Also 5 uerdure, 6 verdur, 7 verdeur, 8 verduer. [a. OF. verdure (12th c.; = It., Sp., Pg. verdura), f. verd green + -URE. Cf. VERDOUR1.]
I. 1. The fresh green color characteristic of flourishing vegetation; greenness, viridity.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 161. Alle his vesture uerayly was clene verdure.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), IV. i. 58. This appel was … borne fro the grene tree and put vpon the drye tre for to restoren this drye tree to verdure and to fresshenes.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 212. The large feeldys shulde be bareyn, No corn up growe nor greyn in his verdure.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 87. He was The Iuy which had hid my princely Trunck, And suckt my verdure out on’t.
1639. N. N., trans. Du Bosq’s Compl. Woman, II. 67. We see the Ivy full of Verdure, on the most withered tree.
1675. Traherne, Chr. Ethics, 404. Ingratitude … cuts off the soul like a branch from the root that gave it life and verdure.
1700. Prior, Carmen Seculare, xli. Let twisted Olive bind those Laurels fast, Whose Verdure must for ever last.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. 229. When the snow lay very thick upon the burnet, that part of it which was above the snow had all the verdure of spring.
1838. Murray’s Hand Bk. N. Germ., 165/2. Another valley … clothed with meadows of the brightest verdure.
1910. 19th Cent., Feb., 285. The perennial verdure of cypress and pine, ilex and box was invaluable.
fig. 1675. Traherne, Chr. Ethics, 390. A spark of fire,… if it falls … into green wood or watery places,… does no harm. Penitent tears, and the verdure of humility prevent such flames and extinguish the quarrel.
b. With a and pl. A shade or tint of green.
1523. Skelton, Garl. Laurel, 776. A cronell of lawrell with verduris light and darke I haue deuysyd for Skelton.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry (1611), 10. Most vegitables, so long as they flourish, are beautified with this verdure: and is a colour most wholsome and pleasant to the eie.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), I. p. xxv. The fir … clothed with leaves stiff, filiform, and of a dark verdure.
2. Green vegetation; plants or trees, or parts of these, in a green and flourishing state.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4979. A ferly faire tre … void of all hire verdure & vacant of leues.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 104. Some ran for to gadre of the grene herbes and verdure for to caste a long on the waye.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 431. The tyme of wynter which trees doth deface And causyth all verdure to a voyde quyte.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 828. Then shall this Mount … by might of Waves be moovd Out of his place,… With all his verdure spoil’d.
1729. T. Cooke, Tales, Proposals, etc., 115. To him who longest shall maintain the Field This blooming Verdure on my Brows I yield.
1775. Johnson, Lett. (1788), I. 288. I can look into Lucy’s garden…. I believe she has hardly any fruit but gooseberries; but so much verdure looks pretty in a town.
1822. Shelley, trans. Calderon’s Mag. Prodig., III. 59. Voluptuous Vine,… To the trunk thou interlacest [thou] Art the verdure which embracest.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Homes Abroad, i. 2. Flourishing young plantations put forth their early verdure.
1886. Sheldon, trans. Flaubert’s Salammbô, 14. The fire spread from tree to tree, until the tall mass of verdure resembled a volcano beginning to smoke.
fig. 1818. Keats, Endym., III. 187. At this a surpris’d start Frosted the springing verdure of his heart.
Comb. 1912. Blackw. Mag., Sept., 316/1. Around us were the precipitous verdure-clad cliffs.
b. esp. Green grass or herbage.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys, Introd. (Roxb.), 3. In may was neuer no medews sene Motleyd with flours on hys verdure grene.
1515. Barclay, Egloges, v. (1570), D ij/1. What time the verdure of ground & euery tre, By frost and stormes is priuate of beautee.
1638. Cowley, Love’s Riddle, IV. [Thoughts] and the pleasant verdure of the fields Made me forget the way.
1690. Locke, Hum. Und., IV. xiii. § 2. The earth will not appear painted with flowers, nor the fields covered with verdure, whenever he has a mind to it.
1794. Mrs. Radcliffe, Myst. Udolpho, iii. Along the bottom of this valley the most vivid verdure was spread.
1846. McCulloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), I. 143. The Cheviot hills are … distinguished by their fine green verdure.
1878. Browning, La Saisiaz, 52. Praising still That soft tread on velvet verdure, as it wound through hill and hill.
† c. pl. Green plants or herbs. Obs.
c. 1475. Partenay, 3824. She lepte the fenestre vppon, Aboue beheld she uerdures flouresshing.
c. 1481. Caxton, Dialogues, 13/22. In wodes ben the verdures, Brembles, bremble beries.
