Middle English Dictionary Entry
ărs n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ărs n. Also arce, ērs, eres, hars, hers. |
| Etymology | OE ears |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The anus, the rectum; excretory organ; (b) buttock(s, posteriors, rump; (c) ?hemorrhoids, ?rectum.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.171 : He gadred..towaylls of þe auter and defouled hem wiþ the filþe of his ers [L ani sui]..and anon his mouþ bycom his ers.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)11.80 : I wolde his eȝe weore in his ers.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3734 : But with his mouth he kiste hir naked ers [vr. ars] Ful sauourly, er he were war of this.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.1694 : Out of the deueles ers [vr. ars] they gonne dryue Twenty thousand freres on a route.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)95b/a : Emoroydes beþ five veynes þat strecchiþ out at þe ers [L in ano].
- a1400 Þo oure lord god (Mrg M 957)320 : Hy mowet myd þe tippe here ers wypy wel.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)49 : Some taken an olde cok..and setteþ the cokkes eres [OF le treu du cul] vpon þe hool of þe bityng.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)55 : Al þis togiders put in his [a hound's] erys, and he shal scombire.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)7576 : Thou shalt for this synne dwelle Right in the devels ers of helle.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)14 : Ars or arce [vr. aars]: Anus, culus, podex.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)466/29 : Sodanlie his mouthe was turnyd into his ars, & efter euer whils he liffid, all þe filthe..come out at his mouthe.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)263/15 : Þou faryst as an hounde, þat lyckyth an-oþer hound, whanne he metyth hym, be-hynde in þe ers, in þat vnclene membre.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking (Hrl 2340:Halliwell)301 : For the stone. Anoynt the hawke is erys with oyle of olyve and put in powdere of alym with an holow strawe.
- a1475 Friar & B.(Brog 2.1)p.53 : Thyne ars ys not thy borowe.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)11/59 : Abell. God..Spede the, brother, & thi man. Cayn. Com kis myne ars, me list not ban.
- -?-(?a1500) Hunt.Hare (Adv 19.3.1)210 : Thus sone won hit hym on the crope, That neuer after he myght not stoppe, Bot his arse lette a cracke.
b
- a1350 Lord þat lenest (Hrl 2253)14 : In prude Vch a screwe wol hire shrude, þah he nabbe nout a smok hire foule ers to hude.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.20.4 : Ȝung and old..discouered the ersis [L natibus; WB(2): buttokis] to the shenshepe of Egipt.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3810 : And he was redy with his iren hoot, And Nicholas in the ers [vr. amydde þe ars] he smoot.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.175 : I..am chalanged in þe chapitelhous..And baleised on þe bare ers [vrr. ars, hers, bak], and no breche bitwene.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)25 : He [the roebuck] renneþ with lepis and with rugged and stondyng eeren, and þe eres and þe tayle cropyng vp al white.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)1 Kings 5.6 : The Lord..smoot Azothe and his coostis in the more priue party of the arsis [WB(2): buttokis; L natium].
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)43b/a : Nates: an hepe, buttok, or an ers.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)2/19 : Thomas Broune..had..8 holez of the to[ne] party of the ersse and 7 on the tothir side.
- (c1434) Drury Wks.(CmbAdd 2830)82/7 : Myn ars comyng to scole xal be betyn. Anus meus venientis ad scolam verberabitur.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)68/12 : A-noynte þi backe for [read: fro] þe nekke till þe ars.
- c1460 Ipom.(3) (Lngl 257)343/18 : He smote him thurgh the shuldre & bare him ouer his hors ars to the erthe.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)127/124 : I xal do ȝour ars qwake.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)10/45 : Thare prouand..I lay behynd thare ars, And tyes them fast bi the nekis.
- a1500 GRom.(Add 9066)283 : Hy knytte it [the cord] fast about his arse, and Guy drew hym out.
c
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)1 Kings 6.5 : Fyue golden arsis [WB(2): ersis; L anos] ȝe shulen make..And ȝe shulen make a licnesse of ȝoure arsis.
2.
(a) ~ gang, a bowel movement; ~ girdel, a belt worn low on the hips; ~ hol, the anus; ~ holer, ?a Sodomist [cp. holour]; ~ rope, the rectum; ~ tharm, rectum; ~ wisp, the medieval equivalent of toilet paper; (b) at (one's) ~, close to (one's) rear, at (one's) heels; at hors ~, at a horse's heels.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)108.82/4 : Eft wið ðat man þurh his arsgange blod utryne, nim webrade seaþ.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)49/2 : Hwilum þurh þa nosa hym yrnþ þæt blod, hwilum þane on arsganga sitt, hyt hym fram yrnaþ.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)51/9 : Þann he to arsganga gæþ, þanne þæt hym fram gæþ, byþ swyþe wyþ blode ȝemenged.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)94/14 : If þat he be growen..in þe arshole [L ano; Add: ers hole]..it is bettere nouȝt to cure þe cankre.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)1 Kings 5.9 : He smoot the men of ech cytee..and the arsroppis [L extales; WB(2): lowere entraylis] of hem goynge out stonken.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)636 : Hic pirtomen: arsholere.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)637 : Hic cirbus: harstharme.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)155a/a : Þe stone in þe bleddre ledeþ some tyme to þe sekenesses þat is cleped tenasmon and to goynge oute of þe ers roppe [*Ch.(1): longaon].
- (1438) Will Dixton in BGAS 11158 : Item, to Edmond of Cornewayle an ersgerdyll of silver.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)14 : Arswyspe: Maniperium, anitergium.
- ?a1475 PParv.(Win)14 : Aars hole.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)5b : An Arswispe [Monson: Arsewyspe]: Anitergium, menperium.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)42a : An Erswyspe [Monson: Erse wyspe]: maniperium.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)627 : Menpirium: arswyspe.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)632 : Podex: arcehoole.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)10.309 : Now is religioun a ryder..fro manere to manere, An heep of houndes at his ers [vr. ars], as he a lorde were.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)47.180 : He dispoilede hem..and hem drowh thoruh that Cyte atte hors Ars.
3.
The vulva; ~ winning, money obtained by prostitution.
Associated quotations
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)7.306 : For an hore of hure ers-wynnynge may hardiloker tythe Þan an erraunt vsurer.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (BodeMus 187:Harvey)f.3r (1.3) : Þat 'longaon' is þe laste gutt in þe body & it is tyede vnto þe tayle ende. Som folke calle it þe 'erse-þerme' & 'tail end,' or 'þe erse-bubbe.'
Note: New compound: ?perh. ~ bobbe. Editor's gloss: 'the anus'.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. arse.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 2.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. arse rope.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 2.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. arsehole.