eye of newt

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English[edit]

A user has added this entry to requests for verification(+) with the reason: “No well-known analysis of Macbeth (like The Plays of William Shakespeare by Samuel Johnson) ever indicate that the various animal parts listed should be taken anything but literally. The claim that "eye of newt" refers to a mustard seed seems to originate in the 20th century, and is likely an example of pseudo-folklore”
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Noun[edit]

eye of newt

  1. (obsolete) Mustard seed (seed of the mustard plant).

Usage notes[edit]

  • Popularly known from Shakespeare's Macbeth as an ingredient in the witches' brew.