sb. Forms: (4 asimac), 5 sumak, [symak], 6 sumache, shomacke, 6–7 shoemake, shooma(c)ke, shewmake, 6–7, 9 sumack, 7 schomache, shommacken, showmack, shumach, -ack, Sc. shoomak, 7–8 shoemack, 8 shomach, 9 shumac(h, 4 sumac, 6– sumach. [a. OF. sumac, from 13th cent. (= Pr. simac, sumac, It. sommaco. Sp. zumaque, Pg. sumagre) or med.L. sumac(h, a. Arabic summq.
The form asimac in the first quot. represents Arab. as·summq (with prefixed article).]
1. A preparation of the dried and chopped leaves and shoots of plants of the genus Rhus, esp. R. Coriaria (see 2), much used in tanning, also for dyeing and staining leather black (cf. sumach black in 3) and medicinally as an astringent.
13[?]. Sloane MS. 5, lf. 12/1. Sumac fructus est cuiusdam arboris … G[allice] & A[nglice] asimac.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 218. Make him a gargarisme wiþ a decoccioun of ro[sin], sumac, balaustiarum.
[1419. Liber Albus (Rolls), I. 224. Karke de symak, xii d.]
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc., 63. Medicynez restrictyuez bene þise; Camphore, accacia … sumak, mirtell.
1580–1. Act 23 Eliz., c. 9 § 2. Unless the Madder be put in with Shomacke or Gallys.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy. (1810), III. 328. Shoemake … vsed in England for blacke.
1611. Cotgr., Sumach de cuisine, the berrie, or fruit of that shrub, vsed heretofore in stead of salt, especially in sawces; whence, as it seemes, we call it, meat Sumacke, and sawce Sumacke.
1612. Sc. Bk. Rates, in Halyburton’s Ledger (1867), 326. Shoomak or blacking the hundreth weght vii li.
1666. Lond. Gaz., No. 71/4. Two Prizes, one laden with Deal, the other with Shommacken.
1728. Chambers, Cycl., Sumac, a Drug used to die in Green; as also in the Preparation of Black Morocco, and other Leather.
1812. J. Smyth, Pract. Customs (1821), 210. The Sicilian Shumack is imported in bags.
1838. T. Thomson, Chem. Org. Bodies, 422. Sumac, called also young fustic by the British dyers.
1852. Morfit, Tanning & Currying (1853), 92. Sicily sumach is in high repute.
1864. Chamb. Encycl., VI. 68/1. The tanning of goat-skins … is done by sewing up the skins, and filling the bag with a decoction of shumac in a warm state.
b. The leaves of the sumach used as a substitute for tobacco.
1823. [G. Proctor], Lucubrations H. Ravelin, 351. The fragrance of the shumach from their [sc. the Sieue Indians’] pipes was substituted for the villanous compound of odours which usually floated in the wigwam.
1835. W. Irving, Tour Prairies, 207. He had scented the smoke of mingled sumach and tobacco.
2. Any of the shrubs or small trees of the genus Rhus (N.O. Terebinthaceæ), esp. R. Coriaria, indigenous in southern Europe, which is the chief source of the material used in tanning (see 1).
The most important species are:—R. Coriaria, tanner’s sumach; called also currier’s, † dyer’s, elm-leaved, hide, † leather sumach; R. typhina (fever rhus), stag(’s)-horn sumach, a picturesque shrub or small tree of North America, with irregular branches and pinnate leaves, frequently cultivated in England as an ornamental tree; called also American, Indian, myrtle, myrtle-leaved, † red, Virginia(n, † wild sumach; R. glabra, smooth sumach, called also New England, Pennsylvania, smooth-leaved sumach; R. copallina (gum copal), mountain or narrow-leaved sumach; R. venenata (poison-ash or -elder), poison or swamp sumach; R. vernicifera (lacquer tree), Japan or varnish sumach; R. Cotinus, the Venetian, Venice, or (corruptly) Venus (see VENUS2) sumach; R. canadensis (aromatica), Canadian or fragrant sumach; R. Metopium, coral or Jamaica sumach.
1548. Turner, Names Herbes (E.D.S.), 67. Plinie maketh three kyndes of Rhois, of the whiche kyndes I knowe one certaynly, whiche is called of the Poticaries Sumache. Ibid. (1562), Herbal, II. 115. The Sumach which is vsed for a sauce vnto meates, which som call rede: is the fruyte of the lether Sumach.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, III. cv. 1291. Rhus Myrtifolius. Wilde, or Myrtill Sumach. Ibid., 1292. This is called in Greeke ῥοῦς … in English Sumach, Coriars Sumach, and leather Sumach. Ibid. The seede is named … in Latine Rhoë culinaria, and Rhoë obsoniorum: in English Meate Sumach, and Sauce Sumach. Ibid., 1293. Coggygria Theophrasti. Venice Sumach. Ibid. Cetinus Coriarius Plinij. Red Sumach.
