., 267. The leaves of such succulents as cacalia,… cactus, and similar plants.
1914. Daily News & Leader, 25 June, 4. The succulents growing in the desert.
Hence Succulently adv., in a succulent manner.
1892. E. Reeves, Homeward Bound, 174. Transparent, grey, pure, succulently inviting snails.
1899. R. Kipling, Stalky & Co., 69. Mr. King was pleased to smile succulently in form.
