Middle English Dictionary Entry
dūres(se n.
Entry Info
| Forms | dūres(se n. Also duras, duresce, durest, durise. |
| Etymology | OF durece |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Hardness, induration; (b) fig. hard-heartedness, obduracy.
Associated quotations
a
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.229vb : Gootes muk & namely of þe mountes .. Drunk with salt .. breketh duresse of splene... It is diaforicum & opneth hardhede & stopping of splene & oþere hardhedes thou it ben olde.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)135 : Dwresse, or hardenesse: Duricies.
- ?a1450 Arderne LW (Em 69)125 : The yerd of him was of the lyknesse as it is afore foormyd with gret duresse in the sore party.
b
- c1450(?c1425) St.Christina Mirab.(Dc 114)126/28 : Þat sorowe of hir was so vnsufferabil..þat no duresse of men myghte sustene hit.
- a1500 ?Ros Belle Dame (Cmb Ff.1.6)703 : Ye, þat bere an hert of syche dures.
2.
(a) Harshness, cruelty; severity, rigor; religious austerity; (b) don ~, werken ~, to do (sb. or sth.) harm, do violence to; injure, wrong; (c) distress, suffering, affliction.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)151 : Religioun was first founded duresce for to drie.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.411 : Into the breres thei forcacche Her Orf, for that thei wolden lacche With such duresce and so bereve..Of wulle.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.771 : Many lady bryȝte Was wydowe made by duresse of þis werre.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.140 : Many..knyȝt Slayn in þe feld by dures of þat fiȝt.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.607 : Þat hidous tempest make hem [the wine grapes] nat to sterue Nor no duresse of fretinge of no frost.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3570 : Love hath to hym do gret distresse; He hath no nede of more duresse.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)1002 : Ther was eke so grete duresse in religioun Thei myth not ber esily.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)222 : Sorowe & heuynesse Bones of man dryeþ by his duresse.
- a1450(?1420) Lydg.TG (Tan 346)515 : Þese leues, þe which mai not die þuruȝ no dures of stormes.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)14/26 : Thou shalt ouercome hem [temptations] better litel & litel by pacience..þan wiþ duresse [L duritia].
- a1500 12 PTrib.(2) (Rwl C.894)403/32 : I haue herd hyr cryinge for þe duresse of hem þat bene ouerseers of þe werkes.
b
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)99/A2055 : Ȝif þou do þi sone duresse, On þe falle swich a destresse.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1074 : Duel was to deme þe duresse þat he wrouȝt.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.399 : Unneth it don shal us duresse.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.532 : Wyntir stormys myht do hem no duresse.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Look TM (Hrl 2255)53 : To ffissh in watir the Otir doth duresse.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1764 : Of all our dures þai vs did.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.69 : I do þe no duresse Ne violence.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)26 : Thay did that durise to hym ayenst the lawe.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.706 : Thow doist hym more gretter duresse Than dide all the Iewes with hir grete affray.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)19 : Yef I delyuer my moder fro this Iuge, shall eny other do her duresse?
c
- (?1406) Hoccl.MR (Hnt HM 111)12 : Tho felte I no duresse.
- (?a1430) Hoccl.Mir.Virg.(Hnt HM 744)18/53 : I baar of my body God and man Withouten wo or duresse.
- (1444) RParl.5.109b : Bi force of which Suetes..many of your seid true poeple and subgetts been..put in gret pereill, duresse and desese.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)55.378 : Althowgh that ded he nere, ȝit moche duresse and schame hadde he there.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)1386 : I endure in pouertes distresse, And sche nat liste remue my duresse.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1934 : Al the tribulacioune..his shame, & his dures..he told[e].
- a1500(c1380) Chaucer Bal.Ch.(Benson-Robinson)14 : My woful herte suffreth greet duresse.
- a1500 Play Sacr.(Dub 652)713 : Now þou hast put me from duresse and dysfame.
3.
(a) Forcible compulsion, coercion; restraint of physical liberty, imprisonment; bi ~, for ~, by force; ~ of iren, constraint in fetters; (b) law illegally exercised constraint such as will invalidate any legal act performed under its influence, duress; ~ of prison, ~ of emprisonment, duress by imprisonment.
Associated quotations
a
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3127 : We most be duresse Getyn recur, whan þat be fairnesse We may noon haue.
- (1425) RParl.4.306a : The said Sherefs..taken gret sommes of money of ye parties yat buth so sued, by duresse for yer meyinpris.
- (a1443) *Pet.Chanc.PRO ser.CP 1 file 12no.112 : Hugh was arestid and putte in prisone..and there vndre grete bondes and with grete duras of yren hath be contenuelly.
- (1443) Doc.Trade in BRS 777 : Þei violently ayenst þe lawe putte him in prison in grete duresse.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.2 Merch.(Hrl 2255)773 : He was hent anoon and pullyd by duresse, With swre arrest they handys on hym leye.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)13 : She wyl..put me in duresse as þouȝ I were a faytour.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)3305 : Þanne I..be putte a-bak be wronge dures.
- (1455) Let.Bk.Lond.K (Gldh LetBk K)371 : That they be seurely kept..withouten any unreasonable duresse.
- (1466) Stonor1.76 : He was..putte in dures in to Stokkes.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)73 : They were..enforced for duresse to forsake youre title and youre lawes.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.277 : He toke out then..His eme Rychard holden in greate dures.
b
- (1414) RParl.4.58b : The forseide Priour and Chanons..oppressed us by duresce of prison, to be bounde to hem.
- (1432) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.1.p.xxviii : I..now stondyng atte large, not constrained ne compelled, and..enfourmed that the saide obligacion was unlawfully and by duresse of prisonement by me ensealled.
- (1463) Case King Council in Seld.Soc.35113 : They be gylty of the durest of enprisonment of the seid Richard.
- c1475(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Hrl 661)p.353 fn. : Kynge Henry made kynge Richarde vnder dures of prisoun..to make a resignatioun of his right to hym.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)25/18 : Þere is no schortere wyeȝe to soften his dures þen with a buxum herte to do hym feithful seruise.
Note: Probably belongs to sense 2.(a).--per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. duress.