Middle English Dictionary Entry
levǒur n.
Entry Info
| Forms | levǒur n. Also lever. |
| Etymology | OF levier |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A lever, crowbar; (b) a bar used as a weapon; (c) a carrying pole; (d) a straightedge, an instrument for smoothing or levelling a surface; (e) surg. = levatorie; (f) ?a stout post.
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3103 : Hii..cables vette ynowe, & laddren & leuours, & uaste ssoue & drowe.
- a1450(c1433) Lydg.St.Edm.(Hrl 2278)434/1202 : A-nother besy..To vnpyke lokys..Oon with a leuour to leffte the doore on harre.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)1945 : Dores and wyndowes barred faste, The Englissh brake them vp with levours.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)16 : The traitours withowt laid at the chaumbur dors..with levours and with axes.
b
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)2680 : Eldol, erl of gloucestre..Hente an stronge leuour..He smot to gronde.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)1861,1908 : Þe geaunt was wonder-strong..He tok a leuour in is hond..Beues..karf ato þe grete leuour.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)2386 : Þe geant was bath large and lang And bare a levore of yren ful strang; Þarwith he bet þam bitterly.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)13a : Ȝif he fauȝt wiþ strong men..he fauȝt wiþ heuy wepouns as malles of leed..heuy leueres [L uecte] and heuy axes.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)155/9 : Þe seruauntes..beten þis asse wiþ grete leuours.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)1303 : A gret leuer sone vp he breyde; he let fle a strok at þat thef with hys hond.
c
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)185 : Avyse hym weel the maister of the beremen that [he have] the levours [F qil eyt poleyns] and other thynges longyn to his office.
d
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)37b/a : Leuiga: a leuor or a plane.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)301 : Lever, rewle: Perpendiculum.
e
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)145b/a : It byhoueþ an Instrument for tieth to be litel; of þe couenable instrumentz, þat is to saye, of Rasoures..of symple leuours [*Ch.(1): leuatoriez; L leuatoriis] and with two braunches.
f
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)106b/a : In the oþere vnioyntinges stracche þe body abrode & drawe it with all þi witte in eþer side with a bonde wiþ a levoure [*Ch.(1): piller; L columna] and wiþ wegges, or with polyes.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. levor.