rhubarb
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɹuːbɑːb/
ipa: /ˈɹuˌbɑɹb/
note: Ottawa Valley
ipa: [ˈɹuːbaɹb]
note: Ottawa Valley
ipa: [ɹɪu̯-]
Forms: form: rhubarb
form: rhubarbs
Etymology: From Middle English rubarbe, from Anglo-Norman reubarbe (modern French rhubarbe), from Late Latin reubarbarum, rheubarbarum, rubarbera, rybarba, probably from Koine Greek ῥῆον βάρβαρον (rhêon bárbaron), from ῥῆον (rhêon, “rhubarb”) + Ancient Greek βάρβαρον (bárbaron), neuter of βάρβαρος (bárbaros, “foreign; barbaric”) (English barbarian).
There is also a Medieval Latin variant rabarbarum, which appears to be influenced by Ancient Greek ῥᾶ (rhâ, “rhubarb”), and gave rise to some of the forms in modern languages. The Ancient Greek variant term appears to have been folk-etymologically influenced by Ancient Greek Ῥᾶ (Rhâ, “the River Volga”), which is in the region from which the plant came to the Mediterranean. The ultimate origin of the Ancient Greek terms is, however, Proto-Iranian *(h)rabā́š (“rhubarb, fennel”).
The word is cognate with Catalan ruibarbre, Italian rabarbaro, Dutch rabarber, German Rhabarber, Old Occitan reubarbe, Portuguese ruibarbo, Spanish ruibarbo.
Senses: examples: text: If every the cultivation of Rhubarb in this kingdom becomes ſo extenſive as to ſuperſede the neceſſity of its importation; to the Society for the promotion of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce, will the community be indebted for an advantage, the magnitude and importance of which cannot be too highly appreciated. From whatever cauſe, which it is unneceſſary here to inveſtigate, certain it is the conſumption of this valuable drug is increaſed, and continues to do ſo to a very great degree.
ref: 1798, Thomas Jones, “The Gold Medal, or Thirty Guineas, at the option of the Candidate, being the Premium offered for cultivating the True Rhubarb, was this Session adjudged to Mr. Thomas Jones, of Fish-street-hill, from whom the following Papers were received. Mr. Jones made choice of the pecuniary Reward.”, in Transactions of the Society Instituted at London, for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce; with the Premiums offered in the Year 1798, volume XVI, London: Printed by W. and C. Spilsbury, Snow-hill. [...], →OCLC, page 213:
text: [page 265] In addition to the qualities of the rhubarb above mentioned, it is allowed by all medical men to make one of the most cooling, wholesome, and delicious tarts sent to table; many persons prefer it indeed either to green gooseberries or apples. In the early part of the season the stalks of rhubarb are cut up and mixed with these fruits; with the former before they have obtained their flavour, and with the latter after losing it by long keeping. […] [pages 271–272] Hot-beds, frames, or pits, where a gentle heat can be kept up, will do extremely well for forcing rhubarb, provided the glasses are kept darkened. […] The advantages of blanching the stalk of rhubarb are twofold; namely, the desirable qualities of improved appearance and flavour, and a saving in the quantity of sugar necessary to render them agreeable to the palate, as the leaf-stalks when blanched are infinitely less harsh than when growing under the influence of light, in open situations.
ref: 1839, John Rogers, “RHUBARB.—Rheum.”, in The Vegetable Cultivator: Containing a Plain and Accurate Description of All the Different Species and Varieties of Culinary Vegetables; with the Most Approved Method of Cultivating Them by Natural and Artificial Means, and the Best Mode of Cooking Them; Alphabetically Arranged. Together with a Description of the Physical Herbs in General Use, &c. Also, Some Recollections of the Life of Philip Miller, F.R.S. Gardener to the Worshipful Company of Apothecaries at Chelsea, London: Longman, Orme, Brown, Green, & Longmans, Paternoster-Row, →OCLC, pages 265 and 271–272:
text: [T]he stems of the culinary rhubarb plant (Rheum palmatum) are used in stewing, jams and in tarts and pies. Rhubarb roots were a traditional purgative and the leaves of the rhubarb plant are rich in oxalic acid. This causes irritation of the mouth and the oesophagus. Ingestion of rhubarb leaves induces vomiting and abdominal pains.
