[A Christian name, ad. L. Timotheus, Gr. Τιμόθεος (= ‘honoring God’).]
1. Short for TIMOTHY GRASS.
1747. B. Franklin, Lett., Wks. 1887, II. 77. You made some mistake when you intended to favor me with some of the new valuable grass seed … for what you gave me … proves mere timothy.
1840. J. Buel, Farmer’s Comp., 225. Timothy, better known in the east as herds-grass, and in Europe as meadow cat’s-tail (Phleum pratense.) This is the general forage grass of the northern States.
1837. Daily News, 18 Oct., 3/8. Timothy is scarce both in America and Germany, whence our supplies are mainly derived, and is likely to be dear.
b. attrib., as timothy field, hay, seed, sod.
1784. Pennsylvania Gaz., 17 March, 3/2. Timothy seed.
1868. Rep. U.S. Commissioner Agric. (1869), 420. A timothy sod plowed late in spring.
1884. Roe, Nat. Ser. Story, viii. The mowing machine would be used in the timothy fields.
1902. Encycl. Brit., XXVI. 535/2. Clover seed 60 lb.; timothy seed 48 lb.
2. ‘A brew or jorum of liquor’ (Sc. slang; E.D.D.).
1855. Strang, Glasgow & its Clubs (1856), 338. Rum filled the crystal timothies.
1890. J. Service, Thir Notandums, xii. 87. Drink fair, pree and pree aboot, wi’ that timothy o’ toddy that you’ve been hirpling aboot to mak.
