Middle English Dictionary Entry
apostē̆m(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | apostē̆m(e n. Also apostim, -om, -um; em-, en-, im-; postem(e. |
| Etymology | ML apostēma (from Gr.) & OF aposteme, -ume. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Any morbid swelling or inflammation in any part of the body, external or internal. [a1400 Lanfranc & c1425 Arderne distinguish it from cankre & festre.]
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)97b/a : Aposteme is gaderinge of superfluyte of humours in som membre..as of smytynge of a wounde, of fallinge..humours meueþ and comeþ ofte to þe sore place..& wexiþ hote & rotiþ; somtyme aposteme comeþ of an Inward cause, as of superfluyte of corrupt humours þat ofte renneþ & comeþ togedres to a certeyne place.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)251a/b : Whete y sode wiþ oyle and y leyde vpon an hard aposteme dissolueþ it.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)321a/a : Aȝeins þe venymous postume þat hatte antrax.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)15/11 : A surgian must knowe generacioun of humouris, if he wolde knowe þe science & þe helynge of apostymes.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)31/9 : I schal tellen in her placis þe difference of festre & cankre & apostyme.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)204/7-15 : Euery maner postyme haþ diuers cure..A Postyme haþ manie diuers names of diuers men..alle auctouris seien þat eueri swellyng in a lyme, wheþir it be greet or smal, it schal be clepid apostym..Þerfore apostym is seid swellyng in lymes, ouþir inflatioun þat chaungiþ þe lyme.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)242/7 : Obtalmia is clepid enpostym of þe iȝe.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)2995 : Som, for envy, sal haf in þair lyms Als kylles and felouns and apostyms.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)21a : Þis erbe is gode y dronke..for þe hote postem.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)4a/b : Of flegmone & oþer sanguine empostemz.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)20b/b : It sufficeþ to a Cirurgien for to knowe þat bolnyng, aposteme, inflacioun, ingrossacioun, eminence or bosyng, eleuacioun or reysyng, excrescence or growyng bene namez synonemez.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)11/7 : Aposteme y-bred in any place of þe body, if it be not y-helid by þre or four moneþes, it is turned into a fistule or a cancre.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)20/25 : A fistule is a depe aposteme..bredyng in eche membre of þe body of aposteme or of a wounde yuel y-cured.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)98/18 : Scabious..ydronken turneþ inward apostemez to outward.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)23a/b : Grete apostemes..ben grete flewmy swellynges þe whiche be made in fleschy particles. Smale apostemes..ben out semynges & bleynes and smale ploukes apperynge in þe skyn.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)23b/a : Of apostemes..some ben sanguine, some colrik, some flewmatik, some melancolic, & some watry & wyndy, symply & compownedly.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)23b/b : Some Apostemes..in þe nekke ben cleped squynancye..in þe purgynge place..bubones; some bene wiþ ynne, some wiþ oute.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)411 : Postyme, sekenesse: Apostema.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)68/38 : To ripe an empostyme.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)205/19 : For þe cough and postem off þe sydys.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)126/7 : A meruelliows drink..it losyth all postemis with-hynne a man and withowte.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)8.227 : He made..iij crosses with his pen on a felon..and the posteme evaneschede awey anoon.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)p.68 : Yf he haue eny opostome in his body.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)60/20 : Al manere of postom þat wexit out of a mannus body.
2.
Fig. A festering (moral, etc.,) sore, an instance of corruption.
Associated quotations
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)353 : On þis maner shulden trewe men..purge oure modir of apostemes þat ben harmful in þe Chirche.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.400 : Alle þes newe ordris ben rotyn postumes.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.4.14,16 : Catullus clepid a consul of Rome that hyghte Nonyus 'postum' or 'boch' (as who seith, he clepid hym a congregacioun of vices in his brest, as a postum is ful of corrupcioun).
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)203/22 : The enposteme [CQ(2): postom] of his pride, swollen with to miche goodys, is brosten out on euery part and hath casten abrode the venym of horrible and cruell sedicion and the deedes of vnmanly tyrannye.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section: Also apostim(e, opostome & empostem, empostime, enpostim & (aphetic forms) postem, postime, postum(e, postom; pl. apostemes.
Note: Additional etymological information for prefixed forms of apostē̆m(e n.: (Tobler-Lommatzsch) [OF empostume n.]; (Anglo-Norman Dictionary) [AN enpostume n.].
Note: Note that in the MED, the entries apostemaciǒun, apostē̆men v., and apostē̆ming ger. also include forms with em-, en-, and / or in- prefixes.--notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. aposteme.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. impostume.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. posteme.