Middle English Dictionary Entry
crēātūre n.
Entry Info
| Forms | crēātūre n. Also crēatūr(e, -ter, -tor, -tour, crature, creture, criature. |
| Etymology | L creātūra & OF crïature. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A created thing; ?also, something made or invented; (b) all creation, the universe.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Body & S.(5) (LdMisc 108)p.61 : Jhesu Crist..On me, þi schap, nouȝ have merci..Þi creature [Auch: creatour] al so was i.
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.49 : Thow virgyne..Bar..The creatour of euery creature.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Rom.1.25 : The whiche men..serueden to a creature rathere than to the creatour.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1247 : Ther nys erthe, water, fyr, ne eyr, Ne creature [vr. criatur]..That may me helpe.
- c1390 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Vrn)495 : Þe Cros is a cold Creatour [rime: figour, stour, flour].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.107 : The god..is creatour, And othre ben his creatures.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21887 : Quarfor þat ilk creatur [Frf: creature; Trin-C: creatoure] Efter þe state of his natur Better his maker knaus þan man.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)18.153 : Hit is a kynde þyng, a creature hus creatour to honoure.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)32/10 : Þis creature is oo passing creature, holi chirche.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)5472 : Yhit sal Godes creatures sere Accuse þam..Als þe son and þe mone and þe sterns, And þe elementes.
- ?c1430 Wycl.PPPriests (Corp-C 296)278 : Þat þe grete blasphemye of goddis name in veyn and fals swerynge and vnlefully creaturis, as bi cristis woundes, nayles and oþere membris, be refreyned.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)95 : Þe seid maters..ben aboute creaturis, where þat þe oþere maters touching þe trynyte ben aboute no creature but about god hym silf.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)382/28 : What-tyme þou perceyuest..þe wodde..or midowe..or þe felde sowen with dyuerse cornes, and suchemaner fayre creatours, lifte vppe thyne herte.
- c1450(?c1400) Wycl.Elucid.(StJ-C G.25)15 : He ȝave more feiþ to wordes of a creature þan to wordes of þe creatour.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)7/4 : Thu wyrshipis creators for thy maker.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)16 : Sin no creater mai do iustli ani þing wiþ outun Crist, þan þe kirk may not.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)881,885 : Sum creatur has beyng wyth-out vertu any more, As ston & erth & sich thing..Sum creatures han beyng, that lif han but felyng none, As trees, erbes.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)2 Pet.3.4 : So alle thinges lasten fro the bigynnynge of creature [L ab initio creaturæ].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)328 : For-þi es godd, als sais scripture, Nan elder þan his creature.
- c1400(1375) Canticum Creat.(Trin-O 57)70 : His creature is gret, & ay shel be.
2.
(a) A living creature; lives (living) ~, quik ~; mannes ~, a man; (b) a person.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3410 : God of heuene hath domynacioun Ouer euery regne and euery creature [vr. creture].
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2395 : I am..with loue offended moost That euere was any lyues creature.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.215 : Paradys was i-ȝeue to mankynde forto wonye ynne..þe tree of lyf for mete, and al creatures for solace.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.1064 : For alle the creatures [vrr. creaturs, creatourys] in heuene, in erthe, and in helle shullen seen apertly al that they hyden.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.911 : For ferst unto the mannes heste Was every creature ordeined.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1864 : No lyues creature, Be it of fissh, or bryd, or beest, or man.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)1839 : Þat was na creatur in liue þat moght to grund or reche or riue.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.417 : If that I..Hadde loved..Ector, or any mannes creature.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.13 : In this world, no lyves creature Withouten love is worth.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)38 : Man and fende and aungelle..aftir þis lyfe sal lyf ay, And na qwik creature bot þai.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2118 : I have..aldermost desired yow to se Of any erthly livynge creature.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2164 : There dwelled creature non Save wilde bestes.
- c1440 Treat.PN(2) (Thrn)262 : He gouernes all his creaturs þat er in heuene, in erthe, and in þe see.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5534 : He miȝte seke..to see..How many kind of creatours þat in þe cole duellis.
- (1466) in Cox Churches Derb.87 : Some wyked creature hath bytte the lefe furthen of the olde boke.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)1011 : His birth was shawed..by creatures..that haden beying, lif & felyng, As wilde bestis han.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Marg.(Hrl 2277)170 : Y ne leoue hit noȝt þat his miȝtes were so stronge, Eni so holi creatoure in his wombe afonge.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)50/134 : Gret deol he hadde..þat he [St. Edward] was a-morþred so, And swuch a creature ase he was in so lowe stude i-do.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1917 : Þat was on of þe creatures þat euere in eorþe was, Þat mest loue oure lord cudde.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)252 : Grete wonder he hadde..þat Felice so feir a creatour [Cai: creatur] is.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3488 : So worshipful a creature [vr. criature]..Was noon.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mark 16.15 : Ȝe, goynge in to al the world, preche the gospel to ech creature.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.1149 : To Rome is come this holy creature.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1346 : And hom she gooth a sorweful creature.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)10.364 : Euery cristene creature shulde be kynde til other.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)55/10 : Preche ȝe þe gospel to iche creature, þat is, to iche man.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3957 : Hym thouht she was so faire a creature.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)247 : He was a lathly creature, For fowl he was out of mesure.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1370 : Thow sly devourere..Of gentil wemen, tendre creatures!
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)11/12 : On a nygth, as þis creatur lay in hir bedde wyth hir husbond.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1066 : So lowelyche he was y-wys To euery crystone creture.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)17 : Sho stode ther so astonyd, as a cryature that had lost here kyndly reasone.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)25 : Ilk crature wiþ God auȝt to ȝenstond falshed.
- a1500(1448) Let.Marg.Anjou in Camd.86 (Add 46846)102 : W. Frutes and Agnes Knoghton, poure creatures and of vertuous conversacion..have made togedre a lawfull contract.
3.
The act of creating.
Associated quotations
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Rom.1.20 : For the inuysible thingis of hym, of the creature [L creatura] of the world, by tho thingis that ben maad vndirstondyn ben biholdun.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)1 Cor.8.1 : We alle han þe wysdam of god in fourmyng and creaturys.