Middle English Dictionary Entry

īren n.
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Entry Info

Forms īren n. Also hiren, jrenne, ieren, iron, hiron, jron, ir(o)un, irn(e, hirn(e, jrne, iern(e, yirn, ir(e, hire, jre, irre & isen, hisen, izen, is(e, isern, aiser & eren, heren, yeren, eiren, heiron, ern(e, herne, yern(e, ȝern, eire & (error) orn; pl. ir(e)nes, etc. & irnesse, hirenesse, isnes, (early) irenu.
Etymology OE īren & īsern, īsen & ON; cp. OI jārn, ONorw. -jærn, OSwed. iærn, Dan. jern.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1a.
(a) Iron, as ore, metal, or commodity; of ~, made of iron or consisting of iron parts; (b) a piece of iron; things made of iron; (c) filinge (limature) of ~, iron filings; filth (rust) of ~, iron rust; scurf (sinder) of ~, the slag of iron separated from the ore during smelting, scoria; squame of ~, ?scales of iron rust; water of ~, ?a liquid preparation containing iron in some form; ?the water in which hot iron is quenched; (d) in sayings.
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1b.
Alch. Iron as the metal of the planet Mars.
Show 3 Quotations
2.
(a) A craftsman's tool or an agricultural implement made of iron or having iron parts; gravinge ~, grosing ~, paringe ~, plough ~, soudinge ~, turninge ~, q.v.; groupinge ~, see groupinge ger.; (b) a branding iron; also fig.; brenning ~, markinge ~, q.v.; (c) ?a stylus of iron for inscribing or engraving; a drill for boring holes; (d) the heated iron bar or blade used in trials by ordeal; hot (firi) ~; -- also coll.; (e) an iron hook, a nail, a spike; an iron fitting or bracket; coll. iron nails, clamps for fastening, etc.; also, spikes on an instrument of torture; (f) coll. iron bands for binding a chest, strengthening a door, wrapping an ax handle, etc.; iron bars for a window; (g) a die used in minting of coins; (h) one of a pair of iron grills for baking wafers and the like; a grill for roasting; baking irnes, houselinge irnes, oble irnes, rost (rostinge) ~, q.v.; (i) the metal part or fitting of any kit, tool, gear, or machine; an iron collar as part of an instrument of torture; the bit of a bridle; a metal fitting of a bag; bridel ~, miln ~, shovele ~, spade ~, q.v.
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3.
(a) A weapon or weapon head made of iron or steel; coll. weapons; ~ and stel, arms; ne (neither) ~ ne stel, no weapon whatsoever; with ~ and fir, with killing and burning, with complete devastation; (b) armor; a piece of armor; ~ and stel; ?also, an iron shirt worn for penance.
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4.
An iron chain; a prisoner's fetter; coll. shackles, chains; also fig. affliction, distress, anguish.
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5.
(a) A surgical instrument of iron; coll. surgical instruments; ?surgery; with ~, by surgery; blod ~ [see blod 1b. (d)]; (b) an instrument for cauterizing; that part of a cautery made of iron; hot ~, brenning ~, q.v.; also fig.
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6.
?As a precious stone; ?error for quirine.
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7.
Cpds. & combs.: (a) ~ brenner, ?one who works at smelting iron; ~ hat, a helmet of iron or steel; ~ heter, one who works the bellows or tends the furnace for smelting iron; ~ smith [OE īren-smiþ, īsen-], a blacksmith, an iron-worker; ~ squames, scales of iron rust; ~ ware, implements made of iron; iron parts of tools, vehicles, etc.; (b) ~ bounden, bound or reinforced with iron bands; ~ branded, of conscience: seared or branded, as by an iron; ~ grei [OE īserngrei], of the gray color of polished iron; also as name; ~ shod, of a pile or stake: tipped or shod with an iron band; ~ wrien, dressed in armor.
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8.
In surnames, place names, etc. [see Smith PNElem. 1.304].
Show 6 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1500 Jul.Artist.Recipes (Jul D.8) 139/4 : Put hit ageyne inne þe pot or ellis inne a panne of irnee made for þe nonce, and set hit on a trevet over þe fire.
    • Note: New spelling (irnee).
  • a1500 Cmb.Ee.1.13 Dye Recipes (Cmb Ee.1.13) 107/20 : Take þe filing of erne, and þe sond of þe grinston, and do hem togyddyr in a vessel.
  • a1500 Cmb.Ee.1.13 Dye Recipes (Cmb Ee.1.13) 109/5 : Take a golon of veneger, and ʒ of aldyr rindis..and ʒ of limayle of ern, and do al þes in a pot togyder.
    • Note: Postdates sense 1a.(c). ?Modify sense to include limaille of ~ with filinge (limature) of ~.
  • a1500 Ashm.1393 Artist.Recipes (Ashm 1393) 163/23 : When þe poudur bygynyþ to come to þe mouþ remeue hit with a ȝerd..and þus do .ij. or .iij. with þy ȝerd, and þy ȝerd mote be of ȝre.
  • a1525 BodEMus.52 Artist.Recipes (BodEMus 52) 189/8 : Forto make a water to wrytte in yryne or stele or in ony other metall.
  • a1525 BodEMus.52 Artist.Recipes (BodEMus 52) 190/1 : Take a plate of yrynne and ley þy glase þerupon.
  • ?a1500 AS.81 Artist.Recipe (AS 81) 320/1 : Forto wrete apon hiyr or stele. Take a quantite of alem, brimestone, [etc.].
    • Note: Additional quots., sense 1a.(a). New spellings (ȝre, irine, irinne, & hiir).
  • a1500 Rwl.C.506 Artist.Recipes (Rwl C.506) 175/3 : Hange þy skyn in þe wynde, and whan it is drye tawe þe flesche syde yn a withe or yn a glouerse yre till it be softe.
    • Note: New compound under 2.: glovers ~: ?'a currier's stake used for softening leather'.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: The nature of the fittings called the 'irons' of a pouch (Cely quote, sense 2.(i)) may be suggested by the fact that the comparable phrase 'bag iron' seems often (but not always) to come in pairs. So, for example in (c1496) Will York in Sur.Soc.53 p. 116: "A pair of bagyrons of sylver and enameled"; and (1474) Treas. Acc. I. 28. [quoted in DOST, s.v. bag-irnys]: "j pare of bag hirnys to the king." The Will York example and another from DOST (1496 Treas. Acc. I. 270: "To thre men that fand the bag irnis of gold") also make it clear that 'irons' in this sense need not be of iron.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. iron.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. hot iron.

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