Forms: (1 slarie, slareʓe), 6 clarey, -rye, -rry, 6–7 clare, clarie, cleare- (cleere-) -eie, -eye, 5– clary. [In OE. slarie, slareʓe; in 16th c. claré, clarie, evidently representing the med.L. sclarea, in mod.F. sclarée, though the loss of s is not actually explained. Sclarea occurs in Matthioli, and Turner (1548); Lobel (1576) has ‘scarlea, Ger. scharlach, Belg. scarleye, It. sciaria [Florio has schiarea], Angl. clarye’; Pritzel and Jensen, Deutschen Volksnamen Pflanz. 359, give OHG. scaraleia, later scarleia, scharleya, scarleye; Gerard has scarlea, sclarea; scariola is also given by some as a med.L. synonym, and has been suggested as the original form of the word. But the evidence of the OE. vocabulary and Leechdoms supports the antiquity of sclarea, without throwing any light upon its origin or history. In the 16th c. clarey was solved by the apothecaries into clair-ye, clear-eye, translated Oculus christi, Godes-eie, and See-bright, and eye-salves made of it (Prior), on the strength of this supposed derivation.]
1. A labiate plant, Salvia Sclarea, a native of the south of Europe, Syria, etc., cultivated in English gardens as a pot-herb. Also, with qualifications, the name of other species of Salvia, as Horminum Clary (S. Horminum), Meadow Clary (S. pratensis), Vervain or Wild Clary (S. Verbenaca): the last two are British plants, and one of them may be the plant of the OE. quotations.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 58. Eft ʓenim wiþ hwostan … slarian godne dæl.
a. 1100. O. E. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 322. Sclaregia, slareʓe.
c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), III. 342. Clary, peppur long, with granorum paradysy.
1538. Turner, Libellus, s.v. Orminum, A nostris arbitror dici Clare aut wylde clare. Ibid. (1548), Names Herbes, Orminum is called in english Clarie, in duche Scharlach … some cal thys herbe sclaream.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, II. lxxix. 253. Clarie is now called … in English Clarye, or Cleare-eye, quasi dicas oculum clarificans.
1601. Chester, Love’s Mart., xiii. (1878), 83. To proceed, heres Clary or Cleare-eie.
1657. W. Coles, Adam in Eden, xxiii. 47. Another Plant, whose name doth demonstrate, that it is good for the Eyes is, Clary, quasi Clear Eye, because the Seed put into the Eyes, doth clear them…. The wild sort is known by the name of Oculus Christi.
a. 1658. Cleveland, Against Ale, iv. May he that brews thee wear a Nose Richer than … The Sattin Clerry or the Velvet Rose.
a. 1736. Yalden, Poet. Wks. (1833), 66.
| Some pepper bruised, with seeds of nettle join, | |
| And clary steep in bowls of mellow wine. |
1794. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xii. 126. Wild Clary has the leaves serrate.
1796. C. Marshall, Garden., xiv. (1813), 265. Clary … is used also in soups, and is very odorous.
1861. Miss Pratt, Flower. Pl., IV. 147. Meadow Sage or Clary … has wrinkled leaves, and large purple flowers.
b. Applied to other plants, app. because they were considered good for the eyes, e.g., Celandine (Chelidonium majus), and species of Fennel.
1570. Levins, Manip., 103. Clarye herb, heraclia.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Chelidoine ou estlere, an herbe called Clarie.
2. attrib. and Comb., as clary-flower, -fritter, -leaf, etc.; clary-water, -wine, a sweet cordial or medicinal drink made from clary-flowers.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., s.v. Water, Clary-Water is composed of brandy, sugar, clary-flowers, and cinnamon, with a little ambergrise dissolved in it.
1769. Mrs. Raffald, Eng. Housekpr. (1778), 161. To make Clary Fritters.
1858. Hughes, Scouring White Horse, 20. Bottles of home-made wine, clary, and raisin.
1861. Delamer, Kitch. Gard., 125. Clary wine, made from the flowers, was the favourite mode of administering it.
