252 POPULAR NAMES 



WINTER-WEED, from its being in winter the weed that 

 spreads most, Veronica hederifolia, L. 



WIRE-BENT, a bent-grass with wiry stems, 



Nardus stricta, L. 



WISDOM OF SURGEONS, (Anne Pratt's Wild Flowers, 

 p. 221,) from its name Sophia, meaning in Greek "wisdom," 



Sisymbrium Sophia, L. 



WITCHES'-BUTTER, Fris. traal-butter, Sw. troll-smor, 

 from its buttery appearance, and unaccountably rapid 

 growth in the night, which has given rise to a superstitious 

 belief, still prevalent in Sweden, that witches milk the cows, 

 and scatter about the butter on the ground, 



Exidia glandulosa, Bull. 



WITCH ELM, or -HAZEL, a mistaken spelling. See WYCH. 



WITCHES* THIMBLE, Silene maritima, L. 



WITCHEN, or QUICKEN, or WICKEN, the roan-tree, from 

 quycchyn, move (Pr. Pm.p. 421), a word related to A.S. cwic, 

 alive. Evelyn looking upon it as derived from witch, sup- 

 poses it to be so called, because " it is reputed to be 'a pre- 

 servative against fascination and evil spirits, if the boughs 

 be stuck about the house, or used for walking staffs." It 

 would seem in the first place to have meant the aspen, 

 and through some mistake to have been transferred to the 

 roan. Pyrus aucuparia, Gart. 



WITHWIND, A.S. wt&winde, from wife, about, and windan, 

 wind, Convolvulus arvensis, L. 



WITHY, A.S. wffiige, wrSie, or wift^e, G. wiede, and 

 etymologically identical with Du. winde, standing to it in 

 the same relation as litky to linde. Words closely related 

 to it occur in other languages, as the Lat. vitis and vimen, 

 Gr. Irea or yirea, and Pers. bid, all derived from a root vi, 

 the Skr. we, and having the sense of twisting and twining, 

 the especial use of the osier in all countries. See VINE. 



Salix viminalis, L. 



WOAD, or WADE, A.S. wad, O.S. twde, O.H.G. weit, in 



