Middle English Dictionary Entry
al-mōst adv.
Entry Info
| Forms | al-mōst adv. Also almast, almest, almeast. |
| Etymology | From phrase; cp. OE eall(e mǣst 'nearly all', & quots. 1 & 3 under sense 1 below. Until c1375 al-mēst is the usual Southern and South Midland form; thereafter the North Midland form al-mōst was adopted in the London area. The North has al-māst, Orm. allmasst (only once); cp. A maast beside mǣst. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Nearly all; for the most part, mostly; most of all.
Associated quotations
- 1123 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1123 : Him wið cwæðen muneces & eorles & þeignes ealle mest þe þær wæron.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)9617 : Þatt Issraæle þeod allmasst Þa shollde beon forrworrpenn.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)19145 : Cristess kinness menn..Þeȝȝ alle mast forrwurrpenn himm.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)60a : Þe forme & te þridde fondunge of þeose fowre beoð al meast [Nero: almest] under þe inre.
- a1225 PMor.(Dgb 4)st.153 : We..leggeð almest [vrr. al; mast al] ure iswinch on þinge vnstedeueste.
- -?-(1415) Will in Som.RS 16402 : Thys twey lynes I wrete almeste with my owne honde.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)2b/b : Þe 4a. secte is almost [L fere] of alle duchemen knyȝtys & þam þat seweþ batailles.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.39 : Seynte Ierom..whose translacion is obseruede allemoste [Trev.: nygh in every place; L ubique fere], excepte the translacion in his psawter.
2.
Very nearly, well-nigh, all but, almost; -- (a) with verb phrases; (b) with pred. adjs., advs., & adv. noun phrases.
Associated quotations
a
- 1123 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1123 : Ðes ylce geares..for bearn eall meast se burh of Lincolne.
- a1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1130 : And se burch forbernde ælmæst.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.568 : Hou he fond þe ded almast As he rode þurch a forest.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.1948 : Hym hadde almest [rime: est] Bitydde a sory care.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3524 : For sorwe of this he fil almoost adoun.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Knt.PW (Phys-E)p.141 : And gert him almast fal in rage.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)12532 : Al-mast [Trin-C: almest] bigan he to dei.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Judg.8.1 : Chidynge stronglich and almest violence brynggynge yn.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.64 : It semed as he wepte almost [rime: woost].
- c1430(c1395) Chaucer LGW Prol.(2) (Benson-Robinson)89 : Whan passed was almost the month of May.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)48/30 : Almuste they ouerthrewe theym self.
b
- ?a1300(a1250) Harrow.H.(Dgb 86)31 : Almest so muchel hit is agon, Suþþen þat i bicom furst mon.
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)19328 : For his [Clg: he bið] almest dead.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (Hrl 2277:Horst.)157 : Þo hit [the ship] cam almest þerto, vpe þe roche hit gan ride.
- c1300 SLeg.Cross (LdMisc 108)279 : Þo þat weork was almest ȝare, heom failede a long treo.
- c1300 SLeg.Fran.(1) (LdMisc 108)431 : Two ȝer and al-mest þreo wyke.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)962 : He was almest naked.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3179 : Almost redi was here fare.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)2064 : Hit is al-mest eue, And þe day is now y-buyed awey.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2541 : Þen was meliors neiȝ mad al-most for fere.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.155 : She hadde a fair forheed; It was almoost a spanne brood.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fri.(Manly-Rickert)D.1574 : An old rebekke, That hadde almoost as leef to lese hir nekke As for to yeue a peny of hir good.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)243b/b : The tame rose..beþ all rede oþer almost white.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)229/16 : Cure of glandularum & scrophularum is almoost oon, saue herof is a difference.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5390 : Þat folk..fouȝtten wiþ hem..Forto it were almest day.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)7184 : Fourty þousande al-mast Hij han yslawe in wilde wast.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3371 : And hath so leyne almost al this day.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.2.85 : Almest al the purposede forme.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2436 : For syk he was, and almost at the deth.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)31/23 : Torne it by-fore þe fire..till it be almaste dry.
- (1465) Paston (Gairdner)4.188 : His tepet of fyne worsted..is almost like silk.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)335/23 : He was allmoste unarmed.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)18 : When Kynge Henry the First had regned almoste xxxv yere, he dyed.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)297 : There sche was almoost allone, Ther was wyth hur maydyns but oon.
- a1500 Rule Serve Ld.(Add 37969)12/17 : Þe marshall and sewer shall make a salutacoun when þey come allmoste at þe borde.
3.
With neg. expressions: almost (nothing), scarcely (anything, anybody).
Associated quotations
- (1423) Plea & Mem.in Bk.Lond.E.131/30 : Þer may no man passe by that syde of þe wey, ne by þat other syde nother, almost.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)147 : Temporell men..taken off þe kynge litle, and all most nothyng ffor thair seruice.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)153 : Þat almost no man..durste take an office off þe kyng.