a. and sb. Also (in sense B. 3) 7 florenden, 8 -ine. [ad. L. Flōrentīn-us of or pertaining to Flōrentia Florence.]
A. adj. Of or pertaining to Florence, the chief city of Tuscany.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1638), 292. Francis the Florentine Cardinall, then lying with a fleet of seuentie gallies at the straits of Hellespontvs.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), II. 305. An elegant monument of Antonio del Pollajuolo, a Florentine painter, who died in 1498.
1877. Nicol, in Encycl. Brit. (ed. 9), VII. 166/2. The third [diamond] in weight is the Florentine, or Grand Duke, as it is named.
b. esp. in † Florentine flower-de-luce = Florentine iris; Florentine fresco (see quot.); Florentine iris, the white or pale-blue iris (I. Florentina); Florentine lake (see quot. 1854); Florentine marble (see quot.); Florentine mosaic, a kind of mosaic made by inlaying precious stones in marble or the like; Florentine pie = B. 3.
1597. Gerard, Herball, I. xxxv. 48. The white Flower-de-luce is like vnto the *Florentine Flower de-luce in rootes, flaggie leaues and stalkes.
1854. Fairholt, Dict. Terms Art, *Florentine Fresco.… Like common fresco, the lime is used wet, but in this mode it can be moistened and kept damp, and fit for painting on.
1882. The Garden, XXI. 20 May, 353/1. A large table bouquet … of tall white *Florentine Iris.
1822. Imison, Elements of Science and Art, II. 411. *Florentine lake is the kind in general use, known by the name of lake.
1854. Fairholt, Dict. Terms Art, Florentine Lake. A pigment prepared from cochineal. It is now obsolete.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), *Florentine or Landskip-Marble, a kind of Marble, in which the Figures of Mountains, Rivers, Towers, Houses, and even whole Cities are naturally Represented.
1854. Fairholt, Dict. Terms Art, *Florentine Mosaic. The term applied to the art of inlaying tables and other plane surfaces with pietra dura and pietra commesse, carried on principally at Florence.
1823. Galt, Entail, III. 65. A jigot o’ mutton, a fine young poney cock, and a *florentine pie.
B. sb.
1. A native or inhabitant of Florence. Also a Florentine ship.
1591. Raleigh, Last Fight Rev. (Arb.), 16. Their Nauy which they termed inuincible, consisting of 240. saile of ships, not onely of their own kingdom, but strengthened with the greatest Argosies, Portugall Caractes, Florentines and huge Hulkes of other countries.
1599. Thynne, Animadv. (1875), 45. You mistake the valewe of the florens, suche as was vsed in Chaucers tyme, whiche taking his name of the woorkemenne, beinge florentynes.
1601. Shaks., All’s Well that ends Well, I. ii. 1.
| King. The Florentines and Senoys are by th’eares, | |
| Haue fought with equall fortune, and continue | |
| A brauing warre. |
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 353. London was, to the Londoner, what Athens was the the Athenian of the age of Pericles, what Florence was to the Florentine of the fifteenth century. The citizen was proud of the grandeur of his city, punctilious about her claims to respect, ambitious of her offices, and zealous for her franchises.
2. A textile fabric of silk or † wool, used for wearing apparel. Cf. FLORENCE 2.
1545. Rates Customho., D iij b. Florentynes [printed -tyse] for a clothe.
1819. Rees, Cycl., XIV. s.v. Florentine, in the Manufacture of Cloth, is the term used for a species of satin or tweeled silk, which has evidently been either originally or extensively prosecuted at Florence.
1882. Caulfeild & Saward, Dict. Needlework, Florentine.… It is a twilled silk, thicker than Florence, which latter is, however, sometimes called by the same name.
3. Cookery. A kind of pie or tart; esp. meat baked in a dish with a cover of paste.
1567–79. Hake, Newes Powles Churchyarde, iv. (1872), D iij.
| He must foresee that he ne lacke | |
| colde bakemeates in the ende: | |
| With Custardes, Tarts, and Florentines, | |
| the bancquet to amende. |
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Florentine, a made Dish of Minced Meats, Currans, Spice, Eggs, &c., Bak’d.
1750. E. Smith, Compleat Housewife (ed. 14), 41. A Florentine of a kidney of Veal.
1870. Ramsay, Remin., v. (ed. 18), 126. A florentine (an excellent old Scottish dish composed of veal).
4. The Florentine dialect of Italian.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr. (1864), IX. XIV. v. 207. The Decamerone centres in itself all the wit, all the indecency, all the cleverest mockery of the French and Provençal Fabliaux, and this it has clothed in that exquisite, all-admired Florentine which has secured its undying fame.
Hence Florentine v. trans., to cook or prepare in the manner of a florentine (B. 3).
1769. Mrs. Raffald, Eng. Housekpr. (1778), 137. To florendine Rabbits. Take three young rabbits, skin them, but leave on the ears.
