[f. SULPHUR sb. Cf. F. soufrer, Du. solferen, sulferen.]
In Urquhart’s Rabelais (1653), I. xvii. ‘sulfured, hopary-mated, moiled and bepist’ renders folfé et habaliné of the original. Urquhart’s copy of the French no doubt had solfré, the reading of the first ed., and app. the source also of Cotgrave’s solfié (glossed ‘solfaed; also, distempered’). Modern editors explain folfré as = made mad.
1. trans. To fumigate with burning sulphur, e.g., for the purpose of bleaching goods, disinfecting, preventing fermentation in casks; to sprinkle (plants) with flowers of sulphur to prevent mold or the like; also, to put (wine) into casks that have been fumigated with sulphur.
1759. Phil. Trans., LI. 363, note. When the stockings were perfectly new, or the black dipt afresh, and the white newly cleaned and sulphured.
1830. M. Donovan, Dom. Econ., I. 281. For the purpose of sulphuring wines.
1867. Bloxam, Chem., 198. Casks for wine or beer are sulphured in order to prevent the action of any substance contained in the pores of the wood.
1883. J. Y. Stratton, Hops & Hop-pickers, 24. Sulphuring the hop is frequently used to destroy mould insects in the earlier stages of the growth.
1888. Encycl. Brit., XXIV. 608/1. Immediately after … they blossom the vines are sulphured, to keep off the Oidium.
2. To treat with sulphur waters. rare.
1837. Ht. Martineau, Soc. Amer., I. 255. The season had not begun, few having been yet sufficiently sulphured and bathed elsewhere to come here to be braced.
3. To fasten firmly with molten sulphur. rare.
1867. Chambers’ Jrnl., Sept., 624/1. An iron hook sulphured into a small glass flask.
