Middle English Dictionary Entry
fōm n.
Entry Info
| Forms | fōm n. Also fam(e. |
| Etymology | OE fām. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Saliva; the slaver (of a wild boar, mad dog, tired horse, etc.); (b) med. saliva (of animals used in medical recipes); (c) some other bodily semi-fluid.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)409 : A gret fisch huy seiȝen..brenninde fom out of is mouth after heom he caste.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)3590 : Herhaud þat day so sore swong, Þat þurch his mouþe þe fom it sprong.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)34/899 : Þourh þe mouht þe fom was wiȝt, Þe tussches in þe tre he smit.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)699 : Þey fouȝte to-gadre þar so longe..þat þe fom of hure mouþ out spronge, so doþ out of þe bore.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1659 : As wilde bores gonnen they to smyte, That frothen whit as foom for ire wood.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)300/78 : Þe ffoom of his mouþ makeþ me wlate.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.564-5 : Aboute the peitrel stood the foom ful hye, He was of foom al flekked as a pye.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)40b/b : In squinancie..puttyng out of þe tonge & of spume .i. fome [*Ch.(2): froþþe or fome] to þe maner of a wery hors.
- ?a1450 Arderne LW (Em 69)120 : The fome cometh out at the mowth & he wole berke at his oune schadowe.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.281 : He slowh þe myghty bore, Wiþ fome of whiche his schuldres marked were.
b
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)20/10 : Þar-to bares fam & drince.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)283a/b : Hors fome y dronke wiþ asse mylk sleeþ venemous wormes.
c
- a1425 Christ.Belief (LoC 4)16/610 : Þou man .. was summetyme in þine moders wombe, bot a littill fame or frothe of þine faders kynde and þi moders blode runnen and gedrede togyders ale on a tendre lummpe.
2.
(a) A collection of bubbles on the surface of a liquid, on the seashore, etc., froth; (b) dross or refuse rising to the top of a liquid, scum.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4008 : Bothe of the water and the fom.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)159a/a : Fome comeþ & is ygendred of wynde yclosede in þe ouer partie of watre..& fome is sone ygendred by betyng to gedres of wawes and of watres, but it is sone departied & todeelede. some tyme fome of þe see is ygadred among stones, & þer some tyme by worching of þe hete of þe sone..it is ymade harde and turneth in to spounge.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)12536 : Þan found þai the freike in the fome lye.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)90b/a : If þe matere is in þe lyuour or in þe case of þe galle, þe vreyne is more coloured wiþ ȝelouȝe fome.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)196b/b : Siluer..is medicynable and helpeþ aȝeins many yueles, for þe foome [L scoria siue spuma] þer of heleþ woundes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)219b/a : Al turneþ to fome and to skym.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)177a/a : Aspaltum is a fome indured, founden in þe dede see & it is..consolidatif of vlcerez sanguinolent .i. bleding.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)169 : Foome of lycoure: Spuma.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)118 : Streyne hem..take a fethir and do away the foome.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)83 : Take a gose feþer, and do awey þe foom aboue clene.
3.
(a) The sea; salt ~, se ~, water ~; (b) an ocean wave, the foaming crest of a wave; (c) fom of the se, pumice.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)508 : Huy gonne to seili swiþe in þat salte fom.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1469 : Straght thurghout the salte fom He takth his cours.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)5620 : Sco laid it on þe water fame [Trin-C: fome].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)14409 : He led þaim thoru þe see fame [Trin-C: fome].
- a1425 Siege Troy(1) (LinI 150)191 : And passed ouer þe salt foom.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)985 : For to fare on þe fome into fer londes.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)1458 : She [Venus] roos of the foom most salt.
- ?a1450 Add.Mir.Virg.(Add 39996)364/50 : He toke þe siluer þen anon And kest hit into þe see fome.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)3975 : Þare come oure þe se fame A gude mannes clerk, wilbrode his name.
- a1500 Pennyw.Wit(2) (Cmb Ff.2.38)83 : They schyp ys drownyd in the fom.
b
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)56a/b : Reuma: a wawe or fom of þe see.
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38:Vietor)137 : The wynde was in the sayle; Ouyr fomes þey flett wyth owtyn fayle.
c
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)168b/a : Lapis spume maris .i. stone of fome of þe see [*Ch.(2): pomys].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)38b/b : R[ecipe]..spume maris [*Ch.(2): pomys] .i. fome of þe see.
4.
Foam: (a) as something that is white or fresh; whit as ~; (b) as something that is unstable, transitory; feble ~.
Associated quotations
a
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)3956 : Þar cam an hert..As wyt ase melkys fom.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)66b/b : Þerfore when þe water hetiþ, þerof comeþ whitnes as it fareþ in foom.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)562 : Scho es white als þe fame [Cmb: þe seys fame].
- c1450(?a1400) Roland & O.(Add 31042)967 : Þat lady white als fame.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5604 : Þar fand þai bridis..borely & quite, Of feþir fresch as any fame.
- a1500 Eglam.(Cmb Ff.2.38)26 : That was a maydyn as whyte as fome.
b
- ?a1300 Sayings St.Bern.(Dgb 86)758/25 : Mon, þou art a feble fom, Ne hauest þou here non siker hom.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)26993 : Quat es mans lijf bot fam And a rek þat mai noght last?
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)158b/b : Some [read: Fome] hatte spuma and hath þat name for it is yfomed [L spumatur] oþer yskemede,
Note: New spelling
Note: ?error for noun