Forms: 6 sperie, 6–7 spury, 6– spurry, 7– spurrey. [a. Du. spurrie (MDu. sporie; older Flem. speurie, spurie; WFris. sparje, sparre), prob. related in some way to med.L. spergula (whence G. spergel, spörgel, etc.).]
1. One or other of various species of herbaceous plants or weeds belonging to the genus Spergula, characterized by slender stems and very narrow leaves; esp. the common species corn spurrey (S. arvensis), occas. used as fodder for sheep and cattle; also, the genus to which these species belong.
α. 1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., I. 38 b. The common people call it Spury, or Sperie. Ibid., 39. Such thinges as neede not muche moysture, are best sowed in lyght ground, as the great Clauer, Sperie, Chich.
1651. R. Child, in Hartlib’s Legacy (1655), 71. So we are ignorant what their Far or fine Bread Corn was, what their Lupine, Spury, and an hundred of this kind.
β. 1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 56. Spurry hath round stalkes, with three or foure knots or ioyntes.
1611. Cotgr., Spurrie, Spurrie, or Franke; a Dutch hearbe, and an excellent fodder for cattell.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Spergula,… an Herb call’d Spurry, or Frank; Wood-rose, a kind of Liver-wort.
1799. W. Tooke, View Russian Emp., III. 192. The pastures are richly furnished with spurry and golden clover.
1837. Flemish Husb., 37, in Husb., III. (L.U.K.). Spurry … is a plant which grows very rapidly in light sandy soils.
1879. Cassell’s Techn. Educ., III. 28/1. Spurry … is used on the Continent as a winter food for sheep.
γ. 1671. Phillips (ed. 3), Spurrey, a sort of herb called in Latin Spergula.
1683. Lond. Gaz., No. 1806/4. An excellent new sort of Grass-Seeds, called Spurrey.
1764. Museum Rust., IV. 45. Spurrey, by them [sc. Flemings] called Marian-grasse.
1766. Compl. Farmer, Spurrey, the name of a weed common in many parts of England.
1837. Flemish Husb., 14, in Husb., III. (L.U.K.). Those [seeds] which grow rapidly between the reaping of one crop and the sowing of another, such as spurrey or turnips.
1880. Jefferies, Hodge & Masters, I. 27. The spurrey that filled the spaces between the stalks below.
b. With distinguishing terms (see quots. and 2).
1640. Parkinson, Theat. Bot., 562. Both the Dutch and we in England call it Spurry or Franck Spurry, for the causes aforesaid, but I do a little more explaine the names, in calling it Francking Spurrewort.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. 98. Francking Spurry, or Spurwort.
1756. Hill, Hist. Plants, 185. Among the other useful plants cultivated in the neighbouring countries is the common spurrey.
1771. Encycl. Brit., III. 621/1. Spergula arvensis, or corn-spurrey. Ibid. Spergula pentandria, or small spurrey.
c. attrib., as spurrey-sandwort, -seed.
1644. G. Plattes, in Hartlib’s Legacy (1655), 257. The Spurry-seed which you have gotten out of the Low-Countries.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 31. In the Low-Countries they usually sowe Spurrey-seed twice in a Summer.
1736. Bailey, Houshold Dict., s.v. Poultry, When fowls are near their laying-time, spurry seed, and buck wheat is an excellent strengthening for them.
1856. A. Gray, Man. Bot. (1860), 61. Spergularia, Spurrey-Sandwort…. Low herbs, growing on or near the sea-coast.
1894. Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., June, 329. Adulterated … with spurry and other weed seeds.
d. pl. Plants of this genus.
1882. G. Allen, Colours of Flowers, ii. 39. Stitchworts … and cornspurries…, which have open flowers of a very primitive character.
2. Applied, with distinguishing terms, to various species of plants allied to or resembling (and some formerly classed with) the genus Spergula (see quots.).
1828. Sir J. E. Smith, Engl. Flora, II. 339. Spergula saginoides. Smooth *Awl-shaped Spurrey.
1842. Penny Cycl., XXII. 333/2. Spergula saginoides, pearl-wort spurrey, and S. subulata, awl-shaped spurrey, are also natives of Great Britain.
1858. A. Irvine, Handbk. Brit. Plants, 768. Sagina saxatilis.… Smooth Awl-shaped Spurrey.
1887. *Field Spurrey [see Sandwort spurrey].
1753. Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl. s.v. Alsine, The chickweed called the *greater spurry.
1771. Encycl. Brit., III. 621/1. Spergula nodosa, or *knotted spurrey.
1891. Cent. Dict., s.v., Knotted spurry, more properly called knotted pearlwort, is Sagina nodosa. The *lawn-spurry (or properly lawn-pearlwort) is Sagina glabra.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), XVII. 688/1. Spergula saginoides, *pearlwort spurrey, has smooth, linear, opposite leaves.
1777. Jacob, Catal. Plants, 111. Arenaria rubra, *Purple Spurrey.
1796. Withering, Brit. Pl. (ed. 3), II. 422. Arenaria rubra,… Purple Spurrey, or Sandwort, [grows in] sandy meadows and cornfields.
1866. Treas. Bot., 1089/1. *Sand Spurry. Spergularia.
1887. Cassell’s Encycl. Dict., s.v. Spergularia, Two [species] are British: Spergularia rubra, Field, and S. marina, Seaside *Sandwort Spurrey. Both have red flowers.
1756. Hill, Hist. Plants, 185/2. There is another species, the common *sea spurrey.
1777. Jacob, Catal. Plants, 110. Arenaria marina, Small flowered Sea-spurrey.
