Also 4 quiken, quickene; 6– whicken, 7 whighen, 9 wicken, wiggin. [The northern equivalent of QUICKBEAM, and presumably from QUICK a., but the exact nature of the ending is not clear: in early use always in comb. with tree. Cf. QUICK TREE.
An OE. cwictreow is found in glosses, rendering an obscure L. cresis or gnesis.]
1. a. The mountain-ash, or rowan-tree (Pyrus aucuparia). b. The service-tree (Sorbus domestica). † c. The juniper. (Obs.)
Comb. with tree. a. 1387. Sinon. Barthol. (Anecd. Oxon.), 26. Juniperus, quikentre.
1548. Turner, Names Herbes (E. D. S.), 75. The seconde kynde [of sorbus] is called … in Englishe a rountree or a Quicken tree. Ibid. (1562), Herbal, II. (1568), 71. The tre whiche we call in the North countre a quicken tre or a rown tre, & in the South countre a quikbeme.
1686. Plot, Staffordsh., 223. The Fraxinus sylvestris or Quicken-tree, which they firmly believe will certainly preserve them from all fascinations, and evill spirits.
1756. Sir J. Hill, Brit. Herbal, 514. We have two other species. 1. The common Service…. 2. The Quicken-tree.
1844. M. A. Richardson, Borderer’s Table-bk., VII. 182. Witchwood, the mountain ash … called in divers parts of Northumberland the whicken-tree.
1857. O’Grady, Pursuit Diarmuid, 143. He … followed Diarmuid’s track to the foot of the quicken tree.
absol. 1674. in Depos. Cast. York, 209. They tye soe much whighen about him, I cannot come to my purpose, else I could have worn him away once in two yeares.
1756. Pococke, Trav. (1889), II. 217. The quicken and yew grow here.
1769. R. French, in A. Young, Tour Irel. (1780), I. 380. Two small groves … consisting of quicken or mountain ash.
1857. O’Grady, Pursuit Diarmuid, 143. I know that Diarmuid is in the top of the quicken.
2. attrib., as quicken-berry, -bough, -branch.
1579. Langham, Gard. Health (1633), 88. Mulberies, Quicken-berries, greene Grapes.
1671. Sir W. Boreman, in F. P. Verney, Mem. Verney Fam. (1892), I. 15. The king’s … thankes for the Quickenbury trees yu sent his maty.
1879. Henderson, Folk-lore, vi. 184. Twigs of mountain-ash or quicken-berry.
1894. Yeats, Celtic Twilight, 86. One of these bands carried quicken boughs in their hands.
