pimpernel

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English

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman pimpernele et al., Middle French pimpinelle (“burnet saxifrage”) et al., from Medieval Latin pimpinella, pipinella, most likely from piper (“pepper”) because its fruit resembled peppercorns, although variants may suggest other derivations, bipinnella the bipennis (“two-winged”).

Pronunciation

Noun

pimpernel (plural pimpernels)

  1. (now rare) A plant of the genus Pimpinella, especially burnet saxifrage (Pimpinella saxifraga).
  2. Any of various plants of the genus Anagallis, having small red, white or purple flowers, especially the scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis).
    • 1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society, published 2007, page 221:
      Common Pimpernel has diverse weak square stalks lying on the ground, beset all along with two small and almost round leaves at every joint [...].
    • 1940, Rosetta E. Clarkson, Green Enchantments: The Magic Spell of Gardens, The Macmillan Company, page 272:
      Pimpernel (poor man's weather glass) was also a protection, but as the gatherer collected the herbs, he must chant a certain incantation and continue to do so twice a day for 15 days[.]
  3. Sanguisorba spp.
    1. Great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis)
    2. Salad burnet (Sanguisorba minor).
  4. (Canada, US) A yellow pimpernel (Taenidia integerrima)
  5. (figurative) Someone resembling the fictional Scarlet Pimpernel; a gallant dashing resourceful man given to remarkable feats of bravery and derring-do in liberating victims of tyranny and injustice.
    • (Can we date this quote by Hal Lehrman and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Lined up solidly with the Pimpernels and with the persecuted.

Derived terms

Translations

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch pimpernelle, from Old French piprenelle, from Medieval Latin pimpinella. Doublet of bevernel.

Pronunciation

Noun

pimpernel f (plural pimpernellen, diminutive pimpernelletje n)

  1. a burnet, any plant of the genus Sanguisorba

Derived terms

Further reading

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