Vernicle

Vernicle (n.) - a copy of the handkerchief of St. Veronica (the traditional name of the woman who wiped the Saviour's face).

An hundred of ampulles on his hat seten,
Signes of Synay and shelles of Galice,
And many a crouch on his cloke, and keyes of Rome,
And the vernicle bifore, for men sholde knowe
And se bi hise signes whom he sought hadde.

- Langland, William: The vision of Piers Plowman (1377-1379)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Druerie

Druerie (n.) - love, affection, also the object of affection, also a jewel.

That were betre to be laft,
Among the whiche is wicchecraft,
That som men clepen Sorcerie,
Which forto winne his druerie
With many a circumstance he useth,
Ther is no point which he refuseth.

- Gower, John: Confessio amantis (1390-1393)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Whilom

Whilom (adv.) - sometimes, formerly, at times.

ffro thennes forth he rideth vp and down,
And euery thyng com hym to remembraunce
As he rood forby places of the town
In which he whilom hadde al his plesaunce.
"Lo, yonder saugh ich last my lady daunce,
And in that temple with hire eyen clere
Me kaughte first my righte lady dere.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: Troilus and Criseyde (1385)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Atteynt

Atteynt (v.) - convicted, affected with sorrow.

What woo that thei wroghte hym no wiyot wolde haue wende it.
His true titill thei toke thame no tome for to attende it,
But as a traitour atteynted thei toled hym and tuggid hym,
Thei schonte for no schoutis his schappe for to schende it,
Thei rasid hym on rode als full rasely thei rugged hym.

- Anonymous: The York plays (1440)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Bale

Bale (n.) - honour, dignity among men.

Than a ryche man of Rome relyede to his byerns:
"It sall repent vs full sore and we ryde forthire!
ghone are bolde bosturs at syche bale wyrkez;
It befell hym full foule at am so fyrste namede."

- Anonymous: The alliterative Morte Arthure (1440)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Rasse

Rasse (n.) - a raised mound or eminence, a cairn of stones.

Bot yet the styffest to start bi stoundez he made,
Til at the last he watz so mat he myght no more renne,
Bot in the hast that he myght he to a hole wynnez
Of a rasse bi a rokk ther rennez the boerne.

- Anonymous: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1400)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Menske

Menske (n.) - honour, dignity among men.

Loo lord, such arrore amange them thei haue
It is grete sorowe to see, no seeg may it sese.
It is no menske to youre manhed that mekill is of myght
To forbere such forfettis that falsely are feyned,
Such spites in especiall wolde be eschewed in your sight.

- Anonymous: The York plays (1440)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Athel

Athel (adj.) - of good birth, noble, a lord.

Now was ther on Nathan Neymes sone of Grece
that sought oft ouer the se fram cyte to other
Knewe contreys fele kyngdomes manye
& was a marener myche & marchaunt bothe
Sensceus out of Surye sent hym to Rome
To the athel Emperour an eraunde fram the Jewes
Caled Nero by name that hym to noye wroght
Of his tribute to telle that they withtake wolde
Nathan toward Nero nome on his way
Ouer the Grekys grounde myd the grym yth

- Anonymous: The siege of Jerusalem (1390-1400)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Lymytour

Lymytour (n.) - a friar licensed to ask alms within a certain limit.

A frere ther was, a wantowne and a merye,
A lymytour, a ful solempne man.
In alle the ordres foure is noon that kan
So muchel of daliaunce and fair langage.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Bauderye

Bauderye (n.) - unchastity, foul conversation, pandering.

"But here, with al myn herte, I the biseche,
That neuere in me thow deme swich folie
As I shal seyn: me thoughte by thi speche
That this, which thow me dost for compaignie,
I sholde wene it were a bauderye --
I am nought wood, al if I lewed be;
It is nought so, that woot I wel, parde.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: Troilus and Criseyde (1385)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Kaurymaury

Kaurymaury (n.) - the name of a coarse rough material.

He was as pale as a pelet, in the palsy he semed,
And clothed in a kaurymaury -- l kouthe it nought discryve -
In kirtel and courtepy, and a knyf by his syde;
Of a freres frokke were the foresleves.

- Langland, William: The vision of Piers Plowman (1377-1379)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Argoille

Argoille (n.) - the tartar deposited from wines.

Sal tartre, alkaly, and sal preparat,
And combust materes and coagulat;
Cley maad with hors of mannes heer, and oille
Of tartre, alum glas, berme, wort, and argoille,
Resalgar, and oure materes enbibyng,
And eek of oure materes encorporyng,

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Mell

Mell (v.) - mix, mingle, meddle, fight with.

And othir fysch to flet with fyne-
Sum with skale and sum with skell,
Of diueris materis more and myn-
In sere maner to make and mell;
Sum sall be milde and meke,
And sum both fers and fell.
THis world thus will I eke,
Syn I am witt of well.

- Anonymous: The York plays (1440)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Lewed

Lewed (adj.) - unlearned, ignorant, worthless.

How that a clerk hath set the wrightes cappe.
The reve answerde and seyde, stynt thy clappe!
Lat be thy lewed dronken harlotrye.
It is a synne and eek a greet folye
To apeyren any man, or hym defame,
And eek to bryngen wyves in swich fame.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Kyth

Kyth (n.) - one's country, native land, relatives, kith, friends.

If thou gif me mete and foode,
And close to body, as I behoued,
And bryng me home to kyth and kyn,
by the way that I walk in,
without skathe and in quarte,

- Anonymous: The Towneley plays (1460)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Habergeon

Habergeon (n.) - a piece of armour to defend the neck and breast.

But, for to tellen yow of his array,
His hors were goode, but he was nat gay.
Of fustian he wered a gypon
Al bismotered with his habergeon,
For he was late ycome from his viage,
And wente for to doon his pilgrymage.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Goliardeys

Goliardeys (n.) - a person given to coarse or undignified joking, a buffoon.

His mouth as greet was as a greet forneys.
He was a janglere and a goliardeys,
And that was moost of synne and harlotries.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Gaude

Gaude (n.) - dyer's greenweed, producing a green dye.

And undernethe hir feet she hadde a moone, --
Wexynge it was and sholde wanye soone.
In gaude grene hir statue clothed was,
With bowe in honde, and arwes in a cas.

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Elenge

Elenge (adj.) - protracted, tedious, wearisome, dreary, lonely.

And I awakned therwith, and wroot as me mette.
Thanne as I wente by the way, whan I was thus awaked,
Hevy chered I yede, and elenge in herte;
For I ne wiste wher to ete ne at what place,
And it neghed neigh the noon, and with Nede I mette,
That afrounted me foule and faitour me called.

- Langland, William: The vision of Piers Plowman (1377-1379)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html

Pose

Pose (n.) - a cold in the head, a cough.

For, were it wyn, or oold or moysty ale,
That he hath dronke, he speketh in his nose,
And fneseth faste, and eek he hath the pose.
He hath also to do moore than ynough
To kepen hym and his capul out of the slough;

- Chaucer, Geoffrey: The Canterbury tales (1387-1394)

The Middle-English Word of the Day is selected from Mayhew and Skeat's
"Concise Dictionary of Middle English."
As found on Greg Lindahl's website
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/concise/concise.html

The example text was found at the Middle English Collection of the University of Virginia Library.
http://etext.virginia.edu/collections/languages/english/mideng.browse.html