Middle English Dictionary Entry
drīenes(se n.
Entry Info
| Forms | drīenes(se n. Also dri-, drui(e-, drei(e-, drinesh. |
| Etymology | OE drȳgnes |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. drie adj.(1).
1.
(a) The state of being dry or dried out; (b) dryness of weather, drought; (c) dry land (as opposed to sea); (d) desert; (e) dead wood.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)79b/b : Hete is felid in þe noseþrilles & drines in þe tunge.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)194b/a : Ȝif it were..ybrused togeders in a mannes honde, it shulde rustly..ffor druynes.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)245/29 : Þou schalt knowe bi blaknes of al þe bodi..& bi drienes of his iȝen.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)97a/b : For dreyenesse and for hardnesse of þe egestiouns &..schitinges.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)132 : Drynesse: Siccitas, ariditas.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)10/30 : So þat the erthe, bothe downe and dale, in drynesch playnly may a-pere.
- ?a1450 Arderne LW (Em 69)115 : He schall use a ffoowl..bakene withoute drynesse.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)106 : He gaderid..stikes that wer Idried..& by vertu of hir drinesse he made a gret fire.
b
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Jer.50.38 : Drynesse schal be on the watris.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.429 : Hit was a grete dryenesse.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)30b/a : Þe drynes of þe grauel settiþ a bounde to þe see.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)94.5 : His es þe see..And drinesse schope his hand to be.
- a1400 MPPsalter (Dub 69)65.5 : Drynes [Add: Þat turneþ þe see in dryhede].
- a1400 MPPsalter (Dub 69)94.5 : Made drynes [Add: His hondes founded þe drihede].
- c1425 Treat.10 Com.(StJ-O 94)13 : Coniure me to sum driȝe place..þat I may haf vij foote of drines.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)10/31 : Þe drynes 'lande' sall be.
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)21/28 : Now will I waters..gather into one, and drynes sone him showe.
d
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)104.39 : God brake þe stone, and waters ran out and flodes ȝede þurȝ drienes [L in sicco].
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)77.45 : In wreth þai wakened him in drines.
- a1400 MPPsalter (Dub 69)77.45 : Drynes [Add: Hij somond him in ire in dryhede].
e
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.532 : Now is to repare Rosayres olde, & drynesse of to pare.
2.
Thirst, thirstiness; fig. greed, yearning.
Associated quotations
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.3735 : The mor thei drynke, the mor thei thruste..The gretter drynesse doth in ther hertis breede.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)327/8 : Swete drinke, þe whiche..generynge a manere of dryenesse, made hem more thristlewe.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)133/25 : Abidyng my comyng..wiþ a stedfast trust, and to suffre paciently þin exile & drynes of soule, til þou be..delyuered from all anxietes.
3.
Phys., anat., alch. (a) The primary quality of dryness inherent in all things; (b) dominant dry quality.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)28b/b : Drynesse and wetnesse ben I-clepid passiue.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)305a/a : The more druyenesse þer is and þe stronger hete, þe more blak colour is y-bred.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)305a/b : Maistry of moysture gendreþ druyenesse in matiere þat it worcheþ Inne.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)173b/b : Hete, coldenesse, dryenesse, and moystenesse.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)91/27 : There ben fowre humours in a man..heete, moostnes, coldenys, and drynes, of the whiche he takeþ delectacion of synnynge.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)1459 : The qualites iiii..heat, colde, moisture, and drynes, of whiche iiii all thinge compounde is.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)1480 : Moysture and drynes be qualitees passive.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)86b/b : If hoosnes comeþ of drynes, it is I knowe by drye cowȝe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)123a/a : By cooldnesse and drienesse..þe childe is slayne.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)288a/b : If he is y-geldid..his fleissh is þe bettre and þe more temperat in druyenesse and in hete.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)315b/a : Sour sauour comeþ of colde & druyenesse in þe secounde gree.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)316a/a : Of water comeþ colde and of erþe comeþ druyenesse.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)329/11 : Þere ben medicyns coold & moist þat þou miȝt vse for to atempere þe complexioun of lymes þat ben distemp[er]id in hete & drienes.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)116a/b : Drynes is more hard to cure þan moistenesse.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)163a/b : Drynez is more nyȝ to holenesse, moistenez forsoþ to vnholenez.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)63b/a : Newe wyne is hote in þe firste degre..and þe dryenesses þerof ben of proporcioun to þe hotenesses, and þerfore it dreyeþ and sowdeþ.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)187a/b : Benes is knowen to drye colde wiþ temperure of dryenesse & wiþ resoluynge and wiþ clensynge.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Mutability MN (Hrl 2255)33 : Man hath with somyr drynesse and heete.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)1353 : Fyr, Colour, Estas, and Juventus Age To-gidre Accorde in heete and drynesse.
4.
Spiritual emptiness or barrenness; apathy, dullness.
Associated quotations
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)341/14 : I am so constreynede with a manere of dryenesse and hardenesse of herte, þat..I am not compuncte ne sorowefulle.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)376/12 : Þey felen hem-selfe ofte-syþes ouercome with a maner harde herte and dreynesse of deuocyon.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)74/17 : So þat þan þou be not slowe fro studie of praier..and for no drynesse ner anxiete of mynde be not negligent of þi self.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. dryness.