Middle English Dictionary Entry
dǒucet adj. & n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dǒucet adj. & n. Also douset, dulcet. |
| Etymology | OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Sweet or pleasant to the taste; tasty, delicious; (b) as noun: a sweet custard or sweetened meat pie.
Associated quotations
a
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)128 : Dowcet mete, or swete cake mete [Win: swete or bake mete]: Dulceum.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)33 : Þen put þer-to hony..þat it may ben dowcet..seson it with Sugre, & loke þat it be poynant & doucet.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)1683 : Boylled in dowset and swet wyn [L in vino dulci].
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)21/159 : Frutys..woundyr dowcet.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)100 : Salt it and mak yt doucet and chargaunt.
b
- (1425) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.187/1459 : The ijde Cowrs: Peions rosted, dowcetes.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)55 : Doucettes. Take Porke & hakke it smal, & Eyroun y-mellyd to-gederys, & a lytel Milke, & melle hem to-gederys with Hony & Pepir, & bake hem in a cofyn..Doucettes a-forcyd. Take Almaunde Milke, & ȝolkys of Eyroun..Safroun, Salt, & hony; dry þin cofyn, & ley þin Maribonys þeron, & caste þin comade þer-on.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)699 : Dowcettes, payne puff, with leche.
- a1500 Rule Serve Ld.(Add 37969)17/12 : All maner of bake metes, be it fishe or doucetes.
2.
(a) Sweet or pleasant to the ear; (b) as noun: a kind of wind instrument.
Associated quotations
a
- c1450(?c1425) St.Mary Oign.(Dc 114)145/33 : A doucet and mery melody.
- c1450(?c1425) St.Mary Oign.(Dc 114)178/17 : A ful swete cantelene and melody wiþ doucet not and ryme.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)86/7 : He sang it in a moste swete voyce..his voyce was a dulcett melodye.
- a1475(?1445) ?Lydg.Cal.(Rwl B.408)311 : Seynt Leonard.. Make þem easy with þy moste dowcet harpe.
b
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1221 : [Musicians] That maden lowde mynstralicies In cornemuse and shalemyes..in doucet and in rede.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)5590 : Ther wer trumpes and trumpetes, Lowde shallys and doucetes.
3.
(a) Beloved; (b) pleasurable.
Associated quotations
a
- (1450) Doc.Chester in Archaeol.5776 : We youre seide beseechers..ever will be trewe..& lovyng to & of you..oure most doucet sovraign lorde.
b
- (1445) ?Bokenham Claudian CS (Add 11814)269/142 : Lechery, the dowsett syn..abideth the doome.