Middle English Dictionary Entry
fētūre n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | fētūre n.(1) Also feteur, -our, -ar, fetris (pl). |
| Etymology | OF faiture, feture. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. facture.
1.
(a) Bodily shape, build; figure, stature; (b) a feature or member of the human body; -- usu. pl.; (c) pl. features or lines (of the face); (d) a trait.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390 Bi west (Vrn)42 : I made þe..Of feture lich myn owne fasoun.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.380 : An ymage..Lich to a womman in semblance Of feture and of contienance.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.Friend AN (Ashm 59)44 : As þey were lyke of chere and countenaunce, Of all þeire fayture made none excepcion.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)600 : He like was to nane, Nouþer of fetour ne of face, to fadire ne to modyre.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.15 : I coude hire noght discryuen..So semely was here schap & hire feture.
- a1500(a1400) Cleges (Adv 19.1.11)11 : A man of hight stature And therto full fayre of ffeture.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)3353 : I sawh a lady off gret age..Wonder large off hyr feature.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.121 : What nedeth it hise fetures to discryue, For in this world was noon so fair on lyue.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)145 : His wombe & his wast were worthily smale & Alle his fetures folȝande in forme.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1761 : He seȝ hir so glorious and gayly atyred, So fautles of hir fetures & of so fyne hewes.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.3675 : Ȝif I schal reherse Hir schap, hir forme, and feturis by & by..From hed to foot.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)190/18 : A nobil yonge man..so fayre of face, of body and fetares.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2813 : Of all hir fetures he shall take heede, His eyen with all hir lymes fede.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1049 : Feet & alle þe fetoures.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)140 : Thorgh a cristal..Men may behoden eche feture Ther-of, saf the greth too only And the hele.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)129 : Jason..A faire man of feturs & fellest in armys.
- a1500 Parton.(1) (RwlPoet 14)5147 : Of euery fetture to reherse þe beute.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.4877 : The fetures of hir face In which nature hadde alle grace Of wommanly beaute beset.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3956 : He ageyn hath purtraied..the feturis of her fresshly face.
- a1425 By a forest (Bod 596)84 : My rud was reed, my colour clere..In fetewrs & schap so comely.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.297 : Feyrest of feytures, of fourme and of schafte.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.2 Merch.(Hrl 2255)760 : His oold freend..kneuh the feturys and signes of his face.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)308/18 : With feetour full faire in my face.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)13369 : I ber..Thys ffalse vysage..ffor to shrowde ther-with my fface And my ffeturys ffor to hyde.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)2638 : Generydes beheld The fetures wele that was in his visage.
d
- a1500 Lychefelde Comp.G.(Cai 174/95)67 : Man, I have geve the bodyly hele..Thy fyve wittys & oþer fetrys feell.
2.
(a) Fashioning, creation; mode of fashioning, workmanship; (b) creature.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.2977 : Thilke intelligence..Wherof the man, Of his [God's] feture, Above alle erthli creature Aftir the soule is immortal.
- a1475 Asneth (Hnt EL 26.A.13)310 : Here byes..and bracelettes..þat noble were of feiture.
b
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2885 : Þe schap..of a mayde, fairest of alle fetures þat sche to-for hadde seie.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1018 : [Castor & Pollux] were getyn by a gode on A grete lady, Þe fairest of ffeturs þat euer on fote yode.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2952 : Elan..the fairest of feturs formyt in erthe.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1475(c1450) ?Scrope Mirror World (Bod 283) 12498 : O, seithe he, man, feture of man, what goost thowe follying for to seeke dyuers goodes to thye sowle and to thye bodye?
Note: Ed.: "feture: 'likeness, semblance.' Not recorded by MED in this sense. Cf. Godefroy, faiture n., translated by [The Book of Vices and Virtues] 271/44 as likenesse and [Ayenbite of Inwyt] 244/29 as feture. Anselm's original Latin reads homuncio 'manikin.'"
Note: ?New sense.