Forms: (1 centaurie, 4–5 centauria), 4–5 centaure, -ture, sentaurye, 5 centary(e, -torye, 6 sentorye, centuary, 6–7 centorie, centaurie, (7 centry), 6–9 centory, 6– centaury. [ad. med.L. centaurēa, -ia, for L. centaurēum, or centaurion, a. Gr. κενταύρειον, or κενταύριον, f. κένταυρος CENTAUR.]
1. A plant, of which the medicinal properties were said to have been discovered by Chiron the centaur; two species were distinguished, Centaurion majus, and C. minus (also lepton). The herbalists identified these (probably correctly) with two Gentianaceous plants, More or Yellow Centaury (Chlora perfoliata), and Common or Lesser Centaury (Erythræa Centaureum). Hence Centaury is sometimes used as the book-name for all the species of Erythræa.
[c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 186. Nim centaurian þæt is felterre sume hatað … eorð ʓeallan.]
c. 1386. Chaucer, Nonne Pr. T., 143. Take youre laxatyues Of lawriol Centaure [v.r. sentaurye, Centure] and ffumetere.
1483. Cath. Angl., 56. Centary, centauria, felterre.
1542. Linacre, Macer’s Herbal, in Prior, Plant-n., s.v., More Centory or Earthgall hath … yelowe flowers.
1551. Turner, Herbal, I. I j a. Centaurium minus, that is the les centaury … our common centory in england, is an herbe lyke vnto organe, or wyld marierum, or saynt Johnes worte.
1599. A. M., trans. Gabelhouer’s Bk. Physicke, 138/1. Boyle Sentorye in wine, & drinck therof warme.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XXV. vi. The greater Centaury is that famous herbe wherewith Chiron the Centaure (as the report goeth) was cured.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 97/2. Yellow Centory hath the leaves seven or eight on a side.
1784. J. Twamley, Dairying Exempl., 114. Centaury, lesser centaury, or gentian, is an extream bitter plant.
1861. Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., IV. 8. Common Centaury … a pretty and frequent plant on heaths.
attrib. 1647. Sir R. Fanshawe, trans. Guarini’s Pastor Fido (1676), 190. Squeesing out The juice, and mingling it with Cent’ry-root.
2. By 16th-c. herbalists, Great Centaury was (by some confusion) applied to a composite plant or plants; and to the genus containing these the name Centaurea was appropriated by Linnæus. Great Centaury of Turner was C. Rhapontica, of Lyte and his successors, C. Scabiosa, and ‘Centaury’ has since been extended as a book-name to all the species, as Australian, Black, Corn, Erect, Mealy, Mountain Centaury.
1551. Turner, Herbal, I. I j a. Great centaury other wyse called ruponticum … the seed is like wyld safforne wrapped in certayn flockes.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, II. ix. 325. The great Centorie … The flowers be of small hearie threddes or thrommes, of a lyght blewe purple colour, and they growe out of the scalye knoppes at the toppes of the braunches.
1737. Compl. Fam. Piece, II. iii. 386.
1794. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xxvi. 401. The Great or Officinal Centaury … the scales of the calyx are ovate.
3. American Centaury: a name for Sabbatia, a genus of North American herbs of the Gentian family, esp. S. angularis.
1831. J. Davies, Manual Mat. Med., 116. American Centaury. This plant is a pure bitter, justly held in estimation as a valuable tonic and febrifuge.
Hence Centaurin, Centaurite, names proposed for the bitter substance existing in the leaves of Erythræa Centaureum; formerly also for the CNICIN or bitter principle of many Compositæ.
1838. T. Thomson, Chem. Org. Bodies, 707. Centaurite. This name may be given to the bitter substance which exists in the leaves of the centaurea benedicta.
