Middle English Dictionary Entry
eǧǧe n.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | eǧǧe n.(2) Also agge, neg. |
| Etymology | OE ecg. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
The cutting edge of a tool or instrument.
Associated quotations
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4257 : Cnifess egge.
- ?a1350 Recipe Painting(1) in Archaeol.J.1 (Hrl 2253)65 : Cluppe the egge of thi lome..and seththe ley the egge i the middel of the poudre.
- c1390 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Vrn)142 : On Cros, wiþ-outen knyues egge, I kerue fruit of godes hord.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)200b/a : Þe egge of þe Iren is y dulled and y blonted wiþ gret frotyng.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)1 Kings 13.21 : For eggys of the sharis and of diggynge yrens and of forkis and of the axis weren blunt.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)155b/a : A fleobotomyer oweþ for to be..stored of gode launcetez of diuers poyntez or eggez.
- a1500(?a1450) Treat.Garden.(Trin-C O.9.38)30 : The bake & the egge of a knyfe.
1b.
(a) The sharp edge of a weapon; (b) brand ~, steles ~, swerde(s ~, (often Poet.); (c) the point of a spear.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)61 : He wile smite mid bredlinge swuerde and brisen, oðer mid egge and cleuen.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5202 : Mid orde and mid egge [Otho: mid horde and mid hegge].
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Heb.11.34 : Thei dryuen awey the egge of swerd.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1246 : Nabizardan..bede al to þe bronde under bare egge.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)212 : A spetos sparþe..wyth a brode egge, As wel schapen to schere as scharp rasores.
- a1425-a1500(?c1350) Libeaus (Kaluza)2025 : His sword..Was scharp of egge and ord.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)4194 : Today Clarente and Caliburne sall kythe theme togedirs, Whilke es kenere of kerfe or hardare of eghge.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Look TM (Hrl 2255)206 : Lat nat your swerd be whet to do vengaunce; Twen flat and egge thouh sharpnesse tokne liht, The flat of mercy preent in your remembraunce.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)5147 : His naked swerd in hond he bare; The egge was mich wered a-wey On helmes.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)382 : Tweyne vnchys entirfoyned hurteth more Then kerf or ege, although it wounde sore.
- c1475 Guy(1) (Cai 107/176)4544 : A good swerde That was well keruyng vpon the egge.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)14681 : He wollde slæn Þe child wiþþ swerdess egge.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)9799 : Helmes þer gullen, stercliche to-stopen mid steles egge.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)16/10 : Arude..mi sawle of sweordes egge.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)2404 : Ich abide þe bite of sweordes egge.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)60 : Men weorreð..mid sweordes egge.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)9085 : Adragein..hem wered wiþ steles egge.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)7465 : Wiþ dint of spere & of swerde egge.
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)1295 : Ne sparede þei nouȝt þe swerdes egge.
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)3322 : Whom so he taketh with swerdes egge, he cleueþ his heued in to the rygge.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2958 : With a swerde egge The swyers swyre-bane he swappes in sondyre.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)7926 : And I thi bane for to be with my brond egge.
c
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2147 : Alisaunder..first him mette with speris egge.
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1270 : Þorouȝ out þe breny crepeth þe egge; And þorouȝ þe herte..þe spere bresteþ.
1c.
A sword.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5605 : He hauede monie Alemains mid agge [Otho: hegge] to-heowen.
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)2277 : To þe nauel com þe egge.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2392 : Þou..hatz þe penaunce apert of þe poynt of myn egge.
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)1839 : Ord of spere and ord of egge Schal at heore acordement beon.
- ?c1425(c1380) Chaucer Form.A.(Benson-Robinson)19 : No flesh ne wiste offence of egge or spere.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2567 : Þe gome..Kerues of at the coutere with þe clene egge Ane[n]tis þe avawmbrace.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)4760 : When ilk had seyd til oþer wough, Wyþ wraþe to smyte, þe egge drough.
2.
