Forms: 6 sopewurt, -woort, 7 -worte (-worth), 6–8 -wort, 7– soapwort. [f. SOAP sb., perh. after Du. zeepkruid or G. seifenkraut, in later G. also seifenwurz(el.]

1

  1.  One or other of the herbaceous plants belonging to the genus Saponaria, which yield a saponaceous principle; esp. the common species, S. officinalis; also, the genus itself.

2

1548.  Turner, Names Herbes, 66. Radicula,… if we had it here,… myghte be called in english sopewurt or skowrwurt.

3

1597.  Gerarde, Herball, II. cviii. 359. The stalkes of Sopewoort are slipperie.

4

1629.  Parkinson, Parad., 352. The ordinary Sopeworte or Bruiseworte with single flowers is often planted in Gardens.

5

1671.  Salmon, Syn. Med., III. xxii. 428. Soapwort … heals Cuts,… helps the Stone and Dropsie.

6

a. 1689.  Mrs. Behn, trans. Cowley’s Plants, C.’s Wks. 1711, III. 374. Soap-wort, tho’ coarse thy Name, thou dost excel in Form and art enrich’d with fragrant Smell.

7

1731.  Miller, Gard. Dict., s.v. Lychnis, The Double Sopewort is a Plant of no great Beauty.

8

1800.  Med. Jrnl., III. 365. She was farther directed to apply clysters prepared with soap wort.

9

1866.  Treas. Bot., 952/2. Saponine,… found likewise in plants belonging to the cloveworts, soapworts, and a few other orders.

10

  b.  As a moth-name (see quot.).

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1832.  J. Rennie, Consp. Butterfl. & Moths, 69. The Soap Wort (Hadena Saponariæ …) appears the middle of July…; feeds on the Saponaria officinalis and other plants.

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  2.  U.S. (See quots.)

13

1845–50.  Mrs. Lincoln, Lect. Bot., App. 162. Saponaria vaccaria, field soap-wort.

14

1858.  Simmonds, Dict. Trade, Soap-wort, the root of Vaccaria vulgaris, which, like the aril of the soap-berry, contains saponine.

15

  3.  Any plant of the order Sapindaceæ.

16

1846.  Lindley, Veg. Kingd., 383. A very general character of the Soapworts is to have their embryo either curved, or twisted spirally.

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1876.  Harley, Royle’s Mat. Med., 707. Soapworts … are well illustrated in the horse-chestnut.

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  4.  attrib., as soapwort family, order; soapwort gentian, † (a) = sense 1; (b) U.S., a variety of gentian.

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1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, III. xiii. 334. Alisma siue Saponaria. Sopewort Gentian.

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1846–50.  A. Wood, Class-bk. Bot., 453. Gentiana saponaria, Soapwort Gentian.

21

1849.  Balfour, Man. Bot., 381. Sapindaceæ, the Soapwort Family.

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1861.  Bentley, Man. Bot., 481. Sapindaceæ.—The Soapwort Order.

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