spiknel

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /ˈspɪknəl/
• Homophone: spicknel
• Hyphenation: spik‧nel

spiknel (uncountable)

1. Rare spelling of spignel.
   • 1562, Wylliam Turner [i.e., William Turner], “Of the Herbe Called Meon or Mew”, in The Second Parte of Guilliam Turners Herball⸝ , Cologne: Arnold Birckman, →OCLC, folio 56, verso:

     I would gladly cõſẽt to thẽ yͭ holde yͭ yͤ herbe wich is called of the apothecaries feniculũ tortuoſum⸝ of yͤ Northẽ Engliſhe mẽ ſpiknel⸝ of the Duche mẽ berwurtz⸝ is yͤ true mew, if yͭ I could fynd any ſpicknel or berwurtz yͭ were of ij. cubites hygh. […] [W]here as the Mew of Mattiolus⸝ yͤ berwurtz of Germany & yͤ ſpiknel of Englãd (which peraduẽture was ones called Spiknard) haue a rough thyng like to the Iudiſh Spiknarde in the hygheſt parte of the root⸝ out of whiche the ſtalke cõmeth firſt furth⸝ the mew of Amatus hath yͤ ſame rough tuht lyke Spiknarde⸝ as he writeth in infirma parte⸝ in the loweſt parte of the roote⸝ which thyng if it be ſo⸝ neither Matthiolus nor I know the ryght mew; […]

     I would gladly consent to them that hold that the herb which is called of the apothecaries feniculum tortuosum, of the Northern Englishmen spiknel, of the Dutchmen berwurtz, is the true mew, if that I could find any spicknel or berwurtz that were of two cubits high. hereas the mew of Matthiolus [Pietro Andrea Mattioli], that berwurtz of Germany and that spiknel of England (which peradventure was once called spikenard) have a rough thing like to the Judish spikenard in the highest part of the root, out of which the stalk cometh first forth, the mew of Amatus [Amatus Lusitanus?] hath the same rough tuft like spikenard, as he writeth in infirma parte, in the lowest part of the root, which thing if it be so, neither Matthiolus nor I know the right mew; 

   • 1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of Wilde Parsley”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. , London: Edm Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, →OCLC, book II, page 867, column 2:

     The ſhops of the Low countries haue miſcalled it in times paſt by the name of Meum, & vſed it for the right Mew or Spiknell woort.

   • 1633, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], Thomas Johnson, “Of Wilde Parsley”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. , enlarged edition, London: Adam Islip, Joice Norton and Richard Whitakers, →OCLC, book II, page 1020, column 2:

     The ſhops of the Low countries haue miſcalled it in times paſt by the name of Meum, and vſed it for the right Mew or Spiknel wort.

   • 1706, Edward Phillips, compiler, J[ohn] K[ersey the younger], “Meu or Meum”, in The New World of Words: Or, Universal English Dictionary. , 6th edition, London: J. Phillips, ; N. Rhodes, ; and J. Taylor, , →OCLC, column 2:

     Mew, Spiknel, wild Dill, an Herb with a Stalk and Leaves like Anis: It is good to expel Wind, and to force Urine; as alſo for Mother-fits, Gripes, &c.

   • 1931, M[aud] Grieve, “LOVAGE, BLACK”, in A Modern Herbal: The Medicinal, Culinary, Cosmetic and Economic Properties, Cultivation and Folk-lore of Herbs, Grasses, Fungi, Shrubs 7 Trees with Their Modern Scientific Uses , volumes II (I–Z and Indexes), published 1971 (2014 printing), →ISBN, page 500, column 2:

     The scent of the root of meum athamanticum (Jacq.), spignel (also called Spikenel or Spiknel), meu or baldmoney, has much in common with that of both Lovage and Angelica, and the root has been eaten by the Scotch Highlanders as a vegetable.