ref: 1999, J. Heritage, E[mlyn] G[lyn] V[aughn] Evans, R. A. Killington, “Food Microbiology”, in Microbiology in Action (Studies in Biology), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, published 2000, →ISBN, section 5.6.3 (Food Poisoning Associated with the Consumption of Plant Material), page 99:
text: Most Americans are familiar with the culinary rhubarb that furnishes a filling for pies; fewer are aware that rhubarbs also include several bold and beautiful garden perennials. […] For a tropical foliage effect on a grand scale, substitute rhubarbs as cold-hardy alternatives to Gunnera; similarly, rhubarbs thrive alongside ponds and streams.
ref: 2014, Ruth Rogers Clausen, Thomas Christopher, “Rheum”, in Essential Perennials: The Complete Reference to 2700 Perennials for the Home Garden, Portland, Or.; London: Timber Press, →ISBN, page 328, column 1:
glosses: Any plant of the genus Rheum, especially Rheum rhabarbarum, having large leaves and long green or reddish acidic leafstalks that are edible, in particular when cooked (although the leaves are mildly poisonous).
examples: text: Rhubarb Tarts. Take the ſtalks off the rhubarb that grows in the garden, peel the ſkin off, and cut them the ſize of a gooſeberry, put them into china or earthen-ware patty-pans, with ſugar over them, and put on a paſte either puff or tart, ice them, and bake them the ſame as green gooſeberries, and they will eat like them.
ref: 1788, Richard Briggs, “Pies. [Tarts, Tartlets, and Puffs.]”, in The English Art of Cookery, According to the Present Practice; being a Complete Guide to All Housekeepers, on a Plan Entirely New; Consisting of Thirty-eight Chapters. [...] With Bills of Fare for Every Month in the Year, Neatly and Correctly Engraved on Twelve Copper-plates, London: Printed for G. G. J. and J. Robinson, Pater-noster-Row, →OCLC, page 436:
text: June is normally pie time, because it's when the strawberries come in. The summer before Dad died they were unusally plentiful at our local farmers' market, and Mom made almost a dozen of her strawberry rhubarbs—the ones with the tapioca mixed in—because she knew it was his favorite.
ref: 2014, Lissa Warren, “Spring and Summer”, in The Good Luck Cat: How a Cat Saved a Family, and a Family Saved a Cat, Guildford, Conn.; Helena, Mont.: Lyons Press, Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, page 142:
glosses: The leafstalks of common rhubarb or garden rhubarb (usually known as Rheum × hybridum), which are long, fleshy, often pale red, and with a tart taste, used as a food ingredient; they are frequently stewed with sugar and made into jam or used in crumbles, pies, etc.
examples: text: The running of the reines or gonorrhœa, which is an exceſſive and involuntary profuſion of ſperm, cauſed, by its proper vice, and that of the ſpermatick parts; it's cured, […] if the ſperm be hot & ſharp, by phlebotomy, rhubarb, myrobalans, ſuccory, the foure greater cold ſeeds, anointing the ſpine and loines, with refrigerating unguents, the cerot of ſaunders, and comitiſſæ; […]
ref: 1661, Robert Lovell, “Anthropologia, &c. Of Man. &c.”, in ΠΑΝΖΩΟΡΥΚΤΟΛΟΓΙΑ [PANZŌORYKTOLOGIA]. Sive Panzoologicomineralogia. Or A Compleat History of Animals and Minerals, Containing the Summe of All Authors, both Ancient and Modern, Galenicall and Chymicall, …, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] Hen[ry] Hall, for Jos[eph] Godwin, →OCLC, page 388:
text: […] If you would have them Purging, put Honey to them inſtead of Sugar; and if more Laxative, for Choler, Rhubarb; for Flegm, Turbith, for watry Humours, Scammony: but if more forcibly to bind, uſe the unripe Quinces with Roſes, and Acacia, or Hypociſtis, and ſome torrefied Rhubarb.
