Middle English Dictionary Entry
encrēs n.
Entry Info
| Forms | encrēs n. Also in-. |
| Etymology | From encrēsen . |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
Growth or gain in realm, wealth, prosperity, prestige, power, or well-being; aggrandizement, advancement; --occ. with of phrase; note the common to encres.
Associated quotations
- (c1380) Chaucer CT.SN.(Manly-Rickert)G.18 : Ydelnesse is roten slogardye Of which ther neuere comth no good nencrees.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.275 : Sownynge alwey thencrees of his wynnyng.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.237 : In destruccioun of Maumetrie, And in encrees of Cristes lawe deere, They been acorded.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.3342 : That I wol schape thin encress; What worldes good that thou wolt crave, Axe of my yifte and thou schalt have.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.8433 : He Grekis by his worþines Had ofte brouȝt in ful gret distres þe same day to his grete encres.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.275 : Þat euery þing miȝt in welfulnes To ȝoure encres perseueren.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1087 : Al the worshipe and encres That I may goodly don yow, ye shal have.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.3734 : [Cyrus] hadde al Asie to his gret encres.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.3334 : Alcibiades, off Athene cheeff capteyn, Fro day to day wex up to gret encres.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1743 : For othere encresse of lordshepe kepte he none, Bot onlyche to serue.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)31/35 : Alle-wey prompte & redy to puttyne hem to þe aventires of alle perylys..ffor lucre & encrees.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)83/11 : Euery damesel..to þe Encrese of more plente xulde be browght in good degre On to here spowsage.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)128 : Thai shulde than be vndir a prince double so myghty as was thair old prince;--wich encrease any subget desirith.
1b.
Advantage, profit, benefit.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1666 : Thus hath he cast for his encress That your astat schal go to noght.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.3083 : Roial blood, nouther hih lynage To mennys berthe yeueth but smal encres, Nor onto vertu but litil auauntage.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.4513 : A froward werre Ageyn..Artaxerses, Wenyng therbi taue had a gret encres.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.3087 : The tresour..Achetid was..To comoun profit & encres off the toun.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.3379 : Besechyng hym [the king] to graunte to his encres Certeyn soudiours out off his cuntre, For to werreie Athenos.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)320 : Of plate of sylvere..In grete plente, whiche they bringe and bye Oute of the londes of Bealme and Hungrye; Whiche is encrese ful grete unto thys londe.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)6173 : Humblely I yow be-seke Me to graunte, to myn encres, Off the Releff off Moyses, My voyded herte to fulfylle.
1c.
Income, revenue, earnings, profit, payment.
Associated quotations
- (1414) RParl.4.60a : Considerynge the heye encres that we profren to the Kyng.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5727 : If a man falle in siknesse, They [physicians and lawyers] are full glad, for her encres.
- (c1439) *Proc.Chanc.PRO ser.C 1 file 9no.131 : His seid maistre..left..certain marchandises..þe seid Thomas to hafe that oon halfe of þe encrece þer of & þe seid bisecher þat oþer.
- (1450) Will York in Sur.Soc.30176 : I wite to Anne Gower to increse for hir gud service vj s.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)42/15 : God sumtyme takyth fro false tytherys ix partys of encres.
- (1453) Proc.Privy C.6.152 : Yeving thayme lycence to utter the same alome with increce of ij s. of everie li.
2.
The multiplication of a race, family, stock, or organic species through reproduction; propagation.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.237 : Moab..and..Amon, of whiche..Cam afterward to gret encres Tuo nacions.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.3 : Whan the hyhe god began This world, and that the kinde of man Was falle into no gret encress, For worldes good tho was no press.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.3941 : Olde Eson gret joie made To sen thencress of his lignage.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)38 : The godesse Ceres, That tooke fro noon but yafe to corne encres.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)221/60 : Of criste whan he comes No kynne schall be kenned; But of þis caytiffe knyreden We knawe þe encrese.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)4.345 : He muste ben eterne..That yeue encrece to ilke generacyon.
3a.
(a) The amount by which anything is increased; addition, increment; (b) increased value or profit; (c) increased price.
Associated quotations
- c1390 Psalt.Mariae(1) (Vrn)77/624 : An hundred-fold encrees [L incrementum].
