Forms: α. 3 (?), 4–5 brin-, brynstan(e, -ston(e, brenston, -stoon, (4 Kent. bernston, north. bronstane, brunstan(e), 4–6 brunston(e, 5–6 bronston, 6 byrnstone, brontstane, brint-, bryntstane, -stone, 8– Sc. brunstane. β. 4–5 brimstan(e, -ston, -stoon, brymston(e, -stoon(e, (brem-, brom-, brumstone, 5 brymestone, 7 brimestone), 6– brimstone; mod.Sc. brumstane. [ME. bern-, bren-, brin-, bryn-, brun-, bron-, brim-, brym-, bremston, app. f. bern- or brinn-, stems of bern-en, brinn-en to BURN + -STONE: cf. brenni-steinn sulphur; also, for the form, OE. berne-lác burnt-offering. An identical formation in other Teut. langs. (MDu. and MLG. bernsteen, Du. barnsteen, Ger. bernstein) is used with the sense ‘amber.’ The transposition in bern-, bren- was inherited from the vb.; the subsequent change to brim- may have been due to association with the adj. brim, BREME ‘fierce’: cf. quot. c. 1400 in 1 α.
The uncertainty of form in ME. may be estimated by the fact that the printed ed. of Wyclif (Forshall and Madden) has in the two texts the following varieties:—Gen. xix. 24 brenstoon, brynston; Deut. xxix. 23 brimstoon, brymston; Job xviii. 15 brumston, brymston; Ps. x. 7 brunston, brymston; Isa. xxx. 33 brunston, brymstoon.]
1. Formerly the common vernacular name for SULPHUR. Now used chiefly when referring to its inflammable character, and to the biblical use in Gen. xix. 24 and Rev. xix. 20; or in speaking of old-fashioned prescriptions, as ‘brimstone and treacle.’
α. a. 1300. Cursor M., 2842. Our lauerd raind o þam o-nan, Dun o lift, fire and brinstan [other MSS. brimston].
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 6746. Fire and brunstan and stormes with wynde.
1340. Ayenb., 130. Þou gest in-to helle huer þou sselt yuinde ver and bernston.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVII. 612. Lynt and hardiss with brynstane.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XXI. 291. Brynston [v.r. brymston, bremston] boilaunt brennyng out-casteþ hit Al hot on here heuedes.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst. (1841), 308. In bras and in bronston [v.r. brenston] the brethellys be brent.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 860. Þe ffyre … was blasound of brunston with a brem lowe.
c. 1450. Nominale, in Wr.-Wülcker, 683. Hoc fulgur, bornston.
1523. Skelton, Garl. Laurel, 631. The blast of the byrnstone blew away his brayne.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scotl. (1821), I. 136. Birnand flammis of pik, roset and brintstane.
1552. Abp. Hamilton, Catech., 92. With brontstaine and fyre.
1791. Burns, Ep. J. Maxwell, iii. Rake them, like Sodom and Gomorrah In brunstane stoure.
1875. Robinson, Whitby Gloss. Brunstan, or Burnstan, burning-stone or brimstone.
β. a. 1300. Cursor M., 2888. Fir and brimstan was þe wrake.
1382. Wyclif, Job xviii. 15. Brumston be sprengd in his tabernacle.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Chan. Yem. Prol. & T., 271. Sal Armonyak and the ferthe Brymstoon [v.r. brymston, brunston, bremston(e, bromstone].
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., II. iv. 96. Enoyncted with oyle and brymestone.
1570. Levins, Manip., 168. Brimstone, sulphus.
1611. Bible, Rev. xix. 20. Both were cast aliue into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
1672. R. Wild, Declar. Lib. Consc., 14. An itch, which is too hard for butter and brimstone to cure.
1691. Hartcliffe, Virtues (1722), Pref. p. xxxv. They have dreadful Apprehensions of Fire and Brimstone, whilst they feed in their Hearts a true and living Fire, that is, the Hell of Lusts.
1755. Smollett, Quix. (1803), II. 47. Every fiend may stink of brimstone.
1796. Mrs. Glasse, Cookery, xxii. 346. Fire a large match dipped in brimstone.
1840. R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxix. 98. We … made a slow fire of charcoal, birch bark, brimstone, and other matters.
1863. Kingsley, Water-bab., v. 207. She dosed them with … salts and senna, and brimstone and treacle.
b. Fire and brimstone! an ejaculation of ‘strong language.’
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. v. 56. To. Fire and Brimstone. Fa. O peace, peace. Ibid. (1604), Oth., IV. i. 245. Oth. Fire, and brimestone.
2. Vegetable brimstone: the inflammable spores of Lycopodium clavatum and Selago, sometimes employed in the manufacture of fireworks.
1866. in Treas. Bot.
3. fig.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., III. ii. 22. To put fire in your Heart, and brimstone in your Liuer.
1709. Chandler, Effort agst. Bigotry, 15. Such Mens new acquired Light having too much Brimstone in it.
1828. Carlyle, Misc. (1857), I. 120. Like a person of breeding, and without any flavour of brimstone.
4. A virago, a spit-fire. Cf. BRIM sb.4
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic. (1779), I. vi. 54. She is … not a brimstone, like Kate Coddle.
1788. Walpoliana, xlii. 21. Oh! Madam … he had such a brimstone of a wife!
1824. W. Irving, T. Trav., II. 29. A tragedy queen, and a brimstone to boot.
5. Brimstone Butterfly: an early butterfly with wings of a sulphur color, Gonepteryx Rhamni.
1827. Butterfly Collect. Vade Mec., 87.
1860. Gosse, Rom. Nat. Hist., 5. The delicate ‘brimstone’ comes bounding over the fence.
6. Attrib. and Comb.: a. simple attrib. Of, pertaining to, or resembling brimstone; b. brimstone match, a match or splinter of wood having its end dipped in brimstone; brimstone moth, a species of moth of sulphur color, Rumia cratægata; brimstone-wort, a plant, Sulphur-wort, Peucedanum palustre (and officinale).
a. c. 1590. Marlowe, Faust., viii. 18. The most intolerable book for conjuring that e’er was invented by any brimstone devil.
1616. Holyday, Juvenal, 240. Flames begun By brimstone-plot.
1786. Burns, Sc. Drink, xx. And bake them up in brunstane pies.
1791. Hamilton, Berthollet’s Dyeing, I. I. I. iv. 67. A fine brimstone colour.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, vi. Asserted his brimstone birth and parentage.
b. 1594. Plat, Chem. Conclus., 15. The rest of the fats have not received … the brimstone match.
1657. Reeve, God’s Plea, 23. The furnace-brand, the brimstone-match of that cursed man.
1739. Desaguliers, in Phil. Trans., XLI. 177. When Brimstone Matches are burning.
1812. Sir H. Davy, Chem. Philos., 299. Sulphuret of phosphorus … applied to a common brimstone match inflames when gently rubbed.
1859. W. Coleman, Woodlands, 112. The curious twig-like caterpillars of the Brimstone Moth.
1678. A. Littleton, Lat. Dict., Brimstone-wort, an herb, Peucedanum.
1863. Prior, Plant-n., 29. Brimstonewort, from its roots yielding, as W. Coles says, ‘a yellow sap which waxeth quickly hard, and dry, and smelleth not unlike to brimstone.’
