Middle English Dictionary Entry
flǒur n.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | flǒur n.(2) Also flur, flower. |
| Etymology | From flǒur n.(1), sense 5. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Wheat meal after bran and other coarse elements have been removed, the best part of wheat, wheat flour; (b) barley flour; ?also, pearl barley; (c) flour made from spelt; (d) the starchy inner portion of grain from which flour is made.
Associated quotations
a
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1013 : Kalues fleis and flures bred..hem ðo sondes bed.
- c1330(?a1300) Tristrem (Auch)2194 : Meriadok dede floure bring And strewed it bi tvene.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)93 : Þet bouteþ þet mele, þet todelþ þet flour uram þe bren.
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)97 : Nym flowre and eyryn.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv.(Manly-Rickert)A.4093 : He half a busshel of hir flour hath take And bad his wyf go knede it in a cake.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.477 : The flour is goon, ther is namoore to telle; The bren, as I best kan, now moste I selle.
- (?1410) Hoccl.Somer(2) (Hnt HM 111)31 : Vj shippes grete To yeue vs han yee grauntid..flour or whete.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)4677 : Grete tonnes ful of flour.
- a1425 Mannyng HS (Bod 415)9978 : Wyne, and brede of flour.
- a1450(1419) Loke how Flaundres (Dgb 102)50 : Hit is worthy he ete bred of bran, Þat wiþ floure his foo wil fede.
- (1429) RParl.4.345b : Whete, Malt and Flowre, and other divers goodes.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)83/37 : To Cereris floure, To Mercury hony.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)6159 : Whete and fflour..þey sette on fere.
- (1465) Acc.Howard in RC 57185 : Iteme, to remember that is sente..to Newkastel serten bere and serten flower.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)29 : Put floure þer to and also salt.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)49a : Flowre: similago, simila, amolum.
- a1500 Discip.Cler.(Wor F.172)43 : A litel meale or flour of the whiche they made hem a litel lof.
b
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)50b/b : Polenta: floure, or past.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)809 : Hoc polentum: flowyr.
c
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)49a : Flowre: Ador, Adoreus.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)809 : Hoc ador: flowyr.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)137b/a : [Dew] byspryngiþ þerbe and makeþ it plentevous & makeþ floure piþþe & maroghe [L medullam] encrece in corne and greynes.
2.
(a) barli ~, barley flour; bene ~, bean meal, bean flour; ~ of rie, rye flour; ~ of ris, ~ ris, rice flour; ~ of whete, whete ~, wheten ~, wheat flour; (b) boulted (bouted) ~, clene ~, fair ~, ~ fin, tried ~, whit ~, refined flour, bolted flour; cours ~, unrefined flour; ~ of mele, flour; ~ of paindemain, one of the most refined flours; (c) whit as (als, so) ~, white as flour, or as a flower.
Associated quotations
a
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)210 : Zuych difference..þer is betuene þe..bren and flour of huete, betuene þe uelle and þe beste.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)80.15 : He fed hem wyþ flour of whete.
- (1391) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.5222/3 : Pro vj lb. floure de rys, viij d.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)18 : If it is to to thynne, alye it up with flour of ryse.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)46/16 : Take..smal flour of barly [L farine hordei].
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)53/4,15 : A potage maad of iiij parties of watir..& flour of wheete [L farina tritici] þat sufficiþ to þe medicyn..Pich & hony & bene flour [L farina fabarum].
- (1400) Will York in Sur.Soc.4519 : Et in vj lb. de floure de rise, xij d.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Lev.2.2 : Oon schal take an handful of flour of whete [vr. tried whete flour; L similae].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)28a/a : Triafarinacum..is made of whete flour [*Ch.(1): mele of whete].
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)429 : If hit be too thyn, take floure of rys, and do thereto.
- (1429) RParl.4.337b : Whete, and Flour of Whete.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)33 : Bynd hym vppe with fflour Rys, oþer with whetyn floure.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)1769 : Þy bred schal be of whete flour, I-made of dogh that ys not sour.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)91/19 : Take flowr of rye..and make þerof a good thykke past.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)121/1 : Take half an handful of flour of barly.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)128/28 : Take fayir barly flour.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)94 : Do ther to almond mylk and alay it up with flour of ryse or with whet floure.
