Middle English Dictionary Entry
distillen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | distillen v. Also destillen. |
| Etymology | L & OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To flow or fall in drops; trickle, drop; ~ fro(m, ~ out of, ~ of, ~ doun, ~ into, ~ on, ~ to; (b) to shed drops; ~ on; (c) refl. ~ in teres, to bathe oneself in tears, weep profusely.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)195/15 : Make a fier aboute þe pott..& þere wole distille oile into þe pott þat is bineþe.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)352/19 : Take anacardos & seþe hem..& streyne hem, & þer wole distille þerof hony.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.2999 : Of whos [the horse's] bledyng þe soiel gan wexe wet, Þoruȝ her harneis as it gan distille.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4477 : The teerys newe distillyng on her facys.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)26/16 : Þe liquour þat distilles oute of [Tit: droppeth fro] þe braunches calle þai Oxbalse.
- c1450 De CMulieribus (Add 10304)643 : This lady..Pressede the levys of olyves myghtile, Tyll all the lyquor downe didd dystyll.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)263/934 : The Watyr and blood owth of my face Dystyllyth for peynes.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)7.21 : Fresche bloode was seene to distille from [Trev.: droppe out of; L distillare] his body.
- a1500(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Stw 952(1))16991 : The soote mylk of grace which dystylleth doun ffro thy mercyable brestys to Synnerys.
b
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)27 : Charyte is as the reyne..for it distillyth the dropes of vertues.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)33/16 : Take þe drestys of good wyn and drye hem..hange it in a moyst stede..and it wyll distylle fayre and well.
- a1475 VPhilibert (Brog 2.1)p.13 : Sum lecur of thi grace one me destylle.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.Deus NSF (Clg A.2)37 : The dewe of loue and drede on me distyll.
c
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.405 : In teris he gan hym silf distille, Þat for to dye was fynally his wille.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.519 : This Troylus in teris gan distille, As licour out of a lambic ful faste.
2.
(a) To exude or shed (sth.) in drops; (b) to apply (a medicine) in drops; (c) to fill (the eyes) with tears.
Associated quotations
a
- c1450(?c1425) St.Mary Oign.(Dc 114)150/13 : Þou spouse of Cryste, þy lippes are an hony-combe distillynge hony.
- c1450 Myght wisdom (Add 31042)121 : Thyn here þou rent, thyn eghne distillede blode.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Test.(Hrl 218)287 : Whan Aurora, hir licour distyllyng, Sent on herbes the perely dropis..Of siluer dewes.
- c1475 Court Sap.(Trin-C R.3.21)1342 : The Almond tree..Distillyng gom from hys boolle precious.
- c1500(a1450) ALacrim.(Hrl 2274)p.279 : A crown was thirst vppon his hede That frome his brayn ouer his een Distyllid blod in dropes rede.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)40a/a : Auicen..commaundeþ for to distille [*Ch.(2): droppe] tyme after tyme..leuke warme greez [into the ear].
c
- c1500(a1450) ALacrim.(Hrl 2274)p.289 : Ioy distyllyd myn een two: Therfor to wepe com lerne at me.
3.
Fig. (a) To bestow (good fortune on sb.); (b) to emit or utter (words of slander); (c) of a person: ~ to waikenesse, to grow gradually weaker.
Associated quotations
a
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.51 : To somme sugre and hony sche [Fortune] distilleth.
b
- (c1391) Gower CA Suppl.(Bod 294)prol.62* : A gentil herte his tunge stilleth, That it malice non distilleth, But preyseth that is to be preised.
c
- ?1457 Hardyng Chron.A (Lnsd 204)p.746 : Syr Robert..distilde, by kynde nature, Thurgh besy age..To suche waykenesse, he might no more endure.
4.
