Middle English Dictionary Entry
ap(p)etīt n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ap(p)etīt n. Also appetid(e, appatit, appitid, abitite, apertide, appete. |
| Etymology | OF apetit & L appetītus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Physiol. & psych. An inherent urge or drive attributed to the various organs of the body (such as the genitals, the stomach, the senses), to the mental 'faculties', or to the organism as a whole; louer, sensual or bestial ~; sensitif ~; higher ~.
Associated quotations
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.182 : Lo, heere hath lust his dominacioun And appetit flemeth discrecioun.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.207 : Delices ben after the appetites of the fyue wittes, as sighte, herynge [etc.].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)20b/a : Þe soule..takeþ hede to þe bodiliche wittis & appetite of þinges þat longeþ to þe body.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)22b/b : Þe vertu of appetite þat drawiþ to þe lymes couenabil foode.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)57b/b : [The spleen] sendiþ what sufficeþ to þe stomak to comforte þe appetite þerof.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)60b/a : In þe membres genytal god haþ send suche an appetite in separable, þat eueriche beest schulde be comfortid to multeplie beestis of his owne kynde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)77b/b : Slepe is nouȝt elles but appetite of reste in þe uertu of felinge.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)259a/b : In alle bestes is appetit of loue.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)286a/a : Fauni & satiri..beþ sterne and cruel wiþ bestial appetite.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)321b/b : Þis vertue of appetite worcheþ principalliche by hete and by druyenesse.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)171/28 : Þe splene..makiþ þe mouþ of þe stomac to haue appetite.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.11.88 : Is ther any thing..that forletith the talent or the appetyt of his beynge and desireth to come to deth?
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.pr.11.105 : Herbes and..trees..that ne han no felyng soules, ne no naturel werkynges servynge to appetites, as beestes han.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)42/28 : If þe þing be knowen and perceyuyd as a þing yuel..þe appetit of þe same witt..refusiþ þe same þing.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)43/15,23 : Þe appetitis of hem [beasts] also wirchen in no fredom to coueyte and to not coueyte..Þe beestis appetit wilne and comaunde to þe movyng power forto move þe membris of þe bodi.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)45/2 : Þe sensitijf appetit comaundide to þe movyng vertu forto so move toward it.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)45/12 : He folewith þe movyngis of þe louȝer sensual appetitis.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)112/8,14 : Þe louȝer appetite and þe hiȝer appetite in man ben knytt togidere sumwhat lijk as two whelis in a clok..þe louȝer appetite wole peruerte þe resoun into sodeyn hasti doomes accordyng to þe passions in þe louȝer appetitis.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)162/8 : Þe louȝer sensual appetit which is clepid þe louȝer wil or þe sensual wil.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)11/25 : Bodili wittis, wiþ her appetitis to desire what is..plesaunt..or for to refuse..what is..displeasaunt.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)13/34-5 : Þe v outward wittis with her v appetitis, and þe v inward wittis wiþ her v appetitis.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)14/9-10 : And riȝt as eche of þe seid x wittis haþ his propre appetite, so þe wil is þe propre appetite of þe resoun.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)2/46 : Moste creatures resonable have..appetyte to their perfeccion.
2.
(a) A desire, craving, or passion for food or drink; appetite; ~ to eten, ~ of eting, ~ to (in, of) mete; (b) ?an appetizing quality (of food).
Associated quotations
a
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3390 : [They] dronken whil hire appetites laste.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.251 : ARys vp ar appetyt habbe I-ȝeten his Fulle.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.546 : Spicerie..To make hym yet a newer appetit.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.818 : Glotonye is vnmesurable appetit to ete or to drynke.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.834 : Mesure..restreyneth by resoun the deslauee appetit of etynge, Sobrenesse..restreyneth the outrage of drynke.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.257 : The more ydropesie drinketh, The more him thursteth..ther mai nothing fulfille The lustes of his appetit.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)124a/b : [In winter] appetite is a waked and more mete and drink nedith.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)7234 : Ȝunge chyldryn..wex ful tyte; Þarefor ys more here appetyte.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)29a/b : The tokenes of antrax..myȝti angwisshes and hetes and..castynge downe of þe appetite.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.Diet.(Sln 3534)4 : Drynk holsom wyne..Wyth thyne appetite [vrr. appitid, appetide] ryse from thy dyner also.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)1230 : Nor hyndre his Appetyght in mete nor drynk.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)7591 : He gan haue a-petyte To mete and drynke and eke to rest.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)207/17 : For to prouoke appetyte. Take sentory [etc.].
