Middle English Dictionary Entry
feint adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | feint adj. Also faint, fent. |
| Etymology | OF feint, faint, ppl. of feindre. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Deceitful (heart); unreliable (trust); false (belief); faithless (person, relationship); ~ frend, ~ frendshipe; (b) deceiving, dissembling (action); hypocritical (behavior); (c) deceptive, vain (appearance); unreliable (fame); frail (flesh); untrue (utterance, tale); sham, false (gods).
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Inf.Chr.(LdMisc 108)331 : Þeos giwes with heorte feint To Josepe eoden to maken pleint.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.302 : Þe trust of peple is feint and vntrewe.
- a1425(a1396) Maidstone PPs. (Wht)141 : Ther frenschip fonde I neuer feynt.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)5563 : For feynte frendis it wole declare, And trewe also.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)3569 : That Ȝoure fals hertes and faynt byleue May ȝoure goddis so moche greue.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)1083 : A kyng shulde be..of his woord nat feynt nor varyable.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)16266 : Osewy was fals & feynt.
- c1450 From þe tyme (Lamb 853)42 : Oure feynt freendis han us forsake.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)177/261 : For feynt felachep in me is fownde.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)54.20 : He sall by my saule fra tha that ere faynt cristen men, that neghis in name noght in dede.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)47 : [The Carmelite Order] is but a faynt folk i-founded vp-on iapes.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1217 : For in such feint Ipocrisie Of love is al the tricherie Thurgh which love is deceived ofte.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)11766 : Þe fende ys queynte to make þy shryfte fals and feynte.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21894 : He sal be iustis Of ur faint and ur fals seruis.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.4918 : But fals Fortune, ful of collusioun, Vnder feynt smylyng a mowe gan hym make.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)5.2755 : Bi a feynt maner of perfeccioun..Vnder a shadwe of religioun.
- c1450 Royal SSecr.(Roy 18.A.7)11/21 : It is fittyng that the royalle maieste be governyd aftir the rightis and the lawes, nought bi feynt semyng but in dede doyng.
c
- a1450(?c1405) Mannys soule (Dgb 102)3 : The flesch is fals, frele, and feynt.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)439 : For al beaute is but a feynte ymage Whiche steleth a-wai.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)5.1837 : Ther is a ful feynt surete Of them that doon for any comounte.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12591 : Þo lyghers lappit þere tales And forget a faint tale vnder fals colour.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)40.6 : Vayn thynge and faynt spak his hert.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)44.14 : Myghty and witty men..sall ȝern forto hafe thi fairhede, for thai sall hald thaire aghen bot faynt and desaifabile.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.94 : Romans were..At sacrifyce of their goddes faynte and lame.
2.
(a) Lacking in spirit or courage (to act); weak of will (in combat); spiritless, cowardly, timid; feint herte, feint-hert(ed; (b) dilatory, sluggish, slothful; (c) faint-hearted, listless, cool (love).
Associated quotations
a
- a1350 Middelerd for mon (Hrl 2253)62 : Þe fend in fyht vs fynt so feynt, we falleþ so flour when hit is frore.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.6945 : Mi feinte herte wol noght serve.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)36b/a : If þis humour [melancholy] haue maistrye..þe pacient is faynt and ferdful in herte withoute cause.
- c1400(?a1300) *KAlex.(LdMisc 622)7586 : Ne habbeþ now none herte feinte.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2181 : Liche a coward, feynt and hertles.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4838 : He was neuer wery in bataille, Nor feint in hert his fomen to assaille.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.2013 : Drede of deth..causeþ hertis feinte With cowardyse for to ben atteynte.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)222/24 : The tokenesse of a dredful or a feynte man.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)153 : Feynt hertyd: [Win: ffeynthert]: Vecors.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)74b : How feynte herted þey beeþ and liȝt to ouercome..ȝif þey haue ben ouercome of hem bifore.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)452 : Loke..that ye be no feynte her to rescowe.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.118 : Eneas..hadde hise thoghtes feinte Towardes love and full of Slowthe.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)153 : Feynt: Segnis.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)2533 : Kyng Richard bad hem faste rowe..who þat is ffeynt, In euel water moot he be dreynt!
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)1081 : Hast þow bygunne any dede..And afterward were so slowe and feynt, Þat þy deuocyone were all I-queynt?
c
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)24015 : Ne kid scho noght hir luue was faint.
- c1450 Wimbledon Serm.(Hat 57)25/7 : Whanne þu seest þat þe loue of men to godward and to here neȝbors is lityl or fent.
- c1475 Prov.Wisd.(RwlPoet 32)18 : Love is faynt when gyftis faile.
3.
Enfeebled; wearied, exhausted; faint (from exertion, injury, hunger, emotion, etc.); (b) for feint, because of being faint; (c) weak (in vigor or spirit).
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)1575 : On a dai, ase He was mad & feint, To Iesu Crist he made is pleint.
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)828 : Fo[r] febulnesse feynt wax sche sone.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2810 : We..buþ feynt & pal for hungre & for þerst.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4351 : Fro the Schep..As sche that was swounende feinte, Sche fell.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)2254 : Of bledyng wonder feynt, Maat, and wery.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)73b : Hit is a simple macchinge by-twixe a feynt fiȝtare and a fresche.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)19 : The Kyng labord so sore..that he wer faynt and wery.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.125 : Criste, beenge feynte [Trev.: wery; L fessus], of labor did reste.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.95 : She was so feynt and ouercomen for sorowe.
b
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)2951 : Now may I wyrke no more Ne noȝt wele ga for faynte and sore.
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)2962 : For febyll & faynt he began to grone.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)641/24 : He..wolde have mownted uppon his horse, but he myght nat for faynte.
- a1500 Bevis (Chet 8009)211/4195 : Beues for ffeynt bere hym lowe.
c
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)877 : Þer as fayleþ þe fode, þer is feynt strengþe.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)6952 : His myght founde j neuer faynt.
- ?a1475 LDirige(2) (Dc 322)445 : My spyryt shal be feble and feynt When I am fallen in any age.
4.
Of things, actions, functions, etc.: weak, feeble; impaired, poor; pale (color); slender (resources); dull (story).
Associated quotations
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.255 : Ȝe may beholde in bokys The story fully rehersed..quyk & no thyng feynt.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5074 : Appollo..with his feynt hete On hillis hiȝe gan his bemys smyte.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.5698 : A viol stood, temprid with bawme & meynt, Þat be processe may not wexe feynt, But day be day encresen and amende.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)104 : Ȝe han be seke..Or late fed in a feynt pasture.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.288 : In bigger bowis fele, in feynter fewe, Branches do traile.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.Doubl.(Frf 16)12 : These fresh somer floures, White and rede, blewe and grene, Ben sodeynly with wynter shoures Made feynt and fade with-oute wene.
- a1450 Gener.(1) (Mrg M 876)637 : Hir coloure was pale and feint of hew.
- c1450 From þe tyme (Lamb 853)16 : Age wole take from us oure myȝt..And also þe cleernesse of oure syght And our heerynge schal be faynt.
- a1605(?a1500) Lond.Lickpenny (Hrl 542)7 : I would gyve sylvar, but my purs is faynt.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450(1419) Loke how Flaundres (Dgb 102)14 : Make hem kyssen and be frende, þat were fon feynt.
Note: Additional quote(s)