Middle English Dictionary Entry
furnais(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | furnais(e n. Also -eis(e, -as(se, -ace, -es, -ice, forn-, fourn-, forney. |
| Etymology | OF fornais, -az. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A means of cooking or baking, an oven; ?also, a hearth or fireplace; (b) a brewer's device for boiling the wort or unfermented liquor; (c) a large pot or kettle for boiling, a cauldron; ~ in forme, a cauldron set in a frame.
Associated quotations
a
- [ (1311) Doc.Finchale in Sur.Soc.6p.iv : In coquina: ..j plumbum in fornace. ]
- [ (1318) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100374 : Item ibidem j plumbum ponendum in le furnayse. ]
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.6.30 : The heye of the feeld, that to day is, and to morwe is sente in to the fourneyse [WB(2): ouen].
- (1387) Will in Bk.Lond.E.210 : Þe bordes & þe gaudron in þe kechyn þat stont in forneys.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Lev.11.35 : Forneyses [L clibani] or ketels.
- (1451) Lin.DDoc.49/13 : The best potte & pane in the kechyn & all the ledes standyng fast in the furnas.
- (1464) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103640 : In Coquina una magna olla erea in fornace.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)318/10 : j kechyn, with a fornyce and j oven.
- a1500(?c1440) Lydg.HGS (Lnsd 699)203 : But hors dunge as refus alway Is good for forneyssis temprid with clay.
b
- (1369) Will York in Sur.Soc.487 : Item, do et lego eidem Agneti melius plumbum meum, anglice breuled in fournes..et unum maskfat.
- (1444) Will York in Sur.Soc.30100 : Item, lego eidem Johanni j brewynglede..ij worteledes clausa in j fornas, j maskefatt.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)808 : Panducsator cum suis instrumentis..Hec fornax: a fornys.
c
- c1300 SLeg.Geo.(1) (LdMisc 108)61 : A forneis he let maken of bras and fullen it ful of led.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)171/10 : Þe heete of þe lyuere makiþ þe stomac to seþe as fier makiþ a furneis [L lebeti] to seþe.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1011 : As a fornes ful of flot þat upon fyr boyles.
- (1414) Will York in Sur.Soc.4371 : Magnum plumbum, vocatum fournace.
- a1450 St.Eras.(Cmb Dd.1.1)69 : He did ordeyne & fillid a grete furnas wiþ pik & wiþ lede..and vnder þat furnas a fire brennynge faste.
- (1458) Will York in Sur.Soc.30227 : ij fournayes in fourme.
2.
As applied to various enclosed chambers and vessels heated from beneath: (a) an alchemist's oven; (b) a kiln used by physicians or apothecaries in preparing powders; (c) a kiln for baking tiles; (d) an oven used for incubating eggs.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.804 : Oure fourneys eek of calcinacioun.
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)13/19 : In þe furneys of glas.
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)51b : Thy furnace be suerlye apte therfore, Whyche wise men callen an athonor.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)37a : Ane other fornace will serue iij score glasses trully and for more, euerich of them standing in like heate.
b
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)345/10 : Anoþer poudre..waische it & drie it in a furneis in sich maner þat þou ne brenne it not.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)73/9 : Þene putte hyt in a potte fulle of asckes ouer þe forney.
c
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)273/29 : In þe maner þat men brennen tilis in a furneis [L fornace].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)146b/b : Tile stonez ar made outward in a fourneys & in calderonz of batthez [L in furno et in caldariis balneorum].
d
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)31/20 : Thider bryngen wommen of the toun here eyren of hennes..for to ben put into þo forneyses, And þei þat kepen þat hows coueren hem with hete of hors dong.
3.
A furnace used for purifying metals or glass; a furnace for melting; a founder's furnace; also fig.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)204b/a : Þerfore lede is ydo wiþ siluer in þe forneys, þat þe siluer may be þe sonner yclensed.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)18/30 : To proue hise seruauntis bi þe furneise of penaunce.
- 1386-1398(a1349) Rolle Com.LG (Rwl A.389)69 : Als clene as þe gold þat is proued in þe fourneys [Cmb: fournes].
