Middle English Dictionary Entry
grūel n.
Entry Info
| Forms | grūel n. Also gruelle, gruwel, grwel, grouel(le, greuel(le & (?error) gravelle. |
| Etymology | OF grüel |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Meal or flour; esp. that made of peas, beans, lentils, oats, etc.; (b) ~ sive, a sieve for sifting meal.
Associated quotations
a
- [ (1209) Pipe R.Winch52/34 : ij hopis gruelli venditis, de toto exitu novi molindini. ]
- [ (1340-1) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100539 : In gruello emp. pro potagio Conventus. ]
- (c1330) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99519 : In gruell emp. in villa per vices, 8 s.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)154/8 : Þe powdre þer-of medled with growel or with otemele wele sle rattes.
b
- (1334-5) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99525 : Uno Growelseve et l colour pro pistrina.
2.
(a) A thin porridge, a soup containing meal; ~ grei, lene ~, gruel of poor quality; ote ~, gruel of oatmeal; (b) potage made of meat broth thickened with oatmeal or the like; ~ afforced, ~ (en)forced, ~ force, ~ of force, broth or potage with ground meat, usually pork, added; (c) in proverb; (d) ~ of almaundes, see quots.; (e) ~ dish, a dish for serving broth or potage; ~ pot, a vessel for preparing porridge or broth.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.405 : They haueþ growel [vr. grewel; L pultes] to potage.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)13/10 : He schal ete for his mete growel [vr. gruell; L iuscello] maad of otemele, eiþir of barli mele wiþ almaundis.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)7.167 : Hunger..bledde into þe bodyward a bolle ful of growel [vrr. gruwel, gruel, grwel, grewelle].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)56a/b : Also vse he ote grwel [*Ch.(2): a decoccioun of otes; L auenato].
- a1456(a1426) Lydg.Mum.Hertford (Trin-C R.3.20)46 : Robyn..Fynde..But leene growell, and soupeþe colde potage.
- c1450(c1353) Winner & W.(Add 31042)381 : Late lordes lyfe als þam liste, laddes as þam falles..Þat þe grewell gray, & þay þe gude sewes.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)84/220 : Do therto a littell whete mele till it be thike as grewell.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)58a : Grvell: puls.
- a1500 Herkyn to my tale (Adv 19.3.1)81 : Mylnestons in mortrews have I sene bot fewe; Gryndylstons in grwell with tho blw brothes.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)21/13 : Take white floure and do a party of þe oynement þer-to and boyle hit to-gedre tille hit be þycke as gruel.
b
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)p.12 : For to make grewel forced. Take grewel and do to the fyre with gode flessh and seeþ it wel; take the lire of Pork and grynd it smal and drawe the grewel thurgh a streynour.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)425 : Growell of Forse. Take porke and other gode flesche, and sethe it, and make gode growell, and colour hit wyth saffron..and drawe the grewell thorgh a streynour.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)27b/a : Leue he broþþes & þe substaunce of growelles [*Ch.(1): potagz; L leguminum].
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)28/3 : Encostyfenesse..ett growell of porke, & after ete þe obletes, & þu sal haue deliuerance.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)6 : Take gode grwel y-mad of freys flesshe..Gruelle a-forsydde. Take otemele, and grynd it smal, an sethe it..an porke..an þan hewe it, an grynd it..þan neme þin grwel an do þer-to.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)10 : Caste þe blode [of beef] an þe Fleysshe in-to a potte; an þanne caste þer-to Otemele, Percely, & Sawge, a make þer-of an gode grwele.
- c1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(2) (Hrl 4016)70 : Growelle fforce. Take Growell y-made of ffresh beef; And whan it is y-sodden ynogh, draw it thorgh a Streynour [etc.].
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.20 : Gruel of Porke. Take brawne of swyne, perboyle hit..And grynde hit..with ȝolkes of eyren þou schalle hit lye, Set hit.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.47 : For gruel of fors..take porke, wele þou hit sethe With otene grotes..Whenne hit begynnes wele to alye, Þou save of þe þynnest brothe þer by To streyne þy gruel [etc.].
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)519 : Growelle of force, Gravelle of beeff or motoun, haue ye no care.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)88 : To mak grewelle enforced, tak mary bones and freche brothe and mak grewelle and draw them throughe a strener, then tak pork sodene..and hew it [etc.].
- a1500(?c1440) Lydg.HGS (Lnsd 699)375 : Rostid or sodyn, holsom is motoun, Wellid with growel, phisiciens expresse, Ful nutritiff aftir a gret accesse.
c
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.711 : This nyght shal I make it weel, Or casten al the gruwel in the fire.
d
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)45 : Grewel of Almandes. Take Almandes blanched, bray hem with oot meel, and draw hem up with water.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.14 : Gruel of almondes. Take almondes unblanchid and bray hom sone, Put ote mele to..And grynde alle sammen, and draw hit þenne With water and sethe.
e
- a1500 MSerm.Mol.(Adv 19.3.1)82 : He fell doun at the castyll of Dover into a gruell potte, and brake bothe his chynnus.
- a1500 MSerm.Mol.(Adv 19.3.1)83 : These iij kyngus ete but of wone gruell dysche.
3.
Med. A poultice; esp. one containing meal.
Associated quotations
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)175b/a : Growelles and softe plastres ben as it were þe same, for in growelles [*Ch.(1): pultez; L pultibus] þere entreþ but meles with water or wiþ Iuses and wiþ oyle or with hony; In soft plastres ben putte Iuses an herbes..þai ben ofte clepede emplastres.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)184b/a : Medle þam [frankensence, mastik, etc.] with the whites of airen; make þerof a soft plastre or a growell [*Ch.(1): pultez; L pultes].
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)77 : Pro tumore vel dolore tibiarum..Vel pedum. Take otenmele, & cow mylke, and make grewel, and do þer to þe jus of synygrene and shepes tarowe, and let hem boyle al to gedyr, tille hit be þikke as þe plasture may go al aboute þe sore.
4.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- (1199) CRR(1) 1315 : Ade Gruel.
- (1288) Feet Fines Sus.in Sus.RS 7p.142 : Wills. Gruel.
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 2134 : Roberto Gruel.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. gruel.