Also 5–6 femble, 6 fembull, femle, flemble, (fyrble). [a. Du. femel, LG. fimel, a. F. (chanvre) femelle, lit. ‘female hemp,’ this name being popularly applied to what modern botanists call the male plant.]
1. The male plant of hemp, producing a weaker and shorter fibre than the CARL HEMP or female plant. Formerly also the fibre of this as prepared for use. Also more fully, fimble hemp.
1484. Churchw. Ace. Wigtoft, Boston (Nichols, 1797), 78. Paide for femble, and for makyng thar of in bell-ropes, 1s. 5d.
1577. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees), I. 415. Tenn dosen femle hempe vijl.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., I. 39 b. The Female or fyrble Hempe.
1669. J. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 277. Gather the Fimble, or earliest Hemp and Flax.
1707. Mortimer, Husb., 118. The light Summer-hemp, that bears no Seed, is called Fimble hemp.
1731–59. Miller, Gard. Dict. (ed. 3), s.v. Cannabis.… The Fimble-hemp, which is the Male Plants.
1877. N.-W. Linc. Gloss., The fimble, or female hemp, was applied to … domestic purposes.
1877. [see CARL HEMP 1].
2. attrib.
a. 1519. Invent., in Gentl. Mag., April (1864), 501. Ij payr of ffembull Shetts, ijs viijd.
1548–9. Will of A Peyrson (Somerset Ho.). A payre of shettes a lynnyne & a Femble.
1622–3. Invent. in H. Best, Rural Economy in Yorkshire in 1641 (Surtees), 162 note. Three [pound] of femble harne, 4s.
