Middle English Dictionary Entry
drīe n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | drīe n.(1) |
| Etymology | OE drȳge; cp. drīe adj.(1). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Dry or clear weather; in wet and ~, in all kinds of weather, rain or shine; also, the dry heat of the sun, dryness, drought; (b) dry land, land (as opposed to sea); (c) dead wood.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)123 : Hider he [man] cumeð..and þoleð..hwile druie and hwile wete..hwile hunger, wile þurst.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3407 : With asses was his habitacioun, And eet hey as a beest in weet and drye [vr. druye].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.15 : Þe redenesse þerof..steyneþ neuere..wiþ wete ne wiþ drie [L solis ardore].
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)6.21 : I haue walked ful wyde in weete and in druye [vrr. drie, driȝe, dreye].
- c1390(1377) Death Edw.III (Vrn)30 : Þei dredde nouþer tempest, druyȝe nor wete.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)4699 : Þe erþe clang for hete & drye.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)6365 : Nouþer for dryȝe ne wete algate, þei chaunged neuer her state.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)238/154 : Ȝe did in drye and wete My comaundementis.
- a1450 Serm.Pater N.(Cmb Dd.11.89)317 : Ȝif he vseth his maistrye Of hete, of chele, of whet, of dreye..vs þinketh þe world is al for do.
- c1475 Rwl.Prov.(Rwl D.328)p.123 : After dry comyth wete & after wete comyth' dry: Post vdum sudum, post sudum sepe sic vdum.
- c1425 Wycl.Antichr.(2) (Dub 245)p.cxxvi : Crist ȝed on hise feet..to teche & turne þe peple in colde & in hete & in weete & in driȝe.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.94.5 : Of hym is the se, and he made it, and the drie [L siccam; WB(2): the drie lond] his hondis formeden.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)383 : Þe dri [Göt: drey] cald erth þat lauerd kyng.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)472 : Dryf over þis dymme water; if þou druye fyndez, Bryng bodworde!
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Gen.1.10 : God clepid the drie [L aridam] erthe; and the gaderyngis of watris he clepide sees.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)44/35 : Al-myghty god loke þou honoure, wich þat made both drye and wete.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)94.5 : The dry is thoght withouten moystire of lichery.
c
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.436 : Euery bough..Kitte of a cubit..& kitte of euery drie!
2.
Thirst.
Associated quotations
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.50 : Ete þis whan þe hungreth, Or whan þow..clyngest for drye [C: drouthe].
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.797 : He wole, for hunger & for drie, Go from this vice.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)377/335 : I dy nere for dry.
3.
Phys. The quality of dryness; also matter characterized by this quality.
Associated quotations
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.420 : He knew the cause of euery maladye, Were it of hoot, or coold, or moyste, or drye.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1095 : Virgo..Be kindly disposicion Of dreie and cold this Maiden is.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)28b/b : Foure þer beþ..hete, coolde, drye, and wetenesse.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)10/15 : Þe qualitees þat wiþ þo bodies of elementis comen into medlynge..ben foure: hoot, coold, moist, & drie.
- a1450 Diseases Women(1) (Dc 37:Singer)37 : Þe tempure of hote and colde, moyste and dry.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)95/19 : Þe thyne tempred togedir with þe thykke..and moyst with drye.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)2517 : His composicion is..Like to this worlde..Of hete, of colde, of moisture, and of drie.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Bk.GGrace (Eg 2006)328/18 : Ande howe sche saght a vyneȝerde and a rennynge watere…Ande howe oure lorde delfede in the vynerȝerde…And howe in soome place the trye was herde, & in some place nesche, ande whate alle this betokenede…In soome place of þat vyneȝerde þe erth was herde, and in soome place it was nesche. Þe herde erth betokenede here hertes whiche were herdede in synnes.
Note: Belongs to sense 1.(b) with this gloss: Land which is incapable of being plowed, inarable land.
Note: Form section: Also (error) trye.--notes per MJW