Middle English Dictionary Entry
grēs(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | grēs(e n. Also grece, greice, greis(se, gresse, grez, grace, grasse. |
| Etymology | AF grece, gresse; cp. CF craisse, gresse. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Rendered or melted fat, suet, lard, etc.; animal fat used for cooking, ointment, etc; also, human fat; fig. the richest part; (b) frien in ouen ~, to fry in (one's) own grease; whit ~, lard; also, a white ointment or salve; (c) ointment, unguent; (d) oil; ?marrow [quot.: c1440].
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)187/86 : Heo..on þe berninde plates him casten..Þat grece of him orn a-brod ase þei it frijnge were.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.135 : In hir coppe ther was no ferthyng sene Of grece whan she dronken hadde hir draughte.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)321a/a : Mylk of a beste wiþ tieþ in eiþer Iowe renneþ not, nouþer his grees [L sepum].
- a1400 Recipe MS Hal.in Rel.Ant.1 (Hal 335)53 : For to make a womans neke white and softe: tak fresch swynes grees molten, and hennes grees..and enoynt hir therwith ofte.
- a1400 Usages Win.(Win-HRO W/A3/1)p.80 : Euerych sellere fo [read: of] grece [F siw] and of smere shal..to þe kynge a peny.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.63 : He eet many sondry metes..Wombe-cloutes and wylde braune & egges yfryed with grece.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)176a/b : Be chosen þe fresh greces [L axungie] & without salt.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)112b/b : Take..of olde oyle, of capouns grece, of gandres grece, of Egles grece, or of eles grece..of calfes grece..and make þerof an oignement.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)180/7 : Stamp it with swynys grees.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)186/7 : Medle it with gandres gres.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)194/17 : Take and sede rede snaylys in watyr and gaddyr the grece off þem.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)1622 : And these Comoditees Causith in Especial Moystnesse good, grees wel to deffye.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)65/2,20 : Take schepys talow and swynes grece..Take þe grece of a gander..and þe gres of a catte.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)131/17 : Take rosealgar..and take fresche gres þat is moltyn & cold and newe.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)43 : Tak egg drawen throughe a strener and put them into a pan and let the pan be moist of grece.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)147.3 : Of the grese of whete [L adipe frumenti] he fillys the.
- a1500(?c1440) Lydg.HGS (Lnsd 699)176 : The grees of gandris is good in medicyne, With sundry gummes tempred for the gout.
- a1500 Rule Minoresses (Bod 585)86/28 : Þey may ȝif þey wole, to-dite here metis wiþ grece owtake Friday & saterday.
- a1500 Chartier Quad.(2) (Rwl A.338)202/20 : The cite .. hath swolowid vp all that money .., and the people of the same haue receued and gaderid vp the grece of the labore and of the conquest of othir parties of the realme.
b
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)p.104 : Tak mulbery..and do hem in a pot over the fyre and do thereto fat bred and wyte gresse.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.487 : In his owene grece I made hym frye For angre and for verray ialousye.
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)p.20 : Take Conynges or Kydde and smyte hem on pecys rawe and frye hem in white grece.
- c1430 Lydg.TG (Cmb Gg.4.27)p.14.st.3c : Thus is he fryed in his owene gres, Torent & torn with his owene rage.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)29 : Poynte it with Vynegre, & a lytil whyte grece put þer-to.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)4437 : Betere it is þat we out renne, þenne as wrehches in hous to brenne, And ffrye in oure owne gres!
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)63/27 : For to makyn apostolicon, þat is a maner of whit grece. Take oyle of olywe..lytarge of gold and of sylluere..þis es good entret.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)14 : Put hom in þo pot, and þer to take gode brothe with wyte grece.
c
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)210 : Gresyn, or annoyntyn wythe grese: Sagino.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)227 : Stampe hyt..wel as hyt ys seyde byfore in þe greces of woundes.
- ?a1500 Lndsb.Nominale (Lndsb)814 : Unguentum: grese.
d
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)93/17 : He..ssolde by ase..þe ilke þet makeþ þe oyle, þey nimþ þe pure grece, and let þet greate draf.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)8/33 : Take pympernoll..& do þerto the grese of þe allerone of þe gose wenge & drope it in thyn eghne.
2.
(a) The fat of an animal, adipose tissue; also, human fat; also fig.; ~ grouen, covered with fat; (b) of game animals: beren god ~, to be fat; gret(heigh) of (in) ~, in ~, of (haut) ~, well fattened by spring and summer feeding; (c) ~ time, when bucks are fattest and fittest for killing (August and early September); ?also the season for hunting bucks (midsummer to early September); when ~ is assigned, the hunting season; (d) game animals, deer.
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)62.6 : Be my soule fulfyld as of flour and of grece [L pinguedine], and my mouþe shal heryen þe.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.8.16 : Þe twey litul reynes wiþ þer grece [L arvinulis] he brente opon þe auter.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)65b/a : Fat bodyes & to fulle of grece [L adipe] ben worst & approprid to euel and sikenes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)296a/b : Som mete..gendreth fleissh and som grece and fatnesse [L pinguedinem].
