Obs. Also 7 spirage, sperrage, 8 spearage. [a. OF. sperage, var. of sparage SPARAGE.] Asparagus.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., III. 558. Sperages seed … Is good to sowe hem with,… For cannes & sperage haue oon tylynge.
1545. Elyot, Asparagus, an herbe callyd of common Apotecaries Sparagus, in englishe Sperage.
1577. B. Googe, trans. Heresbach’s Husb., 19. Sperage and such like, must be sowen in shaddowy places.
1620. Venner, Via Recta, vii. 150. Asparagus or Sperage is hot in the beginning of the first degree.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 99/2. Asparagus or Sperage…. The Flowers are yellow, consisting of six leaves.
1731. Miller, Gard. Dict., Asparagus,… Sparagus or Sperage.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 317. Spearage, see Asparagus.
attrib. 1611. Cotgr., Pois à visage,… Sperage Beanes, French Beanes,… Kidney Beanes.
a. 1661. Holyday, Juvenal, 77. Thy Patrone’s Fish, Deck’d round with Sperage-buds.
b. With distinguishing adjs.
1545. Elyot, Corruda, an herbe called wylde sperage.
1548. Turner, Names Herbes (E. D. S.), 17. It maye be called in englishe pricky Sperage, because it is all full of pryckes.
1601. Holland, Pliny, II. 122. The stalke is smooth, and resembleth garden Sperage.
a. 1661. Holyday, Juvenal, 214. Wild sperage too We ’ll have; my Plow-man’s VVife her spindle threw Aside, to gather it.
1758. Borlase, Nat. Hist. Cornw., 233. Marsh-asparagus or sperage, Asparagus palustris.
