Middle English Dictionary Entry
enǧīn n.
Entry Info
| Forms | enǧīn n. Also engine, (pl.) engenes, in-. |
| Etymology | OF engin, engien; L ingenium. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. gin.
1.
(a) Innate ability or intelligence, talent; skill, ingenuity, cleverness; also, a skill or craft; (b) deceitfulness, trickery; evil intention or design; a trick, a snare, a machination; fals ~; --freq. pl.; (c) law withouten fraude or ~, withouten gile or ivel ~, without fraud or deception; unfailingly; malengine, q.v.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)2003 : Ac now icham from him ifare Þourȝ godes grace & min engyn.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.453 : Goodes of nature of the soule ben good wit, sharpe vnderstondynge, subtil engyn, vertu naturel, good memorie.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2637 : Carmente made of hire engin The ferste lettres of Latin, Of which the tunge Romein cam.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1945 : Þis Medea by hir engyne and crafte From hir fader his tresour hath berafte.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)122/6 : The Sotilte of youre witte, and the clernys of youre engyn.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)234/13 : He is sothefaste..and of good engynne.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.565 : For neither with engyn ne with no loore, Unnethes myghte I fro the deth hym kepe.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)39a/b : Machinosus: ful engines.
- a1425 Siege Troy(1) (LinI 150)19 : And seothen a maister of sotil engyn Turnede hit fro gryw into latyn.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)14/14 : And when he was born it hadde the engyne and witt of a feende, after the kynde of hym that be-gate hym.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)21b : For that arte excedeth all other engynis and resteth only in the wysdome of man.
b
- ?a1300 St.Eust.(Dgb 86)288 : Hy wenten to hoere inne..Wiþouten vuel enginne.
- a1325(?c1300) Caiphas (Sln 2478)83 : Þe þrydde fo is þe deuel of helle..of hym and hys engyn Ȝee scholde habbe doute.
- a1350 Suete ihu king (Hrl 2253)28 : Vndo myn herte & liht þer-yn, and wite me from fendes engyn.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)87/1949 : Gold and siluer to wille he wan Bi losengerie an bi engin [vrr. wykyd gynne; evill doyng].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.1956 : Art thou, mi Sone, of such engin?
- a1400 Floris (Eg 2862)78/313 : Þrouȝ engynne Of þy Faders reed and myne.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.5822 : Þoruȝ false engyn and conspiracioun.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4549 : The develes engynnes wolde me take.
- c1425 Found.St.Barth.49/29 : For all his engynnys and waytys she skapid vntowchid.
- 1448 *Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58:Kooper)f.133r : Elfred .. was myne enmye and assentand to hem that in the citee of Wynchestre wolde haue by tresoune slayne me, but yf thourgh the pite of God hure engynes and forcastynges hadde be aspied and opened.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)84 : Socrates seith the cours of fortvne farith as engins.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)36.304 : Be whom was wrowht this fals Engyn.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)3/5 : Thei made their hostys to ete and drynk with theym, that noon ingyne schuld be thoght.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)962/11 : So wote I never [with] what engyne the fynde enchaffed hym.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)829 : In-to that cyte gon Somme by ther sotel engyn.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)468 : Bertelak the reade..by his art and his engyn, by hir lay longe tyme after.
- a1500 Discip.Cler.(Wor F.172)27 : Philosophres..comaunden a man to kepe hym from the froward wit and engyne of wymmen.
c
- (1405) Doc.in Flasdieck Origurk.()42 : Egyne [Add. Charter 40673: Al this poyntz and couenauntz..shullen be pleynlychest trewly performed as the lawe will, wit outen ony fraude or male engyne.]
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)948 : And howe to the I gyfe, Withouten fraude or engyne, Vppon thy day to make offerynge.
- c1460 Oseney Reg.51/10 : Withoute gyle or Euyll Engyne.
2.
(a) A mode or manner of construction; design; god ~, good design or construction; (b) a contrivance or mechanism (for performing work); (c) a machine (for torturing).
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?c1300) Reinbrun (Auch)p.664 : Ac þis castel is gode engyn: Noblech a wereþ him þer-in.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)19/28 : The entrees..thay setten men forto stopyn, in some Place with trees y-cast doune, and in othir Placis depe dichis y-cast; thegh the Place were stronge of kynd, thay maddyn hit mych strongir with Engyn.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)4932 : Þe castel Calaphyne, þat was made off good engyne.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.271 : Vnto man it ne longeþ noght To knowen all his [God's] wonderfull engyne [L machinas], And of þe werkes whiche þat ben y-wroght.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2156 : He wolde ordeigne such engin, That thei the werk schull undersette With Tymber, that withoute lette Men mai the tresor saufli delve.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.184 : The hors of bras..Ther may no man out of the place it dryue For noon engyn of wyndas ne polyue.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.757 : No man myȝt espien nor deuyse By what engyn þe filþes..Wern born a-wey.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)137/14 : Þare ware..briddes, þe whilk..turned by engyne as þai had bene all quikke.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)8810 : Exe virtus de Stonhenges..Geauntz..sette þem [the stones] on an hil ful hey Wiþ engyns ful queyntely.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5292 : Þis selere was be sorsry selcuthely foundid, Made for a mervall to meeue with engine. Twenti tamed Olifants turned it a-boute, Quirland all on queles.
