orpine

orpine
   One of the orpine's nicknames is 'Midsummer Men', after a *love divination custom carried out on *Midsummer's Eve and reported all over the country since at least the 18th century. To test the potential relationship between two people, take slips of orpine, stick them upright, and place them side by side in pairs. The mutual attraction or aversion is judged by whether the slips inclined towards or away from each other. John Aubrey (1686: 25-6) claims that in his day it was particularly 'cooke mayds and dayrymaids' who were partial to this procedure, but the method and meaning remained remarkably stable until well into the 20th century.
   ■ Opie and Tatem, 1989: 295; Vickery, 1995: 270-1.

A Dictionary of English folklore. . 2014.

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  • orpine — or pine, n. [F. orpin the genus of plants which includes orpine; so called from the yellow blossoms of a common species (Sedum acre). See {Orpiment}.] (Bot.) A low plant with fleshy leaves ({Sedum telephium}), having clusters of purple flowers.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • orpine — [ôr′pin] n. [ME orpin < MFr < orpiment (see ORPIMENT): orig. used of a yellow flowered plant] any of various plants (esp. genus Sedum) of the orpine family, with fleshy leaves and stems, and white, yellow, or purple flowers adj. designating …   English World dictionary

  • orpine — noun Etymology: Middle English orpin, from Anglo French, from orpiment Date: 14th century an herb (Sedum telephium of the family Crassulaceae, the orpine family) that has fleshy leaves and pink or purple flowers and was formerly used in folk… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • orpine — [ ɔ:pɪn] (also orpin) noun a purple flowered stonecrop. [Sedum telephium.] Origin ME: from OFr. orpine, prob. an alt. of orpiment, orig. applied to a yellow flowered sedum …   English new terms dictionary

  • orpine — or•pine [[t]ˈɔr pɪn[/t]] n. pln a succulent plant, Sedum telephium, of the stonecrop family, having toothed fleshy leaves and purple flowers • Etymology: 1300–50; MEorpin< AF, OF: orpine, orpiment yellow mineral used as a pigment …   From formal English to slang

  • orpine — vilkpupė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Šeima. Storlapiniai – Crassulaceae J. St. Hil. atitikmenys: lot. Hylotelephium angl. orpine; stone crop; wall pepper vok. Dickblatt; Fetthenne; Fettkraut; Mauerpfeffer rus. очиток lenk. rozchodnik …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • orpine — šilokas statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Storlapinių (Crassulaceae) šeimos augalų gentis (Sedum). atitikmenys: lot. Sedum angl. orpine; stone crop; stonecrop; wall pepper vok. Dickblatt; Fetthenne; Fettkraut; Mauerpfeffer rus. очиток lenk.… …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • orpine — didžioji vilkpupė statusas T sritis vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Hylotelephium maximum angl. large leaved stone crop; live long; orpine vok. Donnerbart; Fischkraut; große Fetthenne; große Fettkraut rus. очиток большой lenk. rozchodnik welki …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • orpine — tikroji vilkpupė statusas T sritis vardynas atitikmenys: lot. Hylotelephium telephium angl. live forever; midsummer men; orpine vok. breitblättriges Fetthenne; breitblättriges Fettkraut; Purpur Fetthenne rus. очиток обыкновенный; очиток скрипун… …   Dekoratyvinių augalų vardynas

  • orpine — n. (also orpin) a succulent herbaceous purple flowered plant, Sedum telephium. Also called LIVELONG(2). Etymology: ME f. OF orpine, prob. alt. of ORPIMENT, orig. of a yellow flowered species of the same genus …   Useful english dictionary

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