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)59b : Lyke as flower of wheat made into paste.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))2 Mac.1.8 : We han offrid sacrifice and cleene flour [L similaginem].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.9 : Salomon his mete was..þritty corues of clene floure [L similæ].
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)27 : Take flour of Payndemayn.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)29 : Alye the fleissh with the mylke and white flour of Rys.
- (1423-4) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.179 : Item for j pekke of cours Flour, iiij d. ob.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Lev.2.2 : Oon shal take an handful of tried flour [L similae], and of oyle.
- (1425) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.187 : iij pekkes of Flour.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)168 : Flowre of mele: Farina, simila.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)38 : Take Almaunde mylke & ybontyd [read: yboutyd] flour.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)5386 : With corne, & with clene flowre, & othir kid vitaill.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)236/4 : Take þen wyte fluwur.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)59/10 : Do þerto bultyd flour of qwete.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)69/1 : Take þe zelke off an ey..and whiȝt flour.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)113/22 : Take þe whyte of an ey..tempre hem with fayre flowr in maner of a playster.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)21/11 : Þenne take white floure and do a party of þe oynement þer-to.
c
- c1300(?c1225) Horn (Cmb Gg.4.27)15 : He was whit so þe flur, Rose red was his colur.
- a1400(?a1350) Siege Troy(1) (Eg 2862)781 : His Queene y haue, white as flour [vr. whyt so flour].
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)138 : Þe messangeres..haue told..Off þat lady, whyt so [vr. als] flour.
- c1450 7 Sages(1) (Arun 140)142/1972 : He..sawe þe lauedy white as flour.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)40 : He hath a dowȝter, hatte Floraunce, As whyte as flour.
- a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)949 : Kepe we thys lady, whyte as flowre.
3.
(a) flour-knave, flour boy [a miller's helper], or flower boy; (b) ~ maker, flour maker, miller; (c) ~ man, miller or flour merchant.
Associated quotations
a
- (1309) Court R.Ramsey90 : Walterus Floureknave.
b
- (1332) Sub.R.Lond.in Unwin Finance63 : Robertus le flourmakere.
c
- (1308) Court R.Ramsey86 : Walterus Floureman.
- (1338) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms195 : Rob. Flourman.
- (1376) in Thuresson ME Occup.Terms195 : Will. Flourman.
4.
Powder; white powder used as a cosmetic; ~ of amidon, sterche ~, powdered starch; ~ of bras, brass filings; ~ of canel, powdered cinnamon; ~ of cardi, ~ of caseal, powders used for curdling milk; ~ of led, white lead; ~ of lim, powdered limestone; ~ of red coral, powdered red coral (used as a medicine).
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)204a/b : If þou hongest lede ouer vynegre, it schendeþ it, for þe vynegre schal..torne it in to pouder and in to white colour of flour of led.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)224b/a : Þe mylk of þe figge tree haþ vertu of rennynge togidre to make chese, as the flour of Cardi and of caseal.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)311a/a : Cerusa hatte also þe flour of leed.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)3219 : Proud wymmen..Þat make hem feyrere þan god hem made with oblaunchere or ouþer floure.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)99/3 : Limature of iren, flour of bras [L flos eris] brent, vitriol leed brent.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)92a/b : Be it clensed wiþ vnguentum viride, made of þe floure of bras [flore eris].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)190a/b : Take..of þe floure of rede corale
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.1134 : Eek bolis blood With oil and flour of lyme [L florem calcis] admyxt is good.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)15 : Caste þerto Sugre..& flowre of Canelle.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)16 : An ȝif it be noȝt stondyng, take..flowre of Amidons.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)112/19 : Take..1 peny-weyght of flowr of canell.
- (1485-86) Acc.Ashburton in D&CRS n.s.158 : For sope & stryche flowre for to wassche ye corperas, 1 d.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Trin-C.R.14.45 Recipes (Trin-C R.14.45) 333/30 : Forto make azure as Albert byddes..take therefor .ij. parte of mercure, and þe thrid parte of sulphur, and the .iiij. part of þe water of flour of lune, and vynegre, [etc.].
Note: Glossary: "lune n. 'silver (alchemical term, literally 'moon'), flour of ~ a powder made from corrosion of silver'."
Note: New cpd., sense 4. ~ of luna.