lemnian earth
Preserved but no longer current.
A kind of bole, or clayey earth, of a reddish or yellowish grey colour, found in the island of Lemnos, said to cure the bites of serpents and other wounds. It was made into cakes, and was called terra sigillata, because these were sealed by a priest before being vended.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “lemnian earth” mean?
A kind of bole, or clayey earth, of a reddish or yellowish grey colour, found in the island of Lemnos, said to cure the bites of serpents and other wounds. It was made into cakes, and was called terra sigillata, because these were sealed by a priest before being vended.
Is “lemnian earth” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.