- a1400 Cato(3) (Frf 14)40 : Þat comis þe be heritage..kepe hit in alle þine age, and kepe hit wiþ encrese.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)2074 : Yit wolde he telle hyt [the tiding] natheles, And evermo with more encres Than yt was erst.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)613/19 : & of þe encrese [gloss: echyng; L de incremento] vj acris of londe of his demayne.
- (1473-4) Acc.St.Edm.Sarum14 : Incresis--item y receyved of the stuards of the lighte of senct Christopher and at halowyn of Increse of this yere xjd.
b
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)34/16 : xij shillings of yerely rent of the mylle of dudekesford, with all encrese that myght come of the mylle.
c
- a1486 Assize Bread in Archaeol.57 (Mrg M 775)60 : A sise of bred is not chaungid but for vj d encrese or vj d abate.
- a1525(?1421) Cov.Leet Bk.24 : That they sell no derre in hur Innes, nedur benes, ne peseȝ, ne ootys in encrease, but as the Statute wull.
3b.
Phrases: in encres, to the encres, in addition, besides, furthermore.
Associated quotations
- (1414-15) Plea & Mem.in Bk.Lond.E.121 : Paying the same Thomas therfore and moreouere euery work in encrece to the same John ix s' vij d.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)151/21 : Roger of Meysy yaf and graunted to the hous of Godestow..one mese, and one crofte..and, to the encrese, an acre of lond at Battas.
4.
Of a person's age, or of a season: increase, progress.
Associated quotations
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.196 : He dradde þat he for his encres And for his manhood likly was tateyne For to succede in his faders reigne.
- a1500 Travel Instruc.(CotApp 8)279 : The eyre therynne waxeth..alle-wey fro evill into wers for that viage, thorough thencresse of somer and the multitude of the peple.
5.
Augmentation, increase (of virtue, vice, fame, etc.); profit, benefit;--often with of phrase.
Associated quotations
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Prov.4.9 : It shal ȝiue to thin hed encrecis [WB(2): encresyngis] of gracis.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))2 Mac.9.11 : By alle momentis his sorewis takynge encresis [L augmenta].
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2184 : Erles, kynges Were gadred..For loue and for encrees of chivalrye.
- c1390 Vrn.Mir.Virg.(Vrn)16 : Eke þi Moder, swete Marie, Of whom com vre encres.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.7712 : The myhti god of his encress Rewardeth him of double grace.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.2149 : To encres of his Felicite.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.1511 : To ȝoure encres of fame.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.2373 : Þei of Troye toun, To encres & awgment of her sorwe, With þe Grekis metten euery morwe.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1776 : This encrees of hardynesse and myght Com hym of love.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.1257 : Folie and encrees of peyne.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)4.pr.7.99 : Thou, that art put in the encres or in the heyghte of vertu.
- a1450 LDirige(1) (Dgb 102)276 : Eche a day synnyng, And euere newe encres.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.26/26 : The which woman..tolde euerywhere the mervelous encresse.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.27/18 : To the heip [ad cumulum] and encrece of his greve and febylnes.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.1/4 : To theyr consolacioun and encres of deuocion.
- (?a1430) Hoccl.Ad Patrem (Hnt HM 744)37 : Encrees of grace.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)21/1 : It is fully my wyl þat þow ȝeue Maystyr R. halfyndel to encres of hys meryte.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)202/16 : Al sotyle entycynge of temptacyons be turned to an holy man in-to encrece of vertues.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1684 : Knyghthode & bataile So stronge is it, that therby libertee Receyued is with encreste and availe.
- (1471) Doc.in HMC Var.Col.4209 : Rest, weal and encrease of love.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)365/43 : Þis worschepful sacramente..ȝeuith grete encrese to þe fyre of goddes loue.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)1 : For increse of grace and also sawles mede.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)122/28 : Gouyll is whanne þou lenyst, & of couenaunt takyst encres for þi lenyng.
Note: Modify gloss.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1c.
Note: Replace the '.' with a ';' and add gloss : also, interest for the use of money [c1450 2nd. quot.].
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section: Also encres(s)e, encrease, encrese, encreste, increse, increce & (with misplaced juncture) nencrese; pl. encresis & encrecis.--notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. increase.