darnel

[dahr-nl]

noun

any of several grasses of the genus Lolium, having simple stems, flat leaves, and terminal spikes.

Nearby words

Origin of darnel

1275–1325; Middle English; compare French (Walloon) darnelle, probably < Germanic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for darnel

The grains of the darnel are not so heavy as the wheat, and not so compactly set upon the stalk.
The Parables of Our Lord|William Arnot
I am afraid Mr. Darnel's fate is a just judgment of God upon him for his cruelty to that excellent person.
The Adventures of Sir Launcelot Greaves|Tobias Smollett
Darnel will not do for the grain-tax, and daughters will never support their mothers.
Village Life in China|Arthur H. Smith
His disciples came to him, saying, "Explain to us the parable of the darnel weeds of the field."
The World English Bible (WEB), The Old Testament, Complete|Various

I shall set about Darnel immediately—a confounded exchange, for the Percy was certainly the finest girl in London.
Discipline|Mary Brunton

British Dictionary definitions for darnel

darnel

noun

any of several grasses of the genus Lolium, esp L. temulentum, that grow as weeds in grain fields in Europe and Asia

Word Origin for darnel

C14: probably related to French (Walloon dialect) darnelle, of obscure origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for darnel

darnel

weed growing in grainfields, c.1300, from northern dialectal French darnelle; according to one theory, the the second element is Old French neelle (Modern French nielle) "cockle," from Vulgar Latin nigella "black-seeded," from fem. of Latin nigellus "blackish."

But perhaps rather the word is related to Middle Dutch verdaernt, verdarnt "stunned, dumbfounded, angry," Walloon darne, derne "stunned, dazed, drunk," the plant so called from its well-known inebriating property. Long noted for its "poisonous" properties (actually caused by fungus growing on the plant); The French word for it is ivraie, from Latin ebriacus "intoxicated," and the botanical name, Lolium temulentum, is from Latin temulent "drunken," though this sometimes is said to be "from the heavy seed heads lolling over under their own weight."

In some parts of continental Europe it appears the seeds of darnel have the reputation of causing intoxication in men, beasts, and birds, the effects being sometimes so violent as to produce convulsions. In Scotland the name of Sleepies, is applied to darnel, from the seeds causing narcotic effects. [Gouverneur Emerson, "The American Farmer's Encyclopedia," New York, 1860. It also mentions that "Haller speaks of them as communicating these properties to beer."]