sumac
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈs(j)uːmæk/
ipa: /ˈʃuː-/
ipa: /ˈsuːˌmæk/
ipa: /ˈsu-/
Forms: form: sumacs
form: sumacing
form: sumacking
form: sumaced
form: sumaced
form: sumacked
form: sumacked
form: shumac
form: sumach
Etymology: The noun is derived from Middle English sumac, asimac, simak, sumak, symak (“portions of the shrub Rhus coriaria, chiefly used for medicinal purposes”), from Anglo-Norman sumak, symak, and Old French sumac, or directly from its etymon Medieval Latin sumach, sumac, from Arabic سُمَّاق (summāq), from Classical Syriac ܣܘܡܩܐ (summāqā, “red; sumac”). The English word is cognate with Italian sommaco, sommacco, Occitan simac, Portuguese sumagre, Spanish zumaque.
The verb is derived from the noun.
Senses: examples: text: After this operation, the goods muſt be winched and well planked, or otherwiſe cleaned; they are then, according to the quality of them, to be ſumached, and then ſnitchelled off, and waſhed.
ref: 1792, [Charles O’Brien], “Of Cleansing Goods, Previous to Maddering, or Boiling Off”, in A Treatise on Calico Printing, Theoretical and Practical: […], volume I, [London]: Printed for C. O’Brien, […] and sold by Bew, […], Richardson, […], Murray, […], →OCLC:
text: Then lot 1 will be shumacked first time; that is, passed through a decoction of shumac, then through copperas, and then washed off, and if the decoction of shumac is kept up strong, after being all of them once shumacked they may be dried. [...] If the black liquor and the shumacking were powerful, some of them will shew themselves finished when dry.
ref: 1816, Thomas Packer, “On Dying Silk Black, According to M. [Pierre] Macquer”, in The Dyer’s Guide; being an Introduction to the Art of Dying […], London: Printed for Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, […], →OCLC, page 90:
text: A great variety of Blue Drabs can be dyed by first Sumaching the cotton, and then in another tub add a little Nitrate of Iron or Copperas liquor, and give a few turns.
ref: 1853, David Smith, “Cotton-dyeing. [No. 39. Various Shades of Silver Drab.]”, in The Dyer’s Instructor: Comprising Practical Instructions in the Art of Dyeing Silk, Cotton, Wool, and Worsted and Woollen Goods, […], Philadelphia, Pa.: Henry Carey Baird, […], →OCLC, page 70:
text: For dyeing on cotton, the cloth or yarn is steeped in sumac or tannic acid, dyed in the color, and then may be fixed by tin, or the cloth may be sumaced and mordanted as usual with tin and then dyed.
ref: 1869, Charles O’Neill, “Aniline Colors”, in A Dictionary of Dyeing and Calico Printing; [ […] To which is Added an Essay on Coal Tar Colors and Their Application to Dyeing and Calico Printing. By A. A. Fesquet, Chemist and Engineer. With an Appendix on Dyeing, as Shown at the Exposition of 1867, from the Reports of the International Jury, etc.">…
text: Satin calf should be very carefully shaved to get a level substance; also extremely well set, scoured, sumacked, and sleaked out as other calf, but heavier stuffed, keeping the grain free from dubbing, seasoned and blacked as described for satin horse, and finished in the same way. [From the London Tanners' and Curriers' Journal.]
ref: 1882 May 6, “The Manufacture of Leather”, in Scientific American Supplement, volume XIII, number 331, New York, N.Y.: Munn & Co., publishers […], →OCLC, page 5279, column 1:
text: I must now direct your attention to the goods, which, after having been crabbed in the way described, are brought on to these large jiggers, and the first process is to sumac or impregnate the cloth with any of the substances usually employed which are richest in tannin, after which the goods are saddened, as it is termed, as a rule, with solutions of salts of iron.
ref: 1884 March 29, James Sharp, “Notes on Some of the Modes of Preparing, Bleaching, Dyeing, and Finishing Cotton Goods, Practised by Lancashire and Yorkshire Dyers, and Their Results”, in Watson Smith, editor, Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry. A Monthly Record for All Interested in Chemical Manufactures, volume III, number 3, Manchester: Emmot and Company, […], →OCLC, page 145, column 1:
text: Harness backs, previous to currying are wetted back in cold or tepid water for skiving; they are then thoroughly scoured, grain well cleaned, and re-shaved, or "flatted" on the flesh if necessary. They are then shumaced to brighten the color. Some makers shumac before flatting in drum tumblers.
ref: 1905 July, “Tanning Heavy Leather: Specimen Answers to the Questions Supplied by Dr. J. Gordon Parker of Harold’s Institute, London”, in The Leather Manufacturer: A Technological Journal, volume XVI, part 7, Boston, Mass.: Deming & Rogers, →OCLC, page 115:
text: After they [calf skins for making shoes] are shaved, scour, flesh, and grain, give them a good sumacing, and let them lie for a day or two.
ref: 1906, Alexander Watt, “Currying”, in Leather Manufacture: A Practical Handbook of Tanning, Currying, and Chrome Leather Dressing, 5th revised and enlarged edition, New York, N.Y.: D[avid] Van Nostrand Company […]; London: Crosby Lockwood and Son, →OCLC, page 395:
text: The leather should then be sumacked in a drum or paddle vat. […] In a paddle vat, sumac the leather two to three hours. Keep it in motion and warm up the liquor when it gets too cool. After sumacking rinse the leather in lukewarm water, and a nice russet is the result, ready for colors or russet.
ref: 1910, Louis A[ndrew] Flemming, “Section Eight. Methods of Bleaching Leather.”, in Practical Tanning: A Handbook of Modern Processes, Receipts, and Suggestions for the Treatment of Hides, Skins and Pelts of Every Description, […], 2nd revised and enlarged edition, Philadelphia, Pa.: Henry Carey Baird & Co., […]; London: Crosby Lockwood and Son, […], →OCLC, page 346:
glosses: To apply a preparation of sumac to (an object), for example, to a piece of leather to tan it.