Verdigris

Forms: α. 4 verdegrez, 4–6 -gres(e, 5 -greys, 7 -gresse, -griese, 7–8 -grease; 5–6 verdegrece, 6–7 -greace, 7–8 -greece; 6–9 verdigrease, 6 -grese, 6–8 -greese (7 verdie-), 6 verdigrece, 7 -greuce, -greece; 6 verdygresse, -grace, 7 virdigreace, -greese. β. 4 vertegrez, 5–6 -grece (5 vertagrece, 6 verthigreace), 5 vertgrez, -grees, 6 -grese, -gresse, 7 -greece. γ. 5 vert de grece, 7 vertdegrease. δ. 6, 8–9 verdegris (6 verddegris), 7–9 verdigrise, 8– verdigris. ε. 6 vargrasse, vergres(se (wer-), vergrys, Sc. vern-, varngris. [a. AF. and OF. vert de Grece (c. 1170), OF. verte grez (13th c.), vert de grice (1314), vert-de-gris (15th c.; also mod.F.), lit. ‘green of Greece’: see VERT sb.¹ Cf. med.L. viride grecum (14–15th c.). The terminal syllable at an early date was no longer understood and hence underwent various corruptions of spelling and pronunciation.]

  1.  A green or greenish-blue substance obtained artificially by the action of dilute acetic acid on thin plates of copper (or a green rust naturally forming on copper and brass), and much used as a pigment, in dyeing, the arts, and medicine; basic acetate of copper.

  α.  1336–7.  Ely Sacr. Rolls (1907), II. 92. In ij libris dim. de verdegrez empt., ijs. vd.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Chanon Yeom. Prol. & T., 791 (Corpus). Ȝit wol I telle hem,… As boole armonyak, Verdegres, Boras.

1417.  in For. Acc. 8 Hen. V., D j/2. Vermelone, Coperos, Verdegres, Vernysshe.

14[?].  Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 619. Viride grecum, verdegrece.

1495.  Trevisa’s Barth. De P. R., XIX. xxxviii. 879. In the same wyse as Cerusa is verdegreys made,… and comyth of vapour of stronge vyneygre shed vpon plates of brasse.

1532.  in E. Law, Hampton Crt. Pal. (1885), 363. 3 sackes of verdygrace conteynyng 23 lb.

1582.  Batman, Trevisa’s Barth. De P. R., Add. 259. Verdigrese, which as it is a colour for Painters, so it is a fretting poison.

1626.  Bacon, Sylva, § 291. Metalls give Orient and Fine Colours … in their Putrefactions or Rusts; as Vermilion, Verdegrease, Bise.

1681.  Grew, Musæum, III. iii. i. 341. A sort of Native Verdegriese, from the Copper-Mines of Herngrundt.

1691.  Patent Specif., No. 270. Verdigrease being a commodity of great vse in this our realme, especially for painting and dying, and never hitherto made here.

c. 1720.  W. Gibson, Farrier’s Dispens., II. iii. (1734), 97. The Verdigrease which is made by the pressings of the Wine put upon plates of Copper.

1758.  Ann. Reg., 292. That their process in salt-making would dissolve the surface of the copper, into verdigreese.

1807.  G. Chalmers, Caledonia, I. I. iii. 107. The head of a Roman spear … of brass … and … encrusted with verdigrease.

  β.  1300–1.  Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 502. In vertegrez, melle, atramento.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Can. Yeom. Prol. & T., 791 (Ellesm.). Boole armonyak, vertgrees, Boras.

a. 1425.  trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 82. Wax and oile … dulle þe scharpnez of vertgrese, and vertgrese represseþ þeir putrefaccion and humeccacion.

1487–8.  in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), I. 412. Pro xj li. de colore viridi, anglice, vertagrece, xs. xd.

1562.  Turner, Herbal, II. 151. [Turpentine] is good for lepres, wyth vert gresse.

1573.  Art of Limming, 6. To temper Vertgrese, called Spanishe greene.

1612.  Peacham, Gentl. Exerc., 82. Vert-greece is nothing else but the rust of brasse.

1656.  Blount, Glossogr., Verd-grease or vert-greece.

  γ.  c. 1400.  Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 257. Take hony … & þan do þerto ʓ .ij. of vert de grece.

