Forms: 6–7 carobe, carrob, 7 carabe, 9 carubbe, caroub, 6– carob. [a. F. carobe, carrobe (also carroube, carrube) Cotgr. (now caroube), corresp. to It. carrubo, Sp. garrobo, algarrobo, a. Arab. (al) kharrūbah, in Pers. khirnūb, ‘bean-pods, carobs.’]
1. The fruit of an evergreen leguminous tree (Ceratonia siliqua), Carob-tree, a native of the Levant: a long flat horn-like pod containing numerous hard seeds embedded in pulp. Also called carob-bean, carob-pod.
Generally identified with the ‘husks’ eaten by the prodigal in the parable, Luke xv. 16; and by some taken to be the ‘locusts’ eaten by John the Baptist, whence the names Locust-pods, and St. John’s Bread.
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes, s.v. Siliqua, It may be called in english a Carobe tree, and the fruite Carobes or Carobbeanes.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Algarrova, Carobes, or S. Johns bread.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 172. As for those Carobs or Cods of Syria.
1682. Wheler, Journ. Greece, VI. 423–4. Ægina hath … abundance of Almonds, and Keratia, or Carobs.
1880. V. L. Cameron, Our Future Highway, I. ii. 28. The carob harvest was going on as well as the olive gathering.
1886. A. H. Church, Food Grains Ind., 170. Carob pods are 6 inches to 1 foot in length, and about 1 inch broad.
2. The tree, more fully called carob-tree.
1548. [see 1].
1568. Turner, Herbal, III. 20. The leafe is lyke unto Carobe, or saint Johannis breadis tre.
1685. Baxter, Paraphr. N. T., Luke xv. 15. They would not let him fill his belly with the Cods of the Carabe Tree, which was the Swines meat.
1842. Louisa S. Costello, Pilgr. Auvergne, I. 45. Where the tall carob’s branches spread.
c. 1854. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., ii. (1858), 146. The large dark-leaved, wide-spread tree called the ‘Carob,’ common apparently in the forests of Galilee, is not named in the Scriptures.
1886. A. H. Church, Food Grains Ind., 173. The carob tree was introduced into India about the year 1840.
