Middle English Dictionary Entry
deu n.
Entry Info
| Forms | deu n. Also dæw, deaw, deuȝ, deuh, dieuȝ, dywe. |
| Etymology | OE dēaw |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Dew, moisture; also, mist or light precipitation; ~ of hevene, ~ of the air; -- (a) sg.; (b) pl.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)13865 : All swa summ erþe wattredd iss Þurrh reȝȝn & dæw off heffne.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)159 : Þe sunne drach up þene deu.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3325 : On morgen fel hem a dew a-gain..knewen he nogt ðis dewes cost.
- ?c1335 Swet ihc hend (Hrl 913)p.81 : Þis world is loue is gon awai So dew on grasse in somer is dai.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)91/29,31 : Vor al þe lost of þise wordle..ne byeþ bote a drope of deau to þe ziȝþe of þe welle..þe drope of þe deawe..anlykneþ to ane stone of pris.
- c1390 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Vrn)228 : Softur þen..dewȝ þat liþ on þe lilie flour Was cristes bodi in blod colour.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)115a/b : Þe mone gendriþ dewȝ in þe eir.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)137a/b : Dewe is impressioun I-gendred of colde vapour and moyste, nouȝt I-gadred in to a body of a cloude.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)202a/a : Margarita..is y-gendred of a dewe of heuene, þe which dew schellefissh fongeþ in certeyn tyme of þe ȝere.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3757 : In dew and gress..Sal be þi blissing.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.622 : Þanne worstow dryuen oute as dew [C: deuh] and þe dore closed.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1688 : His lyre..watz dubbed and dyȝt in þe dew of heven.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1013 : Hir flesh was tendre as dew of flour; Hir chere was symple as byrde in bour.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)775 : Aurora with the stremes of hire hete Hadde dreyed up the dew of herbes wete.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)624 : Tille eche dale with dewe was donked aboute.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)415 : Al the woode was waxen grene; Swetnesse of dew had mad hyt waxe.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)10 : The dewe appon dayses donkede full faire.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)222 : Brer croppes & blak sope & moderwort..alle þese mot be gedered or þe sonne aryse, whyle þe dewȝ ys on hem.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)67/4 : Gadyre þem in þe mornyngys in þe dewe.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)5403 : The hevenly dewh..Made to growen vp thys greyn.
- a1475 Prk.Weather & Moon in NM 58 (Brog 2.1)38 : The mater of dewe ys a watyry vapor assendyng þe fyrst regyon of the eyer.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Guy (LdMisc 683)250 : Whan silver deuh doth on the fflours ffleete.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)526 : That nyght hadde ben a grete dewe.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)77/426 : As rayn or dew on erth doys lyght And waters herbys and trees.
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)55 : Yeff ye se at morowe a dewe vpon þe grounde that is callid webe off arayne hongynge vpon þe grasse betwixt..let not youre shepe ovt off þe fold tyll þat þe vnholsom dewe be clene gone.
b
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)2356-64 : Ȝif þat lond is ffordryed..Me mot sende reyn and dieuȝ..dewes þer come among in þe Morwenynge.
- a1350 Lenten ys come (Hrl 2253)28 : Deawes donkeþ þe dounes.
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f. 71rb : And after dewes & reynes, drie & wipe with oure handes or with a clout & sette hem ageyn.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.282 : The ferste Periferie of alle Engendreth Myst, and overmore The dewes and the Frostes hore.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)60 : The erthe wexith proud withalle For swote dewes that on it falle.
- c1425(c1400) Primer (Cmb Dd.11.82)p.10 : Reyn & dew, blesse ȝe to þe lord!..Dewes & hoor frost, blesse ȝe to þe lord!
2.
Fig. Something that refreshes or comforts spiritually, a blessing; ~ of charite, ~ of grace, ~ divine, hevene ~.
Associated quotations
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)9883 : Driȝȝe & all wiþþutenn dæw off Haliȝ Gastess frofre.
- a1300 Edi beo þu (Corp-O 59)26 : Þu ert eorþe to gode sede, on þe liȝte þe heouene deuȝ.
- a1350 Iesu suete is (Hrl 2253)111 : Þe deu of grace vpon me laue, ant from alle harmes þou me saue.
- c1390 Psalt.Mariae(1) (Vrn)179 : Heil, lond of blis..Wiþ þe deuh of grace..wered.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)143/9 : Þe ȝifte of pite..is propreliche a dewe and a triacle aȝens al vilenyes, and nameliche aȝens synne of enuye.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)174/18 : Prelates..waterne the mendes of faythful men be swete dewe of prechynge.
- c1475 St.Anne(2) (Trin-C R.3.21)136 : She..Of the whyche the heuynly potter hath made, Of the most swete shoure of hys dewe dyuyne, The pot of oure hope.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)132.3 : Dew of hermon..that lightis in the hill of syon..tha that ere..withouten dew of charite ere as a wylde beste in the ȝoke.
- a1500 Lydg.LOL (Adv 19.3.1)127 : With dew of grace thi closet was so swete.
3.
(a) A bloody rain, red ~; (b) a kind of perspiration.
Associated quotations
a
- a1275 *Body & S.(4) (Trin-C B.14.39)30b : Þe friste dai..sal comen a red dev. þe world sal ouer driuen & himmen [read: nimmen] ut gomen and gleu. þe grene tre sal blede þat crist him seluen seu.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)89a/b : Þe secounde moisture [in feuere etike] is in þe poores of membres of parties, þat beþ I liche as a dewe, & is I clepid dewe of auctours.
4.
(a) Damp ground or land; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.128].
Associated quotations
a
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)18.21 : Marie magdalene by mores leuede and dewes; Loue and leel by-leuye heeld lyf and soule to-gedere.
b
- (1327) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10216 : Johannes atte Dywe.
5.
Cpds.& combs.: (a) deu(es drop, a dewdrop; (b) ~ water, dew; (c) ~ wind, humid air; (d) night ~, dew falling at night.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)49a : Al nis nawt swa muchel as is a lutel deawes drope toȝeines þe brade sea.
- a1350 Lutel wot hit (Hrl 2253)33 : My gode luef, y þe greete ase fele syþe..as dewes dropes beþ weete.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4699 : Noble Galfride, poete of Breteyne, Amonge oure englisch þat made first to reyne Þe gold dewe-dropis of rethorik so fyne.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)90/3 : Al þe delit of þe world þat þe fyue wittes hauen beþ not but as a dewes drope to regard of þe welle.
b
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)159 : Þe ter þet Mon wepð for longinge to heouene is inemned deu water; for alswa se þe sunne drach up þene deu and makeð þer of kume reines [etc.].
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)179 : Tak may butter mad of raw crayme & ewe mylke wyþ dew water.
c
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)123/11 : Sho felid no more of þe hete of þe fyre, þan it hadd bene þe blaste of a dew wynd.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)268a/a : Þey beþ y keled with þe night dew.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)196b/a : Manna is a dew þat falliþ down vppon certeyne herbis in grece, in ynde & is gederid & dryed aȝen þe sunne.
Note: New sense: the exudate from certain plants; especially as processed and used in medicine.
Note: Belongs to sense 3. Add subsense (c).--both notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. dew.