1674.  Vertdegrease [see 2].

  δ.  1565.  Cooper, Thesaurus, Aerugo,… verd degris: the rust of brasse either artificiall or naturall.

1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, 196. Gladyn pounde with a little Verdegris … draweth forth al kindes of thornes.

1601.  Holland, Pliny, II. 471. This is altogither artificiall, and is made of Cyprian verdegris or rust of brasse.

1681.  Chetham, Angler’s Vade-m., ii. § 4 (1689), 9. Half a Pound of green Copperas, [and] as much Verdigrise.

1757.  Dyer, Fleece, I. 279. Corrosive drugs … Dry allum, verdigrise, or vitriole keen.

1789.  Mrs. Piozzi, Journ. France, I. 378. Here is a brassy scent in the air as of verdigris.

1819.  Shelley, Œdipus, II. i. 76. Scorpions are green, and water-snakes, and efts, And verdigris.

1839.  Ure, Dict. Arts, 1273. Verdigris is a mixture of the crystallized acetate of copper and the sub-acetate, in varying proportions.

1853.  Royle, Mat. Med. (ed. 2), 172. Ærugo or Verdigris must have been early known, from the employment of Copper vessels.

  ε.  1505–6.  Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., III. 187. For tua pund verngreis to him, xij s. Ibid. (1506), 193. vj pund varngreis.

1531–2.  in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), 11. 65. Pro duabus libris ly wergresse, ijs.

1595.  Shuttleworths’ Acc. (Chetham Soc.), 103. For vargrasse to dresse the oxe feete.

  b.  transf. (See quots.) rare.

1608.  Topsell, Serpents, 186. There is no part of the Frog so medicinable as is the bloud…. The same also being made into a Verdigreace, & drunke [etc.].

[1844.  Hood, The Turtles, 116. He mention’d Aldermen deceased,… And speculated on that verdigrease That isn’t poison.]

  c.  With qualifying adjs. (see quots.).

1747.  Wesley, Prim. Physick (1762), 91. One or two Drams of distill’d Verdigrease.

1755.  Dict. Arts & Sci., s.v., These are the crystals of verdegrease, improperly called distilled verdegrease.

1800.  trans. Lagrange’s Chem., II. 339. Crystallized verdigrise or acetite of copper.

1855.  J. Scoffern, Elem. Chem., 490. Neutral acetate of copper is known popularly by the absurd term distilled verdigris.

1863.  Watts, Dict. Chem., I. 14. The dibasic salt or blue verdigris is prepared at Montpellier. Ibid., 15. Green Verdigris.

  2.  attrib., as verdigris blue, color, water; verdigris green, a green of a bright, bluish hue; æruginous green.

1668.  Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., III. i. 129. His skin became of a Verdigreese or yellow-green colour.

1674.  W. Leybourne, Compl. Surveyor, 311. Vertdegrease water and yellow berry water make a transparent Green.

1758.  in Dodsley, Fug. Pieces (1761), II. 84. The Unwholesomeness of the Rust and Verdegrease Suffusions.

1796.  Kirwan, Elem. Min. (ed. 2), I. 28. Verdigris green—that [colour] in which no shade of yellow is perceptible, rather bluish.

1805–17.  R. Jameson, Char. Min. (ed. 3), 67. Verdigris-green is emerald-green mixed with much Berlin-blue, and a little white.

1832.  T. Brown, Bk. Butterflies & M. (1834), I. 213. A rich verdigris blue, of fine satiny lustre.

1896.  Georgiana M. Stisted, True Life Sir R. F. Burton, ii. 31. That leek-like verdigris green which one associates only with early spring in the temperate zone.

  Hence Verdigrisy a., of the color of verdigris.

1897.  C. Morley, Stud. Board Schools, 193. Can that bit of verdigrisy green be dried salt?