Middle English Dictionary Entry
lẹ̄che-craft n.
Entry Info
| Forms | lẹ̄che-craft n. Also lēche-, lech-, lache-, leches-, lechecreft, -kreft, -crafth, -crauft & (early) lǣcecræft, -craft, læchecræft, -craft, leachecraft, lacecræft, (pl.gen.) læcecrafta. |
| Etymology | OE; cp. WS lǣce-cræft, Nhb. *lēcecræft, Merc. & K. *lēcecreft. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The art or science of medicine and/or surgery; -- also used in pl.; also, magic [quot.: a1225]; (b) the practice or profession of medicine and/or surgery.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)3/4,10,13 : Fela ȝera wæs behuded se læcecræft..hy aluste þa leoht þæra læcecræfte..þæt is ilæcnunga of læcecrafta.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)18934 : Ich con swulcne leche-craft..þat al scullen þine gareres iwurðen swulc þas eorles.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3159 : Nou couþe þis luþer man..þe art of lechecraft.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)40/880 : Ypocras was maister here; Of leche craft was non his pere.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)17/10 : Þese vj þingis..techiþ a man speculatijf of leche craft.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)16.104 : And lered hym lechecrafte..And did him assaye his surgerye on hem þat syke were.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)2736 : Twa maydens with him þai laft Þat wele war lered of lechecraft.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)10b/b : Butanicum: a boc of lechecrafte.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)8a/a : Of it [the body] is made sermoun or spekyng in alle lechecrafte or phisic.
- a1450(c1395) WBible(2) Pref.Jer.(NC 66)p.67 : Lechis bihoten that that is of lechis [vr. leche] crafte.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)36.4 (v.1: p.256) : This Cirus, instruct in lechecrafte from his youthe .. curid men from the langures of sikenesse bodily.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)11a/a : Þer may no craftis man worche regulerly in suget or matir þat he knowt not, and mannys bodi [i]s suget & mater in alle lechecraft.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)3b/a : If leches neded nouþer geometrie ne astronomye no dialetic..carpentariez, smythes, & oþer men, leuyng þair craftes, shulde renne to medecene, i. lechecrafte, and shulde be made leches.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)65 : 'Of what crafte or of what myster beth moste men? 'Sir,' quod he, 'of leche-crafte.'
2.
(a) A medical treatment; medical or surgical care; also fig. spiritual healing, emotional consolation; ben at ~, of a horse: to be in the care of a veterinary; don ~, give (sb.) medical care or treatment; -- also without obj.; don under ~, put (sb.) in the care of a physician or surgeon; (b) a medicine, remedy; (c) medicinal use; efficacy.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)104.71/1 : Þes læcecræft his afondon.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)13/8 : Færunga hy atyweþ and færinga aweȝ ȝewiteþ buta ælce læcecrafte.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)43/20 : Þisne lacecræft mann sceal don manne þæt swyþe spywaþ.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1869 : Drihhtin shollde ȝifenn uss God sawless eȝhesihhþe Þurrh Crisstenndomess læchecrafft.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)7616 : Ne þurh nenne læche-cræfte [Otho: lechecraft] ne mihte he lif habben.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)92/5 : He ne feleð nawt his ahne secnesse, & for þi ne secheð nawt leche ne lechecreft [Tit: leachecraft].
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)189/28 : Godd & his desciples speken of sawle lechecreft [Nero: lechekreft; Cai: lechecraft].
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2974 : Þe king let þe wule burie þe dede men þere, & do vnder lechecraft hom þat iwounded were.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2745 : The clothered blood, for any lechecraft, Corrupteth and is in his bouk ylaft.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.241 : Ȝif þou Conne Eny lyf of leche Craft [C: fysyk], lere hit me, my deore.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.172 : Lyf leued þat lechecrafte lette shulde elde And dryuen awey deth with dyas and dragges.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4228 : Ther was non oþer red Nor lech-craft, [but] that he mot be ded.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.436 : Frend, This lechecraft, or heeled thus to be, Were wel sittyng, if that I were a fend, To traysen hire that trewe is unto me!
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)10980 : With leche-crafft thes surgiens, Alle the helpe that thei myght, Thei it dede be day & nyght.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)4652 : No lechecrafth of hir greth woo Myht in no wyse hir helpe ne cure.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)49.32 : 'A leche,' quod the Sarrazin tho; 'Canst þou Ony leche-craft do?'
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)106/15 : & a man þat is seke will nott abstene hym fro guttus meatis, what profettis it to do vnto hym any cure of lechecrafte?
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)1218/29 : Thus sir Gawayne lay syke and unsounde three wykes in hys tentis with all maner of lechecrauffte that myght be had.
- (1471) Paston5.102 : I beseche yow, and my horse that was at lechecraft at the Holt be not takyn up for the Kynges hawkys, that he may be had hom.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)5658 : He smote Gusare so harde vppon the cheke That leche craft hym nede non other seeke.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)144/69 : Thise present scorges of my flessh mow maken medecyne and lechecraft of my inner mannes helth.
b
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)17770 : To þere mid-nihte ich cumm forð rihtes mid oðer lache-crafte Þa sculleð beon him liðe.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)143 : At hire bi-hinde heo hadde i-bled seuen ȝer and more; heo ne miȝhte for no-þing no leche-craft a-fongue.
- ?1316 Quant homme (Roy 12.C.12)252 : Infirmus moritur, thah lechcraft ligge bysyde.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)1/17 : And for siknesse lechecreft, And for þe goute sealue, Me makeþe.
- a1425 Gloss.Bibbesw.(AS 182)637 : Lechecraft [glossing AF (Cmb) medicine].
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)136/11 : Becauce þou hase had mor comfurth of me þan þou had of þi lechecrafte of [read: or] of þi medcyns, þerfor I sall giff þe of my medcyns.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)192/15 : No leche-crafte or medicyn [L medicamentum] profitez in a wounde if ȝitte yren be ther-in.
- (1471) Paston5.102 : My leche crafte and fesyk, and rewardys to them that have kept me and condyt me to London, hathe cost me sythe Estern Day more than v li., and now I haue neythyr met, drynk, clothys, lechecraft, ner money.
c
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)107.81/2 : Ȝenim þeos wert, sele etan; þu wundrast hyre fremfulnesse & hure læcecrafte.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)2/9 : Ic..þe wurde wyste þis to ȝewitenne, þæt is, be wyldeora læcecræftes.