Med. & alch. (a) To subject (a liquid, herb, mineral) to the process of distillation; ~ up; (b) to obtain or produce (an essence) by the process of distillation; (c) to vaporize and condense; (d) to perform the operation of distillation.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)33/2 : And summe destyllen clowes of gylofre..& the lykour þat goth out þerof þei clepe it bawme.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)32/8 : Furst must þe herbys..ben stampyd, and after-ward distyllyd.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)34/3 : Take flyntys..and do þer-to a quantite of fyn vinegyr and distille it vp.
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)4/7 : Ȝe muste distille þis wiyn 7 tymes, & þanne haue ȝe good brennynge watir.
- a1500 in Singer Cat.Alchem.2.497 : Take the noblist vyneger distilled..id est aqua ardent.
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)48b : The water wher with thow muste revive thy stone Loke thow distill afore thow worke withe it.
b
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)250/29 : [Apply] water of fenel distillid.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)26/22 : Þe licour þat es distilled of þam þai sell in steed of bawme.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)50b/a : Þe water distilled of þe myddel ryndes of þe rote..and of þe floures of eldre.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.6556 : Thei [women] han..Distillid watres, to make hem seeme faire.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)273/6 : Drynke a sponful at onys with watyr dystillyde of þes erbys.
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)5/3 : Þe strengest brennynge watir..distillid out of pure myȝty wiyn.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)434 : Who wolde waste a precious water þat were distillid bi bisy trauel, & caste þis water in a lake?
c
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)31/16 : Where thorowgh þat watir schall disstille.
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)4/14 : Þat þing þat by vertues of fier ascendith and distillith wiþinne þe vessel..eftsoones ascendith & eft descendiþ contynuely day and nyȝt.
d
- a1500(?1471) *Ripley Epis.Edw.IV (Ashm 759)105a : Fyrst calcyn, and after that putrefie, Dissolue, distille, sublyme, descende, and fixe.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 32/30 : Take and distille watre of sal armonyak.
Note: Antedates sense 4.(a).
- a1525 BodEMus.52 Artist.Recipes (BodEMus 52) 183/14 : Forto make fyne azure of lapis lazuly withouȝt paste, distyll water of sall armoniake [etc.].
Note: Need date, sense 4.(a).
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 27/34 : Frote wel with þyn hondes þilke pece of lynnen cloth with þy perles þerynne in þat watre þat is so distillyd with a feltre.
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 28/8 : Whanne..þy salt is al clene dissolued in þat watre take and stille hit by a feltre..and whanne al is clene disstilled take and sette hit ouere an esy fire.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)125a/a : Lac virginis..þat is made of litarge & tempred wiþ white acete distilled with a filtre.
Note: ?New sense. Clarke says 'filtered'. New spelling (ppl.) = disstilled. Chauliac(1) quot. taken from filtre n.
- a1500 Sln.962 Artist.Recipes (Sln 962) 306/4 : Lat it stand so alle a day and a nyth till all þe clere water be gadered aboue and þe thyk stand benethe; þen tak a felt and distall out þe cler water clene fro þe thik.
Note: ?New sense (as above). Clarke says 'clearly referring to filtration'. New spelling (distall).
- a1500 Sln.963 Artist.Recipes (Sln 963) 243/5 : Put hit yn a sachel forte distylle owt the water; and whan þe water ys owt clene, take that þat leuyþ yn the sake and strawe hit in a lynnen cloþ to drye.
Note: ?New sense (as above, 'referring to filtration').
- a1525 BodEMus.52 Artist.Recipes (BodEMus 52) 189/11 : Temper yte with feyr rynnynge water, and put yt in a styllatorye of glase and distyll hym as þu styll aqua vyte.
- a1500 Ashm.1438 Artist.Recipes (Ashm 1438) 259/9 : Put all þese yn a styllatorr forto dystylle.
Note: Clarke says 'clearly referring to distillation'. ?Prob. sense 4.(a).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Addition to etymology: since the Latin and Old French verbs do not have the same form as the Middle English word, they need to be spelled out.--per MJW