1631. G. Townshend, Tempe Restor’d, 4. All this second story seem’d of Silver worke mixt with fresh Verdures.
1693. Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., II. 199. Parsley … is comprehended under the Title of Verdures or green Pot-herbs.
1719. London & Wise, Compl. Gard., IX. 282. May. It is now the time of the flourishing reign of all Verduers and green things.
1722. Wollaston, Relig. Nat., ix. 206. He might perhaps now and then meet with a little smooth way,… or be flattered with some verdures and the smiles of a few daisies on the banks of the road.
† 3. A rich tapestry ornamented with representations of trees or other vegetation. Obs.
Common c. 1525–c. 1550 after French usage: see also VERDER1 1, VERDOUR1 2.
1513. MS. Papers 5 Hen. VIII., No. 4101 (Publ. Rec. Office). A Counterpoynt of paly verdure,… an old counterpoint of Redde verdures.
c. 1550. Dice-Play (Percy), 9. Divers well trimmed chambers, the worst of them apparelled with verdures.
1585. Rates of Custome, E viij. Tappistry with wul or Verdure the flemish elle, xii. d.
II. † 4. Freshness or agreeable briskness of taste in fruits or liquors; also simply, taste, savor.
1513. Bradshaw, St. Werburge, I. 614. A swete tree bryngeth forth … Swete fruyte and delycyous in tast and verdure.
c. 1540. trans. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (Camden), I. 216. Being parched and brent … it engenderethe the verdure and taste of salte.
1574. R. Scot, Hop Gard. (1578), 6. That Ale … boroweth the Hoppe, as without the which it wanteth his chiefe grace and best verdure.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 424. Upon such a chaunce and unhappie accident it [new wine] looseth the verdure and quicke tast.
1612. Speed, Theat. Gt. Brit., xxiv. (1614), 47/1. The very wines made thereof … being little inferior in sweet verdure to the French wines.
fig. 1630. Donne, Serm. (1640), 133. Every word in them [the Scriptures] hath his waight and value, his taste and verdure.
† b. Sharpness, tartness, or unpleasantness of taste. Obs.
In last quot. perh. only a contextual application of the general sense of ‘taste’: see prec.
1508. Stanbridge, Vulgaria (W. de W.), B v b. This wyne is of verdure. Hoc vinum est acre.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 152. The wines which by age and long keeping, lay downe their verdure and become sweet.
1626. Bp. Hall, Contempl., O. T., XXI. vi. § 512. Something they must haue to complaine of, that shall giue an vnsauory verdure to their Sweetest morsels.
† 5. Smell; odor. Also fig. Obs.
1520. Whitinton, Vulg. (1527), 15. This wyne drynketh of a good verdure (delicati odoris).
1589. Greene, Tullies Loue, Wks. (Grosart), VII. 165. Let lillies wither on the stalke, and weare violets in thy hand, the one faire and vnsauorie, the other blacke but of sweete verdure.
1594. R. C[arew], Huarte’s Exam. Wits (1616), 309. What is the cause, that the excrements of brute beasts haue not so vnpleasant a verdure, as those of mankind?
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 377. The good Baulme … in smell … should have an harsh verdeur. Ibid., 429. The Oile-oliue … hath of all other the best verdure, and in tast excelleth the rest.
1716. M. Davies, Athen. Brit., II. 351. The powerful Verdures of the foresaid Allium, Cepa, &c.
6. fig. Fresh or flourishing condition.
c. 1586. C’tess Pembroke, Psalms LXXI. v. Do not then, now age assaileth, Courage, verdure, vertue faileth, Do not leave me cast away.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., I. i. 49. Euen so by Loue, the yong and tender wit Is turn’d to folly, blasting in the Bud, Loosing his verdure, euen in the prime.
1619. Donne, Lett. (1651), 222. Whatsoever I should write now, of any passages of these days, would lose their verdure before the letter came to you.
a. 1664. Kath. Philips, Poems (1667), 44. In Youth she did attract (for she The Verdure had without the Vanity).
1670. Clarendon, Contempl. on Psalms, Tracts (1727), 653. If he discontinues to give, all his former bounties have lost their verdure, and wither away.
1726. Pope, Odyss., XIX. 149. My lord’s protecting hand alone would raise My drooping verdure, and extend my praise.
1754. H. Walpole, Lett. (1846), III. 67. I am in no fear of not finding you in perfect verdure.
1829. Lytton, Disowned, x. Those years make the prime and verdure of our lives.
7. fig. Signs of gullibility; = GREEN sb. 2 c.
1861. H. C. Pennell, Puck on Pegasus, 75. Perceiv’st thou verdure in my eye?
