English

Etymology
Probably of Scandinavian origin, compare Danish dvale �sleep, stupor�.

Pronunciation
IPA|/dweɪl/
:Rhymes: Rhymes:English:-eɪl|-eɪl

Noun
dwale

1. obsolete a sleeping-potion, especially one made from belladonna

#:*Late C14: To bedde goþ Aleyne and also John; / �er nas na moore � hem nedede no dwale. � Geoffrey Chaucer, The Reeve's Tale

1. belladonna itself, deadly nightshade; or some other soporific plant

#:*1842: Beneath and around the clumps of ragged moss-grown elder and hoary stunted whitethorn (...) rise thickets of tall nettles and rank hemlock, concealing the deadly but alluring dwale � J. van Voorst, The Phytologist, p. 595.

fr:dwale
vi:dwale

• 2007-08-09 15:22 - AutoFormat - -''(obsolete)'' +{{obsolete}}

Full Revision History