sumac

plural sumacs · alternative shumac · alternative shumack · alternative sumach · alternative sumack

1. uncountableusuallyAny of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Rhus and certain other genera in Anacardiaceae.

   The Rhamnus of Maderaspatan, and the Trifoliate Sumachs from the Coaſt of Africa, are altogether new.

   1693 January, Leonardi Plukenetii [i.e., Leonard Plukenet], “PHYTOGRAPHIA seu Plantæ quamplurimæ novæ & Literis huc usque incognitæ variis & remotissimis Provinciis ipsisq; Indiis allatæ Nomine & Iconibus. […]”, in Philosophical Transactions. Giving Some Account of the Present Undertakings, Studies, and Labours, of the Ingenious, in Many Considerable Parts of the World, volume VI, number 196, London: Printed for T. Woodward, […] and C. Davis […] printers to the Royal Society, →OCLC, page 621

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   Shumack, Chapacour, and the famous Snake-root, ſo much admir'd in England for being a Cordial, and an Antidote in all Peſtilential Diſeases.

   1708, J[ohn] Oldmixon, “[The History of Virginia.] Of the Climate, the Soil, and Its Productions, as Trees, Seeds, Plants, Roots, Fruits, and Flowers.”, in The British Empire in America, Containing the History of the Discovery, Settlement, Progress and Present State of All the British Colonies, on the Continent and Islands of America. In Two Volumes. […], volume I, London: Printed for John Nicholson […], Benjamin Tooke […], and Richard Parker and Ralph Smith […], →OCLC, page 308

   In the mean Time, gargle your Throat, and waſh all your Sores, and Ulcers with the ſame warm Liquor, which ought to be made freſh every 2 Days. Beſides all this, you muſt chew the Sumac Root very often, and ſwallow the healing Juice.

   1734, [John Tennent], Every Man His Own Doctor: Or, The Poor Planter’s Physician. […], 2nd edition, Williamsburg, Va.; Annapolis, Md.: Printed and sold by William Parks, […], →OCLC; republished Williamsburg, Va.: Printing and Post Office, Colonial Williamsburg, 1971, →OCLC, page 51

   Plant cutings of Myrtles in a bed of light rich earth, obſerving to water and ſhade them until they have taken root; and now you may plant cutings of [...] African Sumaches, and many other exotic plants, which are ſhrubby; [...]

   1757, Philip Miller, “June”, in The Gardeners Kalendar; Directing what Works are Necessary to be Done Every Month in the Kitchen, Fruit, and Pleasure-gardens, as also the Conservatory and Nursery. […], 11th edition, London: Printed by Charles Rivington, for John Rivington, […]; and James Rivington and James Fletcher, […], →OCLC, page 185

   Often, on descending into the narrow valleys, we found a little spot of cultivation, a garden, or a field hedged round with shumacs, rhododendrons, and azalias, and a cottage covered with roses.

   1832, [Frances Milton] Trollope, chapter XVIII, in Domestic Manners of the Americans. […], London: Printed for Whittaker, Treacher, & Co.; […], →OCLC, page 160

   Immediately after leaving the town, on each side of the road, were the purple flowers of the iron-weed and the red shumack, under which the deer love to repose, for it conceals them from their enemies, as the variegated heath did the tartan-clad Highlanders.

   1833, J[ames] E[dward] Alexander, chapter IV, in Transatlantic Sketches, Comprising Visits to the Most Interesting Scenes in North and South America, and the West Indies. […] In Two Volumes, volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 82

   1. uncountableusuallyparticularly, one of species Rhus coriaria (tanner's sumac)

      .

      Synonyms: elm-leaved sumac, Sicilian sumac

2. uncountableusuallyDried and chopped-up leaves and stems of a plant of the genus Rhus, particularly tanner's sumac (see sense 1), used for dyeing and tanning leather or for medicinal purposes.
3. uncountableusuallyA sour spice popular in the Eastern Mediterranean, made from the berries of tanner's sumac.

   Sumac is a berry from a bush which grows mostly in southern Italy and the Middle East. The berries are dried and crushed to make ground sumac, used in making many foods such as Yaprakh, Kinirmasee (fried artichoke) and salad.

