Definition of "pith"

(botany)

1. The soft, spongy substance inside plant parts; specifically, the parenchyma in the centre of the roots and stems of many plants and trees.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • This ſvveete ſmelling Reede is of a darke dun colour, full of ioints and knees eaſie to be broken into ſmall ſplinters, hollovv and full of a certaine vvhite pith, cobvveb vviſe, ſomevvhat gummie in eating, and hanging in the teeth, and of a ſharpe bitter taſte.

     1597, John Gerarde [i.e., John Gerard], “Of Aromaticall Reedes”, in The Herball or Generall Historie of Plantes. […], London: […] Edm[und] Bollifant, for Bonham and Iohn Norton, book I, page 56

   • Some make inciſion into the very Vine braunch, as farre as to the pith and marrovv vvithin (to divert the moiſture that feedeth the grape:) others lay the cluſters a drying upon tile-houſes: and all this is done vvith the grapes of the Vine Helvenaca.

     1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XIV.] Foureteene Sorts of Sweet Wines.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 1st tome, London: […] Adam Islip, published 1635, page 417

   • Atop the [Palmito] tree is a pith, in taſte better then Cabbage; and eating it takes avvay the future benefit of grovvth or fructifying, theſe and the Date-tree thriue not, except the male and female be vnited, and haue copulation: the ſhe is only fruitfull.

     1634, T[homas] H[erbert], “Mohelia, Its Description”, in A Relation of Some Yeares Travaile, Begunne Anno 1626. into Afrique and the Greater Asia, […], London: […] William Stansby, and Jacob Bloome, page 24

   • VVhy are the Annual Grovvths of all both Herbs and Trees, vvith great Piths, the quickeſt and longeſt? But hovv are the Pores and Bladders of the Pith permeable? That they are ſo, both from their being capable of a repletion vvith Sap, and of being again vvholly emptied of it, and again, inſtead thereof fill'd vvith Aer, is as certain as that they are Pores.

     1671 December 17 (Gregorian calendar), Nehemiah Grew, “The Anatomy of Plants, Begun. […] The First Book. […] Chapter III. Of the Trunk.”, in The Anatomy of Plants. […], 2nd edition, [London]: […] W. Rawlins, for the author, published 1682, page 25

   • The food often grows in one country, and the sauce in another. The fruits of Portugal are corrected by the products of Barbadoes, and the infusion of a China plant is sweetened by the pith of an Indian cane.

     1711 May 30 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison], “SATURDAY, May 19, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 69; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume I, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, page 278

2. The albedo (“whitish inner portion of the rind”) of a citrus fruit.  examples

(by extension)

1. Senses relating to humans and animals.

   1. The soft tissue inside a human or animal body or one of their organs; specifically, the spongy interior substance of a horn or the shaft of a feather.  examples

   2. Chiefly of animals: the soft tissue inside a spinal cord; the spinal marrow; also, the spinal cord itself.  quotations  examples

      Quotations

      • Becauſe many do hold this opinion that this diſeaſe doth conſume the marrovv of the backe: […] [s]ome againe, do tvvine out the pith of the backe vvith a long vvire thruſt vp into the horſſes head, and ſo into his necke and backe, vvith vvhat reaſon I knovv not.

        1607, Edward Topsell, “Of the Horsse. [Of the Mourning of the Chine.]”, in The Historie of Fovre-footed Beastes. […], London: […] William Iaggard, page 371

   3. (obsolete) Synonym of diploe (“the thin layer of soft, spongy, or cancellate tissue between the bone plates which constitute the skull”)

   4. (obsolete, rare) The soft tissue of the brain.  quotations

      Quotations

      • Verily if vvee take a right vievv of this laxe pith or marrovv in Mans head, neither our ſenſe nor underſtanding can diſcover any thing more in this ſubſtance that can pretend to ſuch noble operations as free Imagination and ſagacious collections of Reaſon, then vve can diſcern in a Cake of Sevvet or a bovvle of Curds.

        1653, Henry More, “Of the Nature of the Soul of Man, whether She be a Meere Modification of the Body, or a Substance Really Distinct, and then whether Corporeall or Incorporeall”, in An Antidote against Atheisme, or An Appeal to the Natural Faculties of the Minde of Man, whether There Be Not a God, London: […] Roger Daniel, […], book I, page 37

2. (Ireland, Southern England, West Country) The soft inner portion of a loaf of bread.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • The berrie Coccum Gnidium, in colour reſembleth the Scarlet graine; in quantitie a pepper corne, but that it is bigger: of an ardent and cauſticke qualitie it is, and therefore they uſe to lap it in the ſoft crum or pith of a loafe of bread, and ſo ſvvallovv it, for feare it ſhould burne the throat as it paſſeth dovvn.

     1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXVII.] Of the Berrie Called Coccum Gnidium. […].”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, published 1635, page 280

   • Buck Mulligan slit a steaming scone in two and plastered butter over its smoking pith. He bit off a soft piece hungrily.