(a) The edge or border (of a long or flat object); egge of the leg, the shin; (b) the rim (of a dish); (c) the margin or surface (of a wound).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)257b/b : Oon [kind of nettle] brenneþ..and haþ scharpe leues..and rowe stalkes wiþ egges.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)22a/b : Þe more focile..makeþ þe egge [*Ch.(1): þe sharpenes] of þe legge in descendynge fro þe kne vnto þe foot.
- (1433) Will York in Sur.Soc.3049 : Duas tuellas cum planis egges.
- a1450(?a1400) ?Chaucer Astr.Suppl.(Bod 619:Benson-Robinson)46.11 : Set thou there the degree of the mone according with the egge of the label.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)360/25 : Sho broght a fayr shete..and held it vp on ege.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)189 : Draw streight þy clothe, & ley þe bouȝt on þe vttur egge of þe table.
b
- (1442) Invent.Gild in PSAL ser.2.5123 : Item vj peces of sylver and the edges gylt.
- (1459) Paston (Gairdner)3.167 : Item, vj bolles with oon coverecle of silver, the egges gilt.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)587 : Þe egge of þe panne met with his shyn.
c
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)176b/a : A drawynge medecyne..is þat þat draweth fro þe depenesse of þe body to þe vttre egge.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)182b/a : A sowdynge medecyne..is þat þat dryeth þe ouer egge [*Ch.(1): superficite] of þe wounde so þat þere be made a rynde þeron.
3.
(a) Boundary (of land); edge (of woods); periphery (of sky), skyline; (b) brink or edge (of a cliff), rim (of a valley); (c) crest (of a hill), ridge.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)475 : He seiȝ vnder a wodeegge..Fyue hondred men of Armes.
- c1425 Liber de Hyda in RS 4599 : Begyn fyrst at the hegge of the lond estward..than fro the wyduys-wey est ayen to the hegge [L limitem] there we erst bygon at.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)679 : The sonne..vpward gan she pike, Pleying [right] vndir the egge of þe firmament.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.7 : Þe egge of þe Frensche clif were þe ende of þe world, nere þat þe ilond of Bretayne is nyh.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)383 : Uch boþom watz brurdful to þe bonkez eggez.
c
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)451 : Þe hyȝest of þe eggez unhuled wern a lyttel.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4876 : Þai com till a cliffe, as þe clause tellis, Ane egge þat was all ouire of Adamand stanes.
- (1472-3) RParl.6.23b : The Maner and Borough of Wotton under Egge.
4.
Mil. A body of soldiers, usually cavalry, protecting the front or the flanks of an army: advance guard, front line; outriders, flank guard, flank.
Associated quotations
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)579 : A sengil ege is first to strecch in longe.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)646,647 : Riders be wyngis clept, for swift & light, On either half of thege eke ar thei dight; But now that ege is called the banere.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1455 : Make of horsys hye Tweyne eggys: oon be sette ayenst the streem, The myght therof to breke; another plye Benethe that..that thei attende on hem That faile foote, and brynge theim alonde.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1783 : First is to sette a frounte, an Ege his name Is..Ther chiualers, the worthiest of fame, That wil with wisdom & with wepon smyte.
5.
In phrase on egge, of teeth: affected by a sharp or stinging sensation; benumbed.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)152a/b : Þe watir þat is ymedlede with snowe..makith his teeþ an egge [L dentes stupefacit].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)255a/a : A Grene grape..smyteþ þe synewes & rootes of teeþ wiþ colde, so þat þey maketh teeþ an egge, so þat it semeþ þat þey beþ somdel yfrore.
- a1425(c1384) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ezek.18.2 : The fadris eeten a soure grape and the teeth of sones wexen on egge [L obstupescunt; WB(2): ben an egge, ether astonyed].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 14/35,36 : Þy slykstoon moste be avalyt on a grindstone on boþe sides byfore at þe egge of þe stoon, and whanne þu schalt slyke þy skyn þu most holde þe stok in þy hond, and with þe egge þat is avalid of þy stoon þu schalt slyke þy skyn.
Note: Additional quot., sense 1a.
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 10/18 : Sewe wel the egges .i. þe sides of þe skyn wel togedres with a gode dowble þreed.
Note: Additional quot., sense 2.(a).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. edge.