witch-meal en · NOUN
Etymology
A figurative use of the word meal, prompted by fancied resemblance.
Meanings
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(obsolete, uncountable) A flash powder made from club moss; vegetable sulphur.
[…] substance which Graine knew to be 'witch-meal'; the seeds of dried lycopodium moss; the other set the dust on fire with a burning stick, the flame pursuing the flying particles till they were consumed, when the light flashed out[…]
1915, Alice Mona CAIRD, The Stones of Sacrifice, page 275:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| witchmeal | alternative | lexicographic | |
| witches' meal | alternative | lexicographic |