Terebinth

Forms: 4 theribynte, terebynt, 5–6 therebinthe, 6 terebynte, -bint, -binthe, teribinth, 6– terebinth. [= OF. therebint(e (13th c. in Hatz.-Darm.), -binthe, -bin, terebinte (Godefroy, Compl.), = Sp., It. terebinto; ad. L. terebinth-us (Pliny), a. Gr. τερέβινθος, earlier τέρβινθος and τέρμινθος, prob. a foreign word.]

  1.  A tree of moderate size, Pistacia Terebinthus, N.O. Anacardiacæ, a native of Southern Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia, the source of Chian turpentine, and a common object of veneration; also called turpentine tree, and Algerine or Barbary mastic-tree.

1382.  Wyclif, Gen. xxxv. 4. [Jacob] indeluede hem vndur an theribynte, that is bihynde the cite of Sichem. Ibid. (1382), Ecclus. xxiv. 22. I as terebynt streiȝte out my braunchis.

1535.  Coverdale, Isa. vi. 13. As the Terebyntes and Oketrees bringe forth their frutes.

1578.  Bible (Genev.), Ecclus. xxiv. 18, margin. Terebinth is a hard tree … whereout runneth y^e gumme called a pure turpentine.

1579.  Spenser, Sheph. Cal., July, 86. Here growes Melampode … And Teribinth, good for Gotes.

1601.  Holland, Pliny, I. 389. In Syria grows the Terebinth or Terpentine tree…. This fruit of the Terebinth ripeneth with grapes.

1609.  Bible (Douay), 1 Kings xiii. 14. He … found him sitting under a terebinth.

1860.  Tristram, Gt. Sahara, vii. 112. The terebinth is a fine oak-like tree, with a close-grained hard black wood … standing usually in solitary dignity.

1863.  W. A. Wright, in Smith’s Dict. Bible, I. 858/1. (Idolatry) The terebinth at Mamre, beneath which Abraham built an altar.

1885.  Bible (R. V.), Isa. vi. 13. As a terebinth, and as an oak.

  b.  Also terebinth tree.

1572.  Bossewell, Armorie, III. 23 b. The fielde is of the Moone, a Therebinthe tree, Saturne, floured and leafed, Veneris.

1861.  Miss E. A. Beaufort, Egypt. Sepul., etc., II. xvi. 36. All about Kedesh there is still a remarkable number of lofty terebinth trees.

  † 2.  The resin of this tree; = TURPENTINE. Obs.

1483.  Caxton, Gold Leg., 51 b/1. Presente to that man yeftes, a lytyl reysyns and hony … therebinthe and dates.

1585.  T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., III. xv. 99 b. To make [their hair] grow … they vse by continuall artifice Terebinthe and vernish.

1672–3.  Grew, Anat. Roots, I. iii. § 21. The Root of Common Wormwood bleeds … a true Terebinth, or a Balsame with all the defining properties of a Terebinth.

  Hence † Terebinthen (in 5 terebynten), a., of terebinth; † Terebinthial, -ian adjs., of or belonging to the terebinth, or to turpentine; terebinthine.

c. 1440.  Pallad. on Husb., III. 1018. Putte in euery hole a wegge or pyn, A birchen here, a terebynten there.

1747.  Gentl. Mag., March, 146/2. The Irish prelate’s Terebinthian draughts Dilute all Antitrinitarian thoughts.

1750.  G. Hughes, Barbadoes, 158. These and every other part of this Tree have so much of a terebinthial Quality in it, that it will … burn like a candle.