Middle English Dictionary Entry
ēgle n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ēgle n. Also egel, agle. |
| Etymology | OF egle, aigle (beside aille), from L aquila. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A large bird of prey belonging to any one of the species termed aquila in the Middle Ages; (b) roial ~, an eagle of the noblest sort; formel ~, female eagle; tercel ~, male eagle; (c) ~ eied, having piercing eyes; (d) egles grece, eagle fat (used in medicine); egle eiren, eagle eggs; egle(s fether.
Associated quotations
a
- [ c1175 Stw.57 Gloss.(Stw 57)412 : Aquila: ærn .i. eigle. ]
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2178 : Vpon his hand he bar..An egle tame, as any lilie whyt.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.630 : For as an Egle with his winges Fleth above alle that men finde, So doth this science in his kinde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)141a/a : Briddes and foules þat lyue by pray, as Egles and faucouns.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)141b/b : Þe egle..haþ principalite among foules.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Lev.11.13 : Thes ben that ȝe shulen not eete of bryddes..an egle, and a griffyn, and a merlyoun.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)31/2 : He [Phoenix] is not mecheles more þan an Egle.
- c1450(?c1400) 3 KCol.(1) (Cmb Ee.4.32)32/36 : In þe foorme of an egle hit ascendid aboue þe hill.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)486/4 : Þer come ane agle, & he folud hur.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)16/35 : The þrydde Cyte..Caerpaledour, þe wich is nowe Shaftysbury, where þe Brutouns seyin sumtyme an Egylle the wich prophicyed.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)2.176 : Thus hawkyd þis egle [i. e. Henry IV] and houed aboue.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)40b : An egyll: aquila, aquilinus.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)119/32 : Riȝt as þe egle descendeþ in-to the see and takeþ oute here praye.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)265 : Ther come in at the wyndowe a gret Egle, and tooke the child oute of his bed, and fly his way.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.5937 : Þer cam anon doun oute of þe ayre A royal egle ful percinge of his loke.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)540 : 'Al redy!' quod these egles tercels.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)393 : The tersel egle..The foul royal, above yow in degre.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)330 : There myghte men the royal egle fynde, That with his sharpe lok perseth the sonne.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)373 : A formel egle, of shap the gentilleste..The moste benygne and the goodlieste.
- c1560(a1500) Squire LD (Copland)776 : Homward thus shall ye ryde..With goshauke and with gentyll fawcon, with egle horne [?read: egle, herne] and merlyon.
c
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)23920 : She was of gret sobrenesse..Egle-eyed, bryght and cler.
d
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3365 : Lyk an egles fetheres wax hise heres.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)292b/b : An egle feþer ydo amonge coluere feþeres pilieþ and gnaweþ hem.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)324a/a : The Egle eyren and þe goshauk eyren beþ fewe, for þey passeþ but seldom þre eyren.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)112b/b : Oyle..of Egles grece, or of eles grece.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)507 : So shone the egles fethers bryghte.
2.
(a) A carved or painted representation of an eagle used for ornament or as an emblem; (b) The Roman eagle, the imperial symbol born by the Roman legions; (c) as an armorial bearing; (d) as the designation of a tavern; (e) a small flask shaped like an eagle.
Associated quotations
a
- (1371) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99130 : Camera. j lectisternium glauci et rubii coloris cum egles.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)78 : By þe egle of gold þat briȝte schon vppon charlis pauyloun knew he þer-by þe kyng.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5634 : Egles betyn in his baner large.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)4661 : Many a tent was ther vp-reysed..With eglis faire and riche In syght.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)360 : I salle auntyre ne anes hys egle to touche, þat borne es in his banere of brighte golde.
- (1448) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 1214 : Chapletys of gold and Egylles of ye same.
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)54/3 : A septre in his honde, full richely devisid and þervppon in signe of victori an Egle of golde.
- (1454) Will York in Sur.Soc.30174 : j standyng cope of silver coveryd with ane egill in the tope.
- (1461) Reg.Chanc.Oxf.in OHS 9466 : A peynted cloth with an egle, precii viiid.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)392 : Fyftene pomels of golde þere schoon, An Egyll and a charbokull stone.
- a1500(a1450) Parton.(1) (Add 35288)920 : Egelys of golde fflekerynge þer stode.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)78 : Also this yere the Egill on Poulis stepell was take downe for hit was broke.
b
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)326 : A gay egle of gold on a gilde appul, With grete dragouns grym, alle in gold wroȝte.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)13756 : Þe Romains..fflede vnto þe Egle of golde (Egle ys ern on Englische roun; Þat was þe Romayns gunphanoun).
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)712 : This feleshepe, most worshipful, most digne, Bar thegil and thymage of themperour.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)923 : The firste signe of al the legioun An Egil is, born by an Egeler.
c
- (?c1375-a1390) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3573 : The feeld of snow with thegle of blak ther inne.
- (1443) in Hope Gram.Heraldry100 : Gowles iij egles of gold betwene a feesche chekke of gold and asure.
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.5 (Hrl 2169)184 : iij eglys hedis of sylvyr the bekys gold.
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.9 (Hrl 2169)167 : A schoychon of gold [with] an egyll splayed of sabyll.
d
- -?-(1449) Instrum.St.Mary in Archaeol.13199 : In quodam mesuagio sive taberna vocat' le Egle, situat in Westchepa, civitatis London.
e
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)273 : This oyle was closed in a egel of gold, and that egil put in a crowet of ston.
3.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)110a/a : Þe sterris..archites and echites þat beþ I clepid aquila, þe egle.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4494 : Gemyny..In whiche þe Egle and also þe Dolphyn Han her arisyng be reuolocioun.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)559 : The Egyl flying by, and the Dolphyn that in the spere ys resydent.
4.
In phrase ston of the egle, a magical stone said to be found in the nests of eagles, the eagle-stone, aetites.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)199b/a : Echites is a stoon..and alway tweyne ben yfound in þe Egles nest..Also þis stoon conteyneþ anoþer stoon wiþinne as a womman wiþ childe.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)87 : Etite, de egle, is a ston & haþe many vertues.
- (?a1500) in Singer Cat.Alchem.1.16 : The tretise of Magnesie of the Huntyng of the Lyone or of the stone of thegle, which is for meke and wise men.