Forms: α. 5 thamarike, -yke, 6 tamarice, 6–8 -ic, -ik, tamerick, 7 tamricke. β. 5–7 (in L. form) tamariscus, pl. -i; 6– tamoriscke 6–7 tamar-, 7 tameriske, tamriske, 6– tamarisk. [ad. late L. tamariscus (Palladius), var. of tamarix, -īcem, whence F. tamaris (13th c.), also in 16th c. tamarisc, tamarix. Ulterior source of the L. name unknown.]
A plant of the genus Tamarix, esp. T. gallica, the Common Tamarisk (called in L. myrīca, in Gr. μυρΐκη), a graceful evergreen shrub or small tree, with slender feathery branches and minute scale-like leaves, growing in sandy places in S. Europe and W. Asia, and now much planted by the seashore in the south of England. Several other species, some with trunks 6 or 7 feet in girth, occur in the Mediterranean region.
German Tamarisk, the allied Myricaria germanica.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 220. Make him a gargarism of liquiricie, yreos, & tamarisci.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., XII. 316. Atte gynnyng of this moone, of thamarike And other floures wilde, useth the bee Hony … to pike.
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes, s.v. Myrica, The scholemaisters in Englande haue of longe tyme called myrica heath, or lyng, but so longe haue they bene deceyued al together. It maye be called in englishe, Tamarik. Ibid. (1562), Herbal, II. 59. Ye Cypres tre and the Tamarisk haue carnose or flesshy leues.
1599. Hakluyt, Voy., II. I. 165. The Archbishop of Canterburie Edmund Grindall, after he returned out of Germany, brought into this realme the plant of Tamariske from thence.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, XXI. 18. On the shore, the Worthy hid, and left his horrid lance Amids the Tamriskes.
1715–20. Pope, Iliad, VI. 49. His headlong steeds … Rush’d on a tamarisk’s strong trunk, and broke The shatter’d chariot from the crooked yoke.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, iv. They sauntered over hillocks covered with lavender, wild thyme, juniper, and tamarisk.
1827. Gentl. Mag., XCVII. II. 34. Say, wilt thou court the tamarisk’s lowly shade, And tune to strains of love thy dulcet reed?
1864. Gilbert & Churchill, Dolomite Mount., 68. Clumps of alder and willow, interspersed with bushes of the tamarisk (Myricaria germanica).
† b. A decoction or other preparation of the leaves of this plant, formerly used in medicine. Obs.
1579. Langham, Gard. Health (1633), 627. Tamariske: it is a medicine of excellent power and vertue against the stopping & hardnes of the milt, if it be but drunke out of, being made into a vessell to drinke it.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. iv. I. v. (1651), 374. The wines ordinarily used to this disease are Wormewood-wine, Tamarisk and Buglossatum.
1718. Quincy, Compl. Disp., 139. Tamarisk … attenuates, opens and absterges.
c. attrib. and Comb., as tamarisk-bough, -branch, -bush, -jungle, -stem, -tree, -twig; tamarisk-fringed, -grown adjs.; tamarisk salt, salt found adhering to the trunk of Tamarix orientalis in edible quantity (Cent. Dict.); hence tamarisk-salt-tree; tamarisk wire, vessels or dishes made from the wood of the tamarisk.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, X. 395. He hung them vp aloft, vpon a *Tamricke bow.
1863. M. L. Whately, Ragged Life Egypt, xx. 202. The school-room had been swept neatly and decorated with tamarisk-boughs and a few flowers.
1816. H. G. Knight, East. Sk., Pref. (1830), 36. *Tamarisk bushes, stunted acacia trees,… complete the produce of the choicest spots in the Deserts [of Arabia].
1899. F. C. Gould, in Westm. Gaz., 6 Sept., 1/3. The *tamarisk-fringed white-dusted road.
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. 64. From this Wood is made a white Chrystal Salt, called *Tamarisk Salt.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, VI. xv. 677. Swine which haue bene dayly fedde out of a trough … made of *Tamarisk tree or timber, haue bene seene to haue no milt at al. [Cf. Pliny, N. H., 24. 9. 41.]
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, VI. 37. Low-growne Tamricke trees.
1876. Oxford Bible-Helps, 116. Of the tamarisk-tree seven species exist in Palestine.
1614. Purchas, Pilgrimage, IV. vii. (ed. 2), 371. Muttering their prayers, holding a bundle of small *Tameriske-twigs.
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. 64. They … make little Casks, Cups, and Dishes of it, which are call’d *Tamarisk Ware.
¶ Erron. used for TAMARACK, q.v. (quot. a. 1817).