   2015, Ala Barzinji, “Simple Dishes”, in Traditional Kurdish Food: An Insight into Kurdish Culinary Heritage, Kibworth Beauchamp, Leicestershire: Matador, →ISBN, page 172

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   The spices used in this bread are zaatar and sumack. [...] Sumack is a spice derived from the berries of a bush that grows wild in all Mediterranean areas. The berries are dried and crushed to form a coarse purple-red powder. It has a sour taste.

   2006, Rivka Goldman, “Bread with Spices”, in Mama Nazima’s Jewish-Iraqi Cuisine: Low-fat, Low-cholesterol: Cuisine, History, Cultural References and Survival Stories of the Jewish-Iraqi, New York, N.Y.: Hippocrene Books, →ISBN, page 159

present singular third person sumacs · participle present sumacing · participle present sumacking · participle past sumaced · past sumaced · participle past sumacked · past sumacked · alternative shumac · alternative sumach

1. transitiveTo apply a preparation of sumac to (an object), for example, to a piece of leather to tan it.

   A great variety of Blue Drabs can be dyed by first Sumaching the cotton, and then in another tub add a little Nitrate of Iron or Copperas liquor, and give a few turns.

   1853, David Smith, “Cotton-dyeing. [No. 39. Various Shades of Silver Drab.]”, in The Dyer’s Instructor: Comprising Practical Instructions in the Art of Dyeing Silk, Cotton, Wool, and Worsted and Woollen Goods, […], Philadelphia, Pa.: Henry Carey Baird, […], →OCLC, page 70

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   After this operation, the goods muſt be winched and well planked, or otherwiſe cleaned; they are then, according to the quality of them, to be ſumached, and then ſnitchelled off, and waſhed.

   1792, [Charles O’Brien], “Of Cleansing Goods, Previous to Maddering, or Boiling Off”, in A Treatise on Calico Printing, Theoretical and Practical: […], volume I, [London]: Printed for C. O’Brien, […] and sold by Bew, […], Richardson, […], Murray, […], →OCLC

   Then lot 1 will be shumacked first time; that is, passed through a decoction of shumac, then through copperas, and then washed off, and if the decoction of shumac is kept up strong, after being all of them once shumacked they may be dried. [...] If the black liquor and the shumacking were powerful, some of them will shew themselves finished when dry.

   1816, Thomas Packer, “On Dying Silk Black, According to M. [Pierre] Macquer”, in The Dyer’s Guide; being an Introduction to the Art of Dying […], London: Printed for Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, […], →OCLC, page 90

   For dyeing on cotton, the cloth or yarn is steeped in sumac or tannic acid, dyed in the color, and then may be fixed by tin, or the cloth may be sumaced and mordanted as usual with tin and then dyed.

   1869, Charles O’Neill, “Aniline Colors”, in A Dictionary of Dyeing and Calico Printing; […], Philadelphia, Pa.: Henry Carey Baird, […], →OCLC, page 65

   Satin calf should be very carefully shaved to get a level substance; also extremely well set, scoured, sumacked, and sleaked out as other calf, but heavier stuffed, keeping the grain free from dubbing, seasoned and blacked as described for satin horse, and finished in the same way. [From the London Tanners' and Curriers' Journal.]

   1882 May 6, “The Manufacture of Leather”, in Scientific American Supplement, volume XIII, number 331, New York, N.Y.: Munn & Co., publishers […], →OCLC, page 5279, column 1

   I must now direct your attention to the goods, which, after having been crabbed in the way described, are brought on to these large jiggers, and the first process is to sumac or impregnate the cloth with any of the substances usually employed which are richest in tannin, after which the goods are saddened, as it is termed, as a rule, with solutions of salts of iron.

   1884 March 29, James Sharp, “Notes on Some of the Modes of Preparing, Bleaching, Dyeing, and Finishing Cotton Goods, Practised by Lancashire and Yorkshire Dyers, and Their Results”, in Watson Smith, editor, Journal of the Society of Chemical Industry. A Monthly Record for All Interested in Chemical Manufactures, volume III, number 3, Manchester: Emmot and Company, […], →OCLC, page 145, column 1

1. alternativeuncountableAlternative form of soumak.