ciron
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
See also: Ciron
Alternative forms
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English ciron, borrowed from Middle French ciron (“mite”), inherited from Old French cirun, borrowed from Frankish *seuro, inherited from Proto-West Germanic *seur(j)ōn. Akin to Dutch zier. The ultimate origin is unknown, as cognates outside of West Germanic are lacking. Perhaps ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kes- (“to scrape”), source of Ancient Greek ξύω (xúō, “to scratch, scrape”).
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈsiːɹəʊn/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈsaɪ.ɹən/[1]
- Hyphenation: ci‧ron
Noun
ciron (plural cirons)
- (obsolete) The itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei), which infects the skin.
- 1889 July 27, F. William Cock, “What was the Ciron”, in The British Medical Journal, London: British Medical Association, →OCLC, page 230:
- Dr. F. William Cock (London) writes: Perhaps the enclosed extracts from ancient authors on the "Ciron" may be of interest. […] Peter Lowe, A Discourse of the Whole Art of Chirurgerie, London, 1634. Black letter. Third edition. Page 126–27, Chapter iv, Lib. v. Of lice, morpions and nyts which often do use the skin and roots of the haire.—"There is yet a fourth kinde called chyrons, they likewise take life and corrodes betwixt the flesh and the skinne, and are ingendered of a more drie matter than the other, and are chiefly found in the hands of idle people;["] […] and evidently makes out that the chyron is of the insect tribe, consequently it seems probable that he speaks of the itch here, or some variety of louse. Page 129: "The chyrons which come in the hands or other parts are cured by washing of those parts with salt water, […] There is of those chyrons or little lyce found in the membraine conjunctive or white of the eye, which maketh great paine and itching, for the which you must very cunningly with a stable hand and a silver needle, such as we abate the cataract with, picke them out one by one, then wash the eye with rose and enfrage water."
References
- “ciron”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
Further reading
- van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “zier”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute
- “ciron”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Anagrams
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