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)62.6 : Als with grees [L adipe] and fathed fild þe mi saule al.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2313 : Þe scharp schrank to þe flesche þurȝ þe schyre grece.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)21 : The herts han more power to renne wel fro the entryng of Maij in to seynt John tyde..for ȝit han not rekeueryd her greys noiþer withe inne ne with oute.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)25 : Þe grettest grece that þei mowe haue wiþ inne as it is whan hure kydeneys be keuered alle white.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Judg.3.22 : The pomel folwide the yren in the wound, and that with moost fat grees [WB(2): fatnesse; L adipe] it was streyned.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)8b/a : Þe flesh of þe pulmon is put lesse moiste þan greez or fatnes [L pinguedine] ffor it is noȝt molten when it is chaufed.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)11a/a : Anoþer kynde þat is inward nexte þe wombe & þe reynes þat is properly saide grace [L axungia].
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1101 : Thykke theese as a thursse and thikkere in þe hanche, Greesse-growen as a galte.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3838 : Polidarius was pluccid as a porke fat, fful grete in the grippe, all of grese hoge.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)231/25 : Take a fat gandyr and pul hym and take out his guttis and put yn hys grece agen.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)59 : Thou art to fat and haste to miche grees vnder the wynge.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)67 : Drawe his leuer and his guttes at the vent and his grece at the gorge.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)35 : Þei schal niȝe to me þat þei minister to me..þat þei offre my grece to me, and my blod, seiþ þe Lord God.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)57b : Greyce: Auxungia..axungia ubi fatnesse.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)16.11 com. : He says this til lickynynge of bestis, that waxis iolife when thai ere ful of grese.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)678 : Adumen, pinguedo: gres betwen the skyn and the.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)225 : His chyn wiþ a chol lollede, As greet as a gos eye growen all of grece.
b
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1750 : Gyrfaucouns y-muwed & white stedes, & hertes of gresse y wene.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1326 : Þe best boȝed þerto..Gedered þe grattest of gres þat þer were.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)16 : Þei be half in grese or þer aboute þe tyme of myddel of June..and þei bene heyest in grece in August alle the moneth duryng.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)18 : But ȝit haue men seen soomtyme a grete dere and an old hie of grece.
- c1440 Degrev.(Thrn)265 : Me thynke his hertys of grese Berys na letters of pese.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)928 : Buckes ful burnysshid þat baren good grece.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)780/4 : Sir Trystram was ryddyn into the same foreyste to chace an harte of grece.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)21427 : For to cachche me venysoun, Off ffatte bestys, hih off gres.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)409 : Capon & hen of hawt grees, þus wold þey be dight.
- a1500(a1400) Ipom.(1) (Chet 8009)3571 : Þe chamburlayn..wyth hym leydes agayne A noble dere off gresse.
c
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Arun 220)174 : Taken of gres tyme.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)91 : Þei begynne to belowe at xv daies or grece tyme end namely olde deer.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)658 : That nane werreye my wylde, botte Waynour hir seluen, And þat in þe seson whene grees es assignyde.
- a1475 Gawain & CC (Brog 2.1)31 : For nowe ys grece-tyme of þe ȝeer That baruns bolde schulde hont þe der.
- (?1475) Stonor1.156 : I entende to kepe my gresse tyme in þat countre, where fore I woll þat no man huntte tyll I have bene there.
d
- a1500(?a1425) Ipom.(2) (Hrl 2252)267/370 : Loke ye be all redy dight..In the forest to take my grese.
3.
Oily or greasy matter for kindling or lubricating purposes.
Associated quotations
- c1300 S.Leg.Faith(1) (LdMisc 108)61 : Huy..gret fuyr þare-onder tende, and casten on grece riue i-nouȝ þat drof up so gret leiȝe.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)8485 : Hii asailede þe toun..& wilde fur wiþ pich & grece wiþ ginnes In caste.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)205/17 : Ac þe greate metes and þet stronge wyn aliȝteþ and norisseþ lecherie ase oyle oþer grese aliȝteþ..þet uer.
- (1390) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.5264/5 : Clerico marescalcie..pro melle..grees, et alumglas..pro albo cursero..sanando.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Ph.(Manly-Rickert)C.60 : Wyn and youthe dooth Venus encresse As men in fyr wol casten oille or gresse.
- a1425 Arth.& M.(LinI 150)1340 : Seo ȝe nouȝt Þat ȝong mon, þat haþ schon bouȝt..And gres, to smeore heom al abowte?
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)9384 : He bad hem bryng wax, pych & grees, And makyn a feer.
- (1454-5) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 9118 : It. for grese & cord for the hande belle..id. ob.
- (1462) Duties Diacon.in Sharp Illustr.Papers123 : Ye sayd dekyne schall greyse ye bells, and ffynde gresse therto, he won quart'r and hys ffellow ye todur.
- c1475 Rwl.Prov.(Rwl D.328)p.122 : He may mende hys layse With-owte eny grese.
- (1482-83) Acc.Ashburton in D&CRS n.s.152 : [For] gresse [for the bells, 3d.]
- a1500 Henley Husb.(Sln 686)49 : With þat grasse þat ye dylyuer to your carteris, medell it with harde sope or tarre and it shall be betur for your carte.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.52 : Daniel a masse of pikke and grees mellid with hare Kest in the dragons mouthe.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)72.7 : Her wickednes ȝede forþe as of grees.
Note: New sense
Note: Need date
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)72.7 : Prodiit quasi ex adipe iniquitas eorum..forthe ȝede as of gresse the wickednes of thaim..That is, thair malice, that thai doe ill, comes of great riches, & soe, for they have no lettyng, thai pass fra synne to synne.
Note: Prob. this should be cited in its entirety (don't try to stick in as vr. to MPPsalter)--per MJW
Note: Def. does not cover these--per MJW
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. grease.