- a1425(c1384) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ezek.22.18 : The hous of Israel is turnyd in to drosse..in the mydil of fourneys [L fornacis] ben maad drosse of siluer.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)90a/b : Asshez of a fourneys in which bras is purged.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)527 : As liqwyde gold brennyng in a furnes.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)95/18 : Þus was þe blessid man proued as metal in þe fornays.
- (1456) Let.Bk.Lond.K (Gldh LetBk K)376 : Any furneys to melt in metall.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)16.4 : Thou examynd me, at the likynyng of the fournas that purges metall.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)114 : When glas is Imolten in þe fornes & perfyȝtly clensed.
4.
(a) A fireplace for heating baths; (b) the hearth or fireplace of a smith's forge; ?also, a forge.
Associated quotations
a
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.1087 : De balneis..First floore hit ij feet thicke enclynynge softe The fourneis ward, so that the flaume vpbende.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)82/27 : Be þe bathes biggyd..& haue it ffurnays, gyffand fflammes, and hote water.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.554 : In this forseyde deueles fourneys ther forgen thre shrewes: Pride, that ay bloweth [etc.].
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)11b/a : Caminus: a furneys, an hury or fuyr.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)50a : A ffornace: Caminus.
5.
An instrument of torture or punishment; also, the fires of hell or purgatory.
Associated quotations
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)29/288 : Þu al wealdent biwistest ham unwemmet wid þet ferliche fur i þe furneise.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)74 : Efterward guo into purgatoriie, þer þou sselt yzi..the fornayse huerinne berneþ þe zaules al-huet hi byeþ yclenzed.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)205 : Þe children..weren y-borȝe ine þe fornayse of babyloyne.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3353 : Or in a fourneys ful of flambes rede He shal be brend, that wolde noght obeye.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)112/28 : A meruelis fournes þer þai se; Mone a synful soule were þer-in cast.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)2720 : Thre chyldryn..Off þe flaummyd furnes.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)361/26 : Putte in þy herte, as þey thy soule were now in purgatorye and hadde in penaunce for thy trespasses X ȝeere in þe fourneys of brennynge fyre.
6.
In various fig. uses: the type of something exceedingly hot, bright, smoky, painful, etc.
Associated quotations
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)131 : Þise wordle..ne is bote..ane ze uol of storm and of peril, a fornays anhet mid uer of zenne and of zorȝe.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.202 : Hise eyen stepe and rollynge in his heed, That stemed as a forneys of a leed.
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)75/833 : But vr fourneis brennynge Is monnes tonge in spekynge.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.7805 : Whos eyen were sparkling as briȝt As a fourneis.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Gen.19.28 : A multitude of sparkis steiynge vp fro the erthe as smook of a furneys [L fornacis].
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Deut.4.20 : The Lord took ȝow and ladde ȝow oute fro the yren forneys of Egipte.
- a1425 HBk.GDei (Arun 507)150 : Mannes bodi is as a fornace brennand & nameli of þe ȝonge.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1475 Yale-BA.Artist.Recipes (Yale-BA R486.M43 1450) 94/1 : Stoppe all the mowthe þerof safe only a lytell hole as a spoute..and than set hit ouer the fyere in a furnesse [Sln 2584: forneic].
- a1525 BodEMus.52 Artist.Recipes (BodEMus 52) 188/31 : To make byse. Take .j. li. sal armonak, and .j. li. vertegres, mele þem sotell with veneger and put þem in a glase, and put it in a fornese with hote asches.
Note: New spellings (furnesse, forneic, fornese).
- (a1475) Recipe Painting(2) in Clarke Crafte Lymmyng (Sln 73) 205 : Tak a vessel wiþ a deep botme, a panne or a furneys as þe nediþ..and put yn .iiij. galouns of lye.
Note: Postdates sense 1.(c).
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 51/14,15 : Forto make vermyloun..make þe a good furneys of cley and tyles with a stronge barre of yren liggyng þerynne, and loke þat þy furneys be rounde aboue as hit were a coluer-howse.
Note: Additional quot., sense 2.(b).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. furnace.