ref: 1666, Nich[olas] Culpeper, “The Quince-Tree”, in The English Physitian Enlarged: With Three Hundred, Sixty, and Nine Medicine, Made of English Herbs that were Not in Any Impression untill This. Being an Astrolo-physical Discourse of the Vulgar Herbs of This Nation; Containing a Compleat Method or Physick, whereb a Man may Preserve His Body in Health; or Cure Himself, being Sick, for Three Pence Charge, with Such Things Only as Grow in England, They being Most Fit for English Bodies. …, London: Printed by John Streater, →OCLC, page 200:
text: The rhubarb is a root which has the property of purging gently, of ſtregthening the ſtomach, of facilitating digeſtion, and of deſtroying worms in children. It is a tuberoſe root, rather ſpongy, brown on the outſide, yellow internally, and ſtreaked with reddiſh veins. Its taſte is bitter and aſtringent, its ſmell acrid and aromatic.
ref: 1788, Abbé Reynal [Guillaume Thomas François Raynal], “Book V. Trade of Denmark, Ostend, Sweden, Prussia, Spain, and Russia, to the East Indies. Some Important Inquiries Concerning the Connections of Europe with India.”, in J[ohn] O[badiah] Justamond, transl., A Philosophical and Political History of the Settlements and Trade of the Europeans in the East and West Indies. … In Eight Volumes, volume III, London: Printed for A[ndrew] Strahan; and T[homas] Cadell, in the Strand, →OCLC, page 176:
glosses: The dried rhizome and roots of Rheum palmatum (Chinese rhubarb) or Rheum officinale (Tibetan rhubarb), from China, used as a laxative and purgative.
examples: text: On 13 December 1942, Squadron Leader [Brian] Lane made his first flight from Ludham, a local familiarisation flight. That afternoon, he led a section of Spitfires low over the North Sea on a ‘Rhubarb’, a low-level sweep over the Dutch coast, looking for targets of opportunity.
ref: 2009, Dilip Sarkar, “Foreword”, in Brian Lane, edited by Dilip Sarkar, Spitfire!: The Experiences of a Battle of Britain Fighter Pilot, Stroud, Gloucestershire: Amberley Publishing, →ISBN, page 11:
topics: aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
government
military
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
politics
war
glosses: A Royal Air Force World War II code name for operations by aircraft (fighters and fighter-bombers) involving low-level flight to seek opportunistic targets.
examples: text: Driving home yesterday, I almost hit the rhubarb.
qualifier: Saskatchewan; Ottawa Valley; Saskatchewan; Ottawa Valley
glosses: A ditch alongside a road or highway.
Synonyms: sense: common rhubarb
word: tusky
Derived terms: Alaska wild rhubarb
bastard rhubarb
Batavian rhubarb
Bucharian rhubarb
Chinese rhubarb
currant-fruited rhubarb
desert rhubarb
donkey rhubarb
Dutch-trimmed rhubarb
East Indian rhubarb
English rhubarb
European rhubarb
false rhubarb
garden rhubarb
giant rhubarb
Guatemalan rhubarb
Himalayan rhubarb
hothouse rhubarb
Indian rhubarb
monk's rhubarb
mountain rhubarb
noble rhubarb
ornamental rhubarb
Persian rhubarb
rhapontic rhubarb
rhubarb bolete
rhubarb curculio
rhubarb forcer
rhubarblike
rhubarb mosaic virus
rhubarb of Babilonia
rhubarb root
Rhubarb Triangle
rhubarby
Russian rhubarb
Siberian rhubarb
Sikkim rhubarb
Syrian rhubarb
Tartarian rhubarb
Tibetan rhubarb
turkey rhubarb
Turkish rhubarb
warted-leaved rhubarb
white rhubarb
wild rhubarb
Related terms: barbarian