[L. urtīca nettle (whence It. ortica, Sp. ortiga, Pg. urtiga):—ūrĕre to burn.]
† 1. = SEA-NETTLE. Obs. rare.
a. 1682. Sir T. Browne, Norf. Fishes, Wks. 1835, IV. 333. Sea stars in great plenty,… whether they be bred out of the urticas [printed urticus], squalders, or sea jellies, as many report, we cannot confirm.
1753. Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl. s.v., The Urtica … is obliged to throw out the shell fish alive again.
2. A genus of apetalous plants, typical of the Nat. Order Urticaceæ, including the true nettles; also, a plant of this, a stinging-nettle.
The original stressing urti·ca (cf. quots. 1764–89) is retained in some modern dictionaries. Ash (1775), however, gives u·rtica, and this is usual in Dicts, from 1888–.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Urtica, the Nettle, an Herb so call’d because it raises Blisters.
1764. Grainger, Sugar Cane, II. 505. The fring’d urtica spreads her purple form To catch the gale.
1789. E. Darwin, Bot. Gard., II. 103. Wide o’er the mad’ning throng Urtica flings Her barbed shafts.
1840. Penny Cycl., XVI. 163/1. The Nettle-trees … having leaves resembling those of some kinds of Urtica.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 489. Certain species of urtica or nettle.
