hordock

English

Alternative forms

• hoardock, hardoke, harlock

Noun

hordock (plural hordocks)

1. (nonce word, used only by Shakespeare) A plant, possibly burdock.
   • c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv]:

     Alack tis he, why he was met euen now,
     As mad as the vent sea singing aloud,
     Crownd with ranke femiter and furrow weedes,
     With hor-docks, hemlocke, netles, cookow flowers,
     Darnell and all the idle weedes that grow,