myrrhyadj.
/ˈməːri/, U.S. /ˈməri/ Redolent of myrrh; yielding or producing myrrh; resinous; fragrant. Also figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > smell and odour > fragrance > [adjective] > smelling of specific things
rosat?c1425
rosetc1450
rosed1559
musked1576
musky1580
rosya1586
myrrhed1591
muskifiedc1600
roseal1601
olibian1605
roseate1611
honeysuckled1640
myrrhate1659
muscatelline1673
myrrhy1686
muskish1706
thymy1746
rose-scented1759
civeted1785
lily-scented1796
ottoed1810
citron-scented1817
camphory1826
camphoraceous1845
tea-scented1845
frankincensed1860
rose-like1866
sagey1871
camphorous1881
osier-odoured1881
lemony1894
lavendery1896
patchoulied1925
1686 E. Arwaker Pia Desideria ii. viii. 129 Choice fragrant scents from thy moist Temples flow, And on thy Lips still dwells a Myrrhy Dew. Thou breath'st the Odors of the spicy East.
a1729 E. Taylor in Amer. Lit. (1957) Mar. 43 Hast made mee, Lord, one of thy Garden Beds..? Hast set therein thy Myrrhy trees?.. Doth thy Myrrh tree..bleed myrrh, and Myrrhy blossoms beare?
1737 W. Shenstone Poems upon Var. Occasions 3 Whilst spicy Gums round each fair Bosom glow; And in each Accent myrrhy Odours flow.
1842 R. Browning Waring in Bells & Pomegranates No. III: Dramatic Lyrics 11/1 Some pigeon, from the myrrhy lands Rapt by the whirlblast to fierce Scythian strands.
1857 Chambers's Jrnl. 7 224 The sweet myrrhy buds that grow on the wood-apple.
1868 E. R. Bulwer-Lytton Chrons. & Characters II. viii. 209 Within the mystic circle traced By Persic priests, the affable Genius (Appeased by myrrhy fumes that please him well) Doth..Unpack the treasures of the ransackt world.
1977 Decks Awash 6 64 For planken 'e would cut some sticks Myrrhy pine and licky vir.
1997 E. Hand Glimmering i. iv. 89 The two of them..would sneak into the Episcopal church and in the myrrhy darkness they would fuck breathless, nearly hysterical at their adolescent daring.
Compounds
myrrhy-threaded adj.
ΚΠ
1865 G. M. Hopkins Poems (1967) 21 For sackcloth and frieze And the ever-fretting shirt of punishment Give myrrhy-threaded golden folds of ease.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.1686