Middle English Dictionary Entry
hamer n.
Entry Info
| Forms | hamer n. Also ham(o)ur, homer, homur, hammer, hommer & hamber, hambir & (error) himer. |
| Etymology | OE hamor, homer. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A hammer, used for beating, breaking, driving nails, etc.; (b) fig.
Associated quotations
a
- a1150(c1125) Vsp.D.Hom.Elucid.(Vsp D.14)141/28 : Þa hameres & þa beliges synden þa costninga.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)147/25 : Wult tu þet godd nabbe na fur in his smiððe, ne bealies ne homeres?
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)480 : Þo come þare out swuche schrewes mo..With tongene and with hameres [vr. homeres], brenninde mani on.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)1877 : Þe laddes wode..beten on him so doth þe smith With þe hamer on þe stith.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2199 : Ȝe beþ men bet iteiȝt to ssofle & to spade..To hamer & to nelde..Þan wiþ suerd oþer hauberc eny bataile to do.
- ?a1350 Recipe Painting(1) in Archaeol.J.1 (Hrl 2253)66 : Et ȝef hit nis nout thunne i-noh, tac an homur ant bet hit as thunne as thu myht.
- (1350-1) Acc.Ironworks in Archaeol.64158 : In j hamer empto pro lapidibus frangendis j d.
- (1361) Will Court Hust.(Gldh)2.42 : [Robert de Norwich, goldsmith..leaves one large] planyssyng-aneveld [and eight] planyssyng-hamers.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Jer.23.29 : Whether not my wrdus ben..as an hamer to-brekende the ston?
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2508 : The armurers also With fyle and hamer prykyng to and fro.
- (1388) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)5.58 : [2] hameres [worth 30 s. are in the hands of Thomas Smyth of Salden].
- c1390 Chart.Abbey HG (Vrn)360 : Þenne tok þei such a noþur ragged nayl & driuen hit wiþ an homer þorw boþe his feet.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)203a/a : We may wondre þat marbel stones ben nouȝt y-hewe noþer y-clouen wiþ Iren noþer wiþ steel, wiþ hamour nouþer wiþ sawe, as þay ben wiþ a plate of lede y-sette.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)127/7 : Þou schalt smyte wiþ a mal eiþer an hamer [vr. hamere] on þe greet eende.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)7012 : Þe devels þe synfulle salle ay bete With glowand hamers huge and grete.
- a1425 Symb.Pass.(Roy 17.A.27)101 : Þe hamur [vr. hamyr] bothe sterne and gret Þat drof þe nayles þorow hond and fete.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)225 : Hamur [vrr. hambyr, hamowre]: Malleus, martellus.
- (1446) Invent.Lytham in Chet.n.s.6080 : j himer of yren, j thyxall.
- c1450(1369) Chaucer BD (Benson-Robinson)1164 : Hys brothres hamers ronge Upon hys anvelt up and doun.
- c1450 Metham Physiog.(Gar 141)122/25 : An hed schape lyke an hamur..betokynnyth a redy wyttyd man.
- 1451-1500 Tundale (Wagner)1015 : [The] smythes aboute hem ȝode, With gret hammers [vr. homeris] in her hande.
- a1475 Herkyn to my tale (Brog 2.1)p.86 : Hammyrs and horne sponnys, and scroude mosselde cattus.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)1468 : An hevy hammer..On his leggys..he lette hym falle.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.43 : Saladinus..þe strong hamer [L malleus] of Cristen men.
- (1415) Hoccl.Oldcastle (Hnt HM 111)90 : With the ax or hamer of penance Smyte on the stoon.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)52/10 : Þis man..was an hard hambyr, euyr knokkyng up-on hem [heretics].
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)144.437 (v.2:p.434) : This blyssid Austyn, sothly the brygh lyghte of wysdam, the buluerk of treuthe, the meyghty defence of the feyth, the infatigable hamyr of heretykis.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)83 : These heresies were beten and knokked be the myty hambir of God, whech was called Augustin.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)4311 : Thys hamer..ys namyd..Nat ellys but contrycioun.
2.
(a) A knocker at a door or gate; (b) an iron instrument (perh. hammer-shaped) used when heated to ignite powder in a cannon.
Associated quotations
a
- (1448-50) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)309/13 : Þe lok of þe vttir Weket with þe hamer.
- a1475 Gawain & CC (Brog 2.1)178 : Ther hynge a hommyr by a cheyn; To knocke þerat syr Key toke dayn.
b
- (1400) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.54 : Suffles, tampons, hamours, touches [and] fyr pannes [for cannons].
3.
(a) In cpds. & combs.: ~ axe, a tool with a hammer on one side and an ax on the other; ~ beter, a blacksmith; ~ maker, one who makes hammers; ~ smiter, ~ smith, a blacksmith; ~ werk, work with a hammer; (b) in surnames and place names [perh. with meaning 'crag' or 'hill'; cp. OI hamarr. See Smith PNElem. 1.231].
Associated quotations
a
- (1294) EPNSoc.18 (Mid.)108 : Hamersmyth'.
- (1357) Cart.St.John in OHS 69106 : Walterus Hambermakyer.
- (1367) Doc.Finchale in Sur.Soc.6p.lxxviii : j kevel, j hammerhax, vj pounces.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.4.22 : Tuballcaym..was a hamer smyter [Corp-O: hamer smyth].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Job 41.15 : His herte..shal be streyned as the stithie of an hamer betere [WB(2): smith].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)195b/a : Noþing streccheth more wiþ hamour werke þan golde.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)206a/b : Tyn..destroyeþ in metall þe kynde þat is obedient to hamour worke.
- (1416) Invent.Jarrow in Sur.Soc.2991 : j mason hak, j hamerax.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Gen.4.22 : Tubalcayn..was an hamerbetere.
- a1425 Adam & E.(3) (Wht)88/22 : Tubalcaym..was an hamer-smyth.
- (1449) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 872 : To Wyllym hamyrmakyr for mendyng of a bawdryke i d.
b
- (c1150) in Ekwall Dict.EPN204 : Hamerton.
- (1191) in Ekwall Dict.EPN204 : Hamerwich.
- (1226) in Ekwall Dict.EPN204 : Kyrkehamerton.
- (1279) EPNSoc.7 (Sus.)452 : Hamerden.
- (1303) Pat.R.Edw.I179 : Geoffrey withe Hameres.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. hammer.