1629. Parkinson, Parad., 611. Rhus Virginiana. The Virginia Sumach, or Buckes horne tree of Virginia.
1634. W. Wood, New Eng. Prosp. (1865), 18. The Diars Shumach, with more trees there be.
1715. Phil. Trans., XXIX. 364. All these Trifoliate Sumachs grow spontaneously about the fertile Cape of Good Hope.
1728. R. Bradley, Dict. Bot., s.v. Rhus, The Rhus Myrtifolia, or Myrtle-leaved Sumach…. The Venice Sumach, or Coggygria.
1753. Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl., App. s.v., Coriars Sumach, or myrtle Sumach…. Venetian Sumach.
1760. J. Lee, Introd. Bot., App. 328. Sumach, Tanner’s or Currier’s, Coriaria.
1797. Encycl. Brit. (ed. 3), XVI. 228/2. The glabrum, with winged leaves, grows naturally in many parts of North America; this is commonly titled by the gardeners New England sumach.
1806. Moore, Ballad Stanzas, iv. Yon sumach, whose red berry dips In the gush of the fountain.
1817. J. Bradbury, Trav. Amer., 91. The leaves of Rhus glabra, or smooth sumach.
1831. Davies, Man. Mat. Med., 82. The Narrow-leaved Sumach, Rhus copallinum, Willd.; the Pennsylvania Sumach, R. glabrum, Willd., and the Virginian Sumach, R. typhinum, Willd., are all native plants of North America.
1841. Penny Cycl., XIX. 485/1. Rhus venenata (Poison Sumach, or Swamp Sumach)…. Rhus coriaria (Hide or Elm-leaved Sumach).
1849. R. L. Allen, Amer. Farm Bk., 234. The Rhus glabrum is the common sumach of the United States which grows spontaneously on fertile soils.
1869. Lowell, Pict. from Appledore, 53. And on the whole island never a tree Save a score of sumachs, high as your knee.
b. Applied to plants of other genera. † Wild sumach, the bog-myrtle or sweet gale, Myrica Gale. Chinese sumach, the ailanto, Ailanthus glandulosa. West Indian sumach, Brunellia comocladifolia (Treas. Bot., 1866).
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, VI. xii. 672. Rhus syluestris Plinij. Plinies wilde Sumac.
1860. Darlington, Amer. Weeds, etc., 76. Glandular Ailanthus. Chinese Sumach. Tree of Heaven. Tillow or Tallow Tree.
3. attrib. and Comb., as sumach berry, bush, leaf, root, -tan, tree, tribe, tub; † sumach black, a black dye obtained from sumach; sumach-tanned a., tanned with sumach; so sumach-tanning.
1655. G. S., Lett. to S. Hartlib, in Ref. Comm.-W. Bees, 24. I examined *Shoomake Berries which have a red outside.
1580–1. Act 23 Eliz., c. 9 § 2. A Couloure commonlye called a *Shoomacke and mathered Blacke.
1877. Black, Green Past., xlii. The lake-red of those *sumach bushes.
1857. Miller, Elem. Chem., Org., xi. § 2. 673. A portion of *sumach leaves and of a stronger infusion is poured into the bag.
1897. Beatrice Harraden, Hilda Strafford, 29. He brought in some logs of wood and some *sumac-roots.
1845. G. Dodd, Brit. Manuf., Ser. V. 196. The skins, shortly before being placed in the *sumach-tan, are subjected to the action of hydrostatic press.
1906. Athenæum, 24 Feb., 241/2. *Sumach-tanned leathers seem to be by far the best.
1845. G. Dodd, Brit. Manuf., Ser. V. 196. Both kinds are prepared by *sumach-tanning.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, II. v. 80/1. The *Sumack Tree of Virginia, nicked with nine, or ten leaves on a side like an ash.
1833. Sir J. E. Smith, Study Bot. (ed. 7), 316. Sumachineæ. *Sumach Tribe.
1845. G. Dodd, Brit. Manuf., Ser. V. 192. The *sumach-tubs present a singular appearance when three or four dozen inflated goat-skins are floating about in the contained liquor.
Hence Sumac(h) v. trans., to tan with sumach; chiefly in Sumaching vbl. sb.
1845. G. Dodd, Brit. Manuf., Ser. V. 192. Once during the process of sumaching the skins are removed from the tub. Ibid., 200. The principal difference between sumached leather and alumed leather.
1860. Tomlinson, Arts & Manuf., Ser. II. Leather, 27. The divided skins, or skivers, are sumached in a short time.
1870. Eng. Mech., 11 Feb., 534/2. The skins should be well shaved, scoured, and sumaced.