c
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)54 : Ellys sche schall be caste in to þe ferfulle engyne, and on þat oo syde wyth hokes and on þat oþer syde wyth bytynge sawes sche schall be rent al to peces.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)55 : For þat peynfull engyn of wheles was made by suche craft þat [etc.]
- a1500 St.Kath.(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)324 : An yngyne y make cane, And whan sche ys lokkyd therone, I trowe sche schall chaunge anone.
3.
(a) A machine or structure used in assaulting fortifications, such as the belfry, the Ludgar of Sterling, the mangonel, the musculus, the ram, the Robinet, the sow, the tower; (b) a machine for casting stones or other matter against or over walls; (c) any other (mechanical) device used in warfare;--also coll.; a weapon of personal combat; also fig.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.429 : Vaspacianus destourbed þe wal wiþ þe stroke of an engyne [L arietis].
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.326 : Þe kyng did mak right ȝare an hidous engyn, þe name þei cald Ludgare or Lurdare of Striuelyn. Whan þei kest þerto, þe walle þorghout þei clef.
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5088 : Foure hundreþ olifaunz baren his engynes, To þrowen wiþ magnels to his weþerwynes.
- a1425(c1384) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ezek.4.2 : Thou shalt putte engynes [L arietes] in compas.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1205 : Tytus on þe same side setteþ an engyne, A sowe wroȝt for þe werr, & to þe wal dryueþ, Þat alle ouerwalte þer he went.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1187 : [Titus] on ech side for þe assaute setteþ engynes, & bold-brayned men in belfrayes heye.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)99b : Smalle pebbul to caste wiþ hond..grettere for þe cast of þe wylde asse þat we clepe an engyne.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)1398 : Anoþer schyp was laden ȝet Wiþ an engine hyȝte Robynet.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)4129 : Goode engynes..A mangenel þou doo arere.
- c1450(c1400) Sultan Bab.(Gar 140)2235 : I charge the To throwe a magnelle to yon tour..Mavon set vp his engyne With a stoon of vj C wight.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2448 : The muscle shelle [L musculus] is but a smal engyne, Mightily mad on whelis for to go.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2518 : When this engyne [the movable tower] on that concavitee Goth with his wight vppon his myghti whelis, Doun goth it, into helle as it wold fle.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)41a : An Engyn: Aries, Ingenium, machina.
- a1500(?a1475) Guy(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)2305 : Wyth ingynes þey caste stones And breke the walles for þe nones.
b
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3266 : Gunnes grete, And oþer engyns y-hidde, wilde fyr to caste & schete.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)9889 : Þis castel..es hei sett a-pon þe crag..þan na maner engine o werc [Trin-C: gyn of were] Mai cast þar-til it for to derc [Trin-C: dere].
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)7025 : Als men may se ane engyne cast, And at þe walles of a castelle stryke fast With a stane that es huge and hevy.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)39a/b : Machina: engine of batayle.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)1043 : Þey casten wyldfyr wiþ engynes.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)20.232 : And stones vp threw with Engynes thore.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1934 : The noyse..ferde As dooth the rowtynge of the ston, That from th'engyn ys leten gon.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)817 : Thay kaste so engynes in that ylke stownd that the wallys to-broston.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)859 : And they wyth owte yngynes bende, And stones to þe walles þey sende.
c
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)1214 : Wiþ Arblastes & wiþ stones Hij slowȝen men & breken bones. Wiþ hote water & oþere engyne Hij defended hem wiþinne.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.322 : Instrumentis of bateilis, as bowe, and sheld, and swerd, and oþer engynes of batailis.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)215/18 : Thou shalte haue many rynnynge engyns to make horribill Sownes to gasten thyn enemys.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.1311 : Noon engyn may therto atteyne, Gunne nor bumbard,..Shot off arblast, nor touch of dundeyne.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)292/13 : Agaynste jeauntis on-gentill haue we joined with ingendis.
- a1486 Ordin.Lists in RS 55.1 (Lnsd 285)317 : Thou swerest that thou ne havest ne shalt have..long swerde, shorte swerde, and dagger, nor noon oothir knyff litill nor mykell, nor noon othir instrument, ne engyne of poynte or oothir wise.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: New form--added to (1405) quot. in sense 1.(c) to be added to form section: Also..(error) egyne.
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 engi(n)ne, ingine & (error) egyne; pl. engins, etc. & ingines & (error) ingendis.--notes per MLL