- c1450 My ladyes (Frf 16)51 : To moysten ther your appetitys..Ful spedful ye rennyn.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)128/13 : Thys siripe will maken a man to hawyn appetyte to hys mete and for to etyn.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)12873 : Yiff thow the ffyllest..Off metys..Thyn appetyt for to staunche.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)220/20 : Good appetyde of mette.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)241/33 : Whan a man sittyth atte mette..durant the appetit he sholde cesse.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)107/239 : Good sawse, This is a restorete To make a good appete.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)206b/b : Salt makeþ..mete sauory and good appetit in all mete.
3.
Sexual craving or passion; ~ of (to) lecherie, likerous ~.
Associated quotations
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.189 : For men han euere a likerous appetit, On lower thyng to parformen hir delit Than on hire wyves.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.4477 : Salomon, whos appetit Was holy set upon delit, To take of wommen the plesance.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.623 : I loued neuere by no discrecioun, But euere folwed myn appetit.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.1218 : Syn I knowe youre delit, I shal fulfille youre worldly appetit.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1250 : And folwed ay his bodily delit On wommen ther, as was his appetit.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)275/23 : He schal touche no womman to make him haue appetit þerto.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)14a : That confortiþ þe stomake and lettiþ yoxing and stopith þe appetide of lecherye.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)27a : And helyth þe reynes and encresith appete to lechery.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)1586 : Thourgh his apetit To don with gentil women his delyt.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)348 : Appetite and lust to do such fleischly deede.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)5 : Sche was fayr and lecherous and grete appetite had to many men, and þerfor was sche likned on to þis stynkyng beest.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.1793 : In suche foule lust is hir most delite..She spareth for no cost to geve men appetite.
4.
(a) A desire, longing, or inclination (for sth., to do sth., etc.); -- with of, in, to or inf. phrase; (b) ~ of desire, impulse of (one's) desire or inclination.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1670 : Oure appetites heer, Be it of werre or pees, or hate or loue, Al is this ruled by the sighte aboue.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1680 : It is al his ioye and appetit, To been hymself the grete hertes bane.
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)75/814 : He accused him self ek of delyt Þat he hedde in appetyt In veinglorie of preisyng.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3013 : Lethes the rivere..which yifth gret appetit To slepe.
- (1402) Topias (Dgb 41)101 : Ambicion, and the nyce appetite of worldly worship.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.3762 : Hector in herte cauȝte an appetite..þe same day Grekis for to vesite.
- a1425(a1349) Rolle MPass.(2) (Upps C.494)49/24 : I haue appetite to payne.
- a1425(c1384) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Ezek.21.16 : Go thou..whidir euere is the appetit or desier of thi face.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1851 : Lo here, thise wrecched worldes appetites.
- a1425(?a1400) Cloud (Hrl 674)36/25 : A teenful passion & an appetite of vengaunce, þe whiche is clepid Wraþ.
- a1450 Treat.Music (Lnsd 763)265/28 : Natural appetide..feruentli desiriþe mo musical conclusions.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4609 : For-þi neuire ailes ȝow þat apetite, þir artis with to dele.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)103/34 : Þe praysing of men, whech was euyr his appetite.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)111/20 : He say..a hy tour, to whech tour he had gret appetite to goo.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)210 : Few men schuld have appetite for to lerne.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)599/18 : Yf ye..have an appetyde to juste with me.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.2240 : The appetite of youre eye is neuer satisfied.
- c1450(1446) Nightingale (Clg A.2)13/355 : Allas, what appetite Haue folkes blynde, such a lord to plese.
- a1500(a1450) Parton.(1) (Add 35288)11331 : Ye haue noone apetite Neiþer to slepe ne reste take.
- a1500 Parton.(1) (Add 35288)7623 : To speke of love she had noon apetite.
- a1500 St.Jerome (Lamb 432)339/42 : Thense forthe was ther neuer none appetite in me in envye or of pride.
b
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)115/19 : God..refreyneþ þe vnordinat appetite of mannes desire.
- (a1475) Fortescue Dial.UF (Vit E.10)483 : He..folowed the apetyte of his desires and the opynyon of fooles.
5.
(a) Phil. Of matter, the 'elements': a natural tendency or trend; (b) alch. (fig.), thirst; (c) of plants: preference.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)104b/a : Schewinge Inclynacioun & appetite to fonge þe more noble fourme and schap & þe more spiritual is þe matere, þe more inclinacioun & appetite it haþ to spiritual fourme and schap.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)130a/a : Matiere..haþ appetyte to endeles many fourmes and schappis.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)131a/b : Fyre..haþ kynde appetite to be aboue þe eire.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.1876 : Matere, by naturel appetit, Kyndly desyreth after forme.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)2437 : Appetite of fyre hathe to worke in erth his chiefe desire.
b
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)2214 : Many liquors be requisite to our stone for his appetite.
c
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.358 : In delues depe is sette their appetite.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. appetite.