(a) Large in size or quantity, big; ~ and smal, large and small, all; ~ ne smal, big or little, of no kind; althergrettest, largest of all [cp. alder- pref.]; ~ belle, large bell; (b) much, abundant, copious; a lot of; ~ del, ~ foisoun (plente, quantite); ~ part (parti); etc.; (c) swollen, enlarged; fat; pregnant; ~ with child (lomb, calf, etc.); fig. of the heart: swollen with sorrow.

In cpds. & combs.: (a) with noun: ~ chaumbre, the main public room of a dwelling; ~ cheven, a large or full-grown chub; ~ hert, a full-grown hart; ~ hors, a war horse, charger; ~ raisines, raisins (as distinct from currants); ~ staf [= aker-staf, q.v.]; ~ timber (wode), grown trees, large trees; ~ trout, large trout, full-grown trout; gret(ter world, the wide world outside the school or monastery; (b) with ppl. or adj.: ~ belied (wombed, bodied, ered, heded, hipped, legged), having large belly (body, ears, head, hips, legs); ~ clothed, wearing a cloak; (c) in geographical names: ~ se, the Mediterranean; ~ se of occean, the Atlantic; scottish ~ se, ?the North Sea, ?the Firth of Forth; ~ Itaille, Greece; (d) in measures: ~ busshel, a bushel-measure larger than the litel busshel; ~ fot, a complete foot or more; ~ hundred, one hundred and twenty; ~ mile, a distance longer than a mile, ?a league; (e) in plant names: ~ burre (clote), burdock (Arctium lappa); ~ daies-ie, comfrey (prob. Symphytum officinale); ~ morele, Atropa belladonna; (f) anat. ~ arm (hond), the arm and hand together; ~ bouel, the large intestine; ~ focile, the ulna; ~ fot (leg), the leg and foot together; ~ to, the big toe.

(a) Numerous, many; of an army, navy, crowd, convent, etc.: large, numerous; of a village: populous; ~ peple, many people, a large army; mani ~, a great many; ~ noumbre; (b) long in time; ~ age, old age; ~ houre, ?a whole hour, ?a twelfth part of the dai artificial in summer; ~ yer [see quots.]; (c) broad (as opposed to long), wide; thick; arm ~, thick as one's arm; finger ~, tonne ~; (d) heavy; ~ armature, heavily-armed troops.

(a) In large pieces, lumpy, coarse; ~ ragge, quarried stone in large pieces; ~ sauinge, rough sawing; ~ wares, merchandise sold by large measures; (b) of food, cloth, clothing, skin, hair, etc.: coarse in fiber or texture; ~ mete (diete), coarse food; (c) of a liquid, a humor: thick, viscous; of air: dense, misty; ~ win, a thick or heavy wine, ?a strong wine; (d) ~ ground, coarsely ground; ~ minced, chopped coarsely.

(a) Of high rank, holding a position of authority, of the ruling class; powerful as a ruler; ~ blod (linage), noble birth (family); ~ houshold, noble or royal household; ~ marriage, marriage of persons belonging to the nobility; ~ prest, the high priest; ~ and smal, mener and gretter, of all degrees, all; ~ chaumberlein, [see chaumberlein 2. (b)]; (b) in official phraseology, lay or ecclesiastical: ~ anteme, one of the seven antiphons sung for the Magnificat at Vespers, December 17-23; ~ assise, grand assize; also, any high court; fig. the Last Judgment; ~ court, court leet; ~ curs (cursing), major excommunication; ~ custume [see custume 6. (a)]; ~ dai, session of an important court, feast day, Judgment Day; ~ lente, the pre-Easter season of Lent; ~ letanie, the litany for St. Mark's day, April 25; ~ pardoun, plenary indulgence; ~ sel, great seal; (c) of a kingdom, city, etc.: powerful, rich, extensive; (d) ~ acloth (clothing), those entitled to wear the highest official livery; ~ dignite (estat, nobleie); ~ of estat (degre); (e) ~ kinned, of high birth.

(a) Of persons: intrinsically important, of great gifts or attainments, famous, illustrious, noble, holy; ~ of herte, noble-hearted; ~ Parlement, the Parliament of September 1397; ~ God, God the ~, ~ Charles (Charlemeine), ~ Gregorie, etc.; (b) of things: excellent, splendid, magnificent; ~ herte, a stout heart; (c) of actions, events, laws, sacraments, names, etc.: of great consequence, important; admirable, excellent; amazing, striking; ~ tithinge, important tidings; (d) serious, solemn; of thought: deep, intense; of evidence, witness, security: firm, solid; ~ Thursdai, Maundy Thursday; (e) valuable, expensive; lucrative; also fig.; ~ charge, great expenses; ~ cost, high interest rate; ~ pris, great value; etc.

(a) Of calamity, distress, peril, war, blows, vengeance, etc.: damaging, grievous, dangerous; ~ deth, the Black Death; (b) of moral evil, sin, swearing: disgraceful, wicked, vile; of temptation: serious; (c) of persons, the heart, words, etc.: angry, violent, vituperative; of bearing: haughty, insolent; ~ spechi, boastful, magniloquent [see spechi adj.].

(a) Of natural phenomena, heat, cold, etc.: intense; of frost, winter, drouth: severe; of a storm, rain, wind: violent; of noise, sound, voice, a fart: loud; of snow: heavy; of fire: hot; of a smell, the pulse: strong; of sleep, shade: deep; of light, color: bright; grettest in grene, greenest; (b) of emotion, feeling, attitude, pleasure, etc.: intense, deep, strong; of an expression of emotion, etc.: vehement; (c) of a quality, attribute, condition: eminent, remarkable; ~ named, famous, illustrious; ~ wil, eagerness; ~ witted, wise; (d) of affinity: close; of difference: great; ~ biholdinge toward, great concern with; ~ counseil, a close secret; in ~ counseil (secretnesse), in great secrecy; ~ interesse into, great share in.

(a) Busy, active, much engaged (in the activity denoted by the associated noun); ~ clerk, an active scholar; ~ fo, deadly enemy; ~ fol, stupid fool; ~ of almes (yiftes), generous in alms (gifts); (b) of a movement or activity: frequent, energetic, busy, very much of (the activity named); a ful ~ pas, very quickly; (c) ~ frend, close or bosom friend; ben ~ of (with), to be familiar with (sb.), be privy to (someone's secrets).

As noun: (a) important or high-ranking people; the ~; thi grettere, your betters; ~ and smal, all degrees, everyone; (b) an important or high-ranking person; the grettest, God; also, the noblest in a country; (c) elders, ancestors; --also comp. [=L maior(es]; (d) something big or bulky; big fish, trunk of a tree, a large piece; ~ of the arm, the upper arm; (e) thick or viscid part; (f) a great action; ~ doinge, doing great things; ~ doingli, magnificently, greatly; (g) width, breadth; of sounds: loudness; (h) in (bi) ~, in bulk, as a whole, altogether; taken it ~, to take it as a whole [also cp. agrete adv.]; (i) the major part, important part; the essence or substance of a story, etc.; ~ of perfeccioun, the highest degree of perfection; in ~, for the most part, generally; with ~ and smal, completely, entirely.

As adverb: (a) much, a great deal, greatly; sweren ~, to swear solemnly; (b) in large pieces, coarsely.

(a) In surnames; (b) in place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.208].