Obs. Forms: 4 zizanny, -ije, 5 zizannie, 6 zizanie, 6–8 zizany; also (in Gr.-L. form) 4–6 zizania, 7 pl. zizaniaes. [a. OF. zizanie, ad. late L. zizania n. pl., a. Gr. ζιζάνια, pl. of ζιζάνιον.]
1. An injurious weed among corn; also fig.; TARE sb.1 3, b.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1138. Þi wete sal bi-com zizanny [Gött. zizannije, Fairf. darnel].
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc. 100. Recipe semen iusquiamus, zizannie, i. darnel.
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 915 Zizany, droe.
1581. J. Hamilton, in Cath. Tract. (S.T.S.), 74. To desaue the varld to sau zizanie and pernicious heresie in mennis hartis.
a. 1706. Evelyn, Hist. Relig. (1850), II. 314. Many holy and excellent persons God has dispersed, as wheat among the tares and zizany.
[1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. cxciv. (1495), X iv/1. Ray hyghte Zizania and is a certen herbe … lyke to whete whanne it is grasse.]
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 41. There is great lyknes betwene where and zizaniam, which we call lolium.
1570. Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), 829/2. The doctrine of the Bohemians, whiche he termeth by the name of Zizanin.
1612. T. James, Iesuits Downef., 8. With their Zizaniaes of faction, they make boot & havocke of Catholickes estates.
2. = ZIZANIA. rare.
1759. B. Stillingfleet, tr. Gedner’s Use Cur., in Misc. Tracts (1762), 184. A great number of plants fit for food might be sown, such as zizany of Canada.
