Bot. Also 6 bind(e)weede, bynd-, 7 binde-, 9 bine- [f. BIND v. + WEED. (Perh. sometimes for BINDWITH.)]
1. The English name for the species of the N.O. Convolvulus; as Greater Bindweed (C. sepium), Lesser Bindweed (C. arvensis), Seaside Bindweed (C. Soldanella).
1548. Turner, Names of Herbes (1881), 30. Conuoluulus is called … in english wythwynde or byndeweede. Ibid. (1562), Herbal, II. 128. Byndweed … is as it wer an vnperfyt worke of nature lerning to make lilies.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Countr. Farm, 531. Bind-weed, both great and small, do proceed partly of drinesse.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), I. Sea bells, sea bind weed, or withwand, Soldanella.
1814. Wordsw., Excurs., I. 761. The cumbrous bind-weed, with its wreaths and bells.
attrib. 1855. Tennyson, Brook, 203. The fragile bindweed-bells and briony rings.
2. Applied dialectally or vaguely to various other climbing plants, as species of Smilax, Honeysuckle, Tamus, etc. See also BINWEED.
1601. Holland, Pliny, XVI. xxxv. Like unto Ivie is that plant which they call Smilax, or rough Bindweed.
1671. Salmon, Syn. Med., III. xxii. 432. Smilax … Bindweed; it opens the belly, disolves hard swellings.
3. Black, Corn, or Ivy Bindweed, Polygonum Convolvulus; Blue Bindweed, Bittersweet or Woody Nightshade.
1617. B. Jonson, Vis. Delight. The blue bindweed doth itself infold With honey-suckle.
1794. Martyn, Rousseau’s Bot., xix. 261. Black Bindweed … frequent weed among corn.
