Forms: 4 feþerfoy, 5 federfu, fedyrfoy, 6–8 fetherfew, 7– featherfew. [Corrupted var. of FEVERFEW.] The popular name of Pyrethrum Parthenium.
c. 1325. St. Patrick’s Purg., cxlvii. Mint, feþerfoy and eglentere.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 152/2. Fedyrfu, or fedyrfoy, herbe, febriffuga.
1587. Mascall, Govt. Cattle (1627), 99. If beasts bee sicke yee shall giue them madder, long pepper, the barke of a walnut tree, with fetherfew.
1683. Tryon, Way to Health, 552. Herbs … of a strong bitter Quality, as Wormwood, Featherfew, Tansie, and the like.
c. 1759. Roxb. Ball., VII. 57. Here’s fetherfew, gilliflowers and rue.
1863. R. Prior, Plant-n., Featherfew … the feverfew … from confusion of name with the feather foil. [An erroneous statement.]
