Name of a town in Berkshire, on the right bank of the Thames, at which is Windsor Castle, a royal residence.
1. attrib. in names of various things now or originally obtained, made, cultivated, etc., at or near Windsor, or of persons connected with Windsor Castle. Windsor bean, the common broad bean; Windsor brick, a kind of red fire-resisting brick formerly made at Hedgerley, near Windsor; Windsor chair, † (a) a kind of low-wheeled carriage (obs.); (b) a kind of wooden chair with the back formed of upright rod-like pieces surmounted by a cross-piece, and often with arms; Windsor herald, an officer whose duties are now performed by Garter King of Arms; Windsor knight, one of a body of military pensioners residing within the precincts of Windsor Castle; Windsor loam, the earth from which Windsor bricks were made; Windsor soap, a kind of scented (usually brown) soap; Windsor tick (TICK sb.1 2), app. a small variety of Windsor bean; Windsor tub (see quot.); Windsor uniform, a uniform introduced by King George III., consisting of a blue coat with red collar and cuffs, and a blue or white waistcoat, worn on certain occasions at Windsor Castle by members of the royal household, and by royal or other distinguished guests by permission of the sovereign.
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. 133. Fruit in Pods, of the Size of our *Windsor Beans.
1848. Johns, Week at Lizard, 300. [The Buck-bean’s] leaves closely resemble those of the Windsor Bean.
1702. Savery, Miner’s Friend, 26. The Furnace being made of Sturbridge or *Windsor-Brick.
1825. J. Nicholson, Operat. Mechanic, 535. Red bricks … which will stand the greatest heat … called Windsor bricks.
1724. in Amherst, Gardening (1895), 234. My wife was carry’d in a *Windsor chair like those at Versailles.
1740. C’tess Hartford, Corr. (1805), II. 4. A tolerably large circle, with Windsor chairs round it.
1766. Jackson’s Oxf. Jrnl., 29 Nov. The Bodleian Library has most confessedly been very much improved by the Introduction of Windsor-Chairs, so admirably calculated for Ornament and Repose.
1867. Trollope, Chron. Barset, iv. There was one arm-chair in the room,—a Windsor-chair, as such used to be called.
1473–4. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 33. For *Wyndissoris heraldis expensis quhen he come again for the renewyne of his conduct.
1517–8. in Archaeologia, XLVII. 310. Wyndesore Harald at Armes.
1631. Weever, Anc. Funeral Mon., To Rdr. Augustine Vincent, Esquire, Windsor Herald, & keeper of the Records in the Tower.
1747. Phil. Trans., XLIV. 458. Hedgerley, the Place where there is dug an Earth commonly call’d *Windsor Loam.
1827. Faraday, Chem. Manip., xviii. (1842), 484. Windsor loam: obtained at Hampstead, &c. … is frequently used for the lining of furnaces.
1826. MS. Accounts (D. Dewar, St. Andrew’s). To *Windsor Soap, 3d.
1837. J. Morier, Abel Allnutt, xxvii. A … lamb … which she … kept … washed with the best brown Windsor soap.
1797. A. Young, Agric. Suffolk, 58. The little common horse-bean, ticks, and *Windsor ticks, are the sorts generally cultivated.
1800. Alves, Banks of Esk, 166, note. Old Port pipes or casks, laid open at one side with conical tops, and seats placed at the ordinary height from the bottom,—which turn round upon perpendicular axis, denominated *Windsor Tubs, from their having been first introduced there.
1805. Ann. Reg. (Rivington’s ed), Chron., 12*. The gentlemen [at a fête at Windsor Castle] were dressed in the full *Windsor uniform, except those who wore the military habit of their respective regiments.
1825. T. Hook, Sayings, Ser. II. Doubts & F., i. The hotel … was a … red brick building, edging the blue wave of the ocean, as the collar of the Windsor uniform garnishes the coat.
2. Short for Windsor bean, brick, soap.
1786. Abercrombie, Gard. Assist., Feb., 32. A full crop of long-pods, Windsor’s,… or other broad kinds.
1840. Thackeray, Barber Cox, Sept. My dearest girl now turned from red to be as pale as white Windsor.
1841. Civil Eng. & Arch. Jrnl., IV. 342/1. The red sandy bricks called Windsors.
1859. Habits of Gd. Society, ii. (new ed.), 124. The old brown Windsor being still … far the best for the skin.
1884. ‘H. Collingwood,’ Under Meteor Flag, xii. As thorough an ablution as was possible in the absence of my cake of old brown windsor.