     1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 10: Wandering Rocks]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], part II [Odyssey], page 239

(figurative)

1. The central or innermost part of something; the core, the heart.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • In these days folk still believed in witches and trembled at a curse; and this one, falling so pat, like a wayside omen, to arrest me ere I carried out my purpose, took the pith out of my legs.

     1886 May 1 – July 31, Robert Louis Stevenson, “I Come to My Journey’s End”, in Kidnapped, being Memoirs of the Adventures of David Balfour in the Year 1751: […], London, Paris: Cassell & Company, published 1886, pages 11–12

2. The essential or vital part of something; the essence.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • Of the thyngꝭ [thyngs] which we have ſpoken⸝ this is the pyth: […]

     1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], Hebrews viij:, folio cccvij, recto

   • Maſter, you look'd ſo longly on the maide, / Perhaps you mark'd not vvhat's the pith of all. […] Mark'd you not hovv hir ſiſter / Began to ſcold, and raiſe vp ſuch a ſtorme, / That mortal eares might hardly indure the din.

     c. 1590–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Taming of the Shrew”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene i], page 211, column 1

   • Oh! [With slow, puzzled anger] I want time to get the pith o' this.

     1909 (date written; first performed 1912 November 23), John Galsworthy, “The Eldest Son: A Domestic Drama in Three Acts”, in Plays, volume II, London: Duckworth and Co. […], published 1912, Act III, page 77

   • The clothesline was old and dark gray. It had burst open and was giving up its white pith. […] The clothesline surrendered the pith of its soul, and Kathleen's stockings, hung at the wide end, now suggested lust.

     1975, Saul Bellow, Humboldt’s Gift, New York, N.Y.: Viking Press, page 149

3. Physical power or strength; force, might.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • Iron bovves, and ſtele bovves, have bene of longe time, and alſo novv are uſed among the Turkes, but yet they muſt nedes be unprofitable. For if braſſe, iron, or ſtele, have their ovvne ſtrengthe and pithe in them, they be farrre[sic] above mans ſtrengthe: if they be made meete for mans ſtrengthe, theyr pithe is nothinge vvorth to ſhoote any ſhoote vvithall.

     1544 (date written; published 1571), Roger Ascham, Toxophilus, the Schole, or Partitions, of Shooting. […], London: […] Thomas Marshe; republished in The English Works of Roger Ascham, […], London: […] R[obert] and J[ames] Dodsley, […], and J[ohn] Newbery, […], 1761, book 2, page 132

   • But thy auld tail thou vvad hae vvhiſkit, / An' ſpread abreed thy vveel-fill'd briſket, / VVi' pith an' povv'r, […]]

     , 2nd edition, volume I, Edinburgh: […] T[homas] Cadell, […], and William Creech, […], published 1793, page 199

4. A quality of courage and endurance; backbone, mettle, spine.  examples

5. The energy, force, or power of speech or writing; specifically, such force or power due to conciseness; punch, punchiness.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • I founde in myne owneſelfe, that litle fruite there commeth of the goſpell, if a man reade it but ſluggiſhely, and ſuperficially renne it ouer. But in caſe a mã [man] do with diligent and exquiſite meditacion kepe hymſelf occupied therin, he ſhal fele a certaine vertue and pith ſuche as he ſhall not fele the lyke in any other bookes.

     1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Ghospell of S. Luke. The Preface of Erasmus vnto His Paraphrase vpon the Ghospell of Luke. Unto the Moostle Puissaunt and Most Victorious Prince Henry the Eight, King of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, […].”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., The First Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente, London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, folio xii, verso

6. Chiefly in of (great) pith and moment: gravity, importance, substance, weight.  quotations  examples

   Quotations

   • For though my ryme be ragged, / Tattered and iagged, / Rudely rayne beaten, / Rusty and moughte eaten, / If ye take well therwith, / It hath in it some pyth.

     1521–1522, John Skelton, “Here after Followeth a Litel Boke Called Colyn Cloute, […]”, in Alexander Dyce, editor, The Poetical Works of John Skelton: […], volume I, London: Thomas Rodd, […], published 1843, page 313, lines 53–58

   • Thus Conſcience does make Covvards of vs all, / And thus the Natiue hevv of Reſolution / Is ſicklied o're, vvith the pale caſt of Thought, / And enterprizes of great pith and moment, / VVith this regard their Currants turne avvay, / And looſe the name of Action.

     c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act III, scene i], page 265, column 2, line 88

To render insensate or kill (an animal, especially cattle or a laboratory animal) by cutting, piercing, or otherwise destroying the spinal cord.  examples

(figurative) someone).  quotations  examples

(mathematics) The ordinal form of the number pi (π; approximately 3.14159…).  quotations  examples

(mathematics) One divided by pi, that is, 1 π (approximately 0.31831…).  quotations  examples