Middle English Dictionary Entry
lǒus(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | lǒus(e n. Also louce, luse. Pl. lïs(e, līce, lies(e, liez & luis(e, lues & lī̆sse, lī̆cse, lī̆zs & lẹ̄s. |
| Etymology | OE lūs, pl. lȳs. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A louse (e.g. head louse, body louse, etc.); ?also, a maggot or worm in the flesh; (b) something worthless or contemptible; not worth a ~, yeven not a ~; (c) elefauntes ~, ~ of the elefaunt [see elefaunt 3. ]; (d) ~ sed, ?fleawort Plantago psyllium; ~ (herb) wort, stavewort Delphinium staphisagria; (e) ?in place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.28].
Associated quotations
a
- a1350 Of Rybaudȝ (Hrl 2253)12 : So seyþ romaunz, whose ryht radde: 'ffleh com of flore, ant lous com of ladde'.
- ?c1335(a1300) Cokaygne (Hrl 913)37 : Nis þer flei, fle no lowse In cloþ, in toune, bed no house.
- ?c1335 Þe grace of godde (Hrl 913)21 : Man, of þi schuldres and of þi side, Þou miȝte hunti luse and flee.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.387 : Arnulphus..was..destroyed and i-ȝete with luys [vrr. luyse, lues; Higd.(2): lyes or vermyn; L pediculis] riȝt to þe deth.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.299 : Suche an hap is itolde of a prince þat myȝte by no manere craft kepe..hym self fro luys [vr. lyyse; Higd.(2): lyce].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)203a/a : Poudre þerof confecte..clenseþ luys and hede scabbes and sleeþ wormes of þe eeren.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)296a/b-b/a : The lous hatte pediculus and is a worme of þe skynne, and haþ þat name of pedibus, þe feet..And greueþ more in þe skynne with þe feet and wiþ crepynge þan he doþ wiþ bytyng, and is y-gendred of most corrupt ayer and vapours þat sweten oute bitwen þe felle and the fleissch by pores..Some lyse gendren of sanguyn humour and ben reede and grete, and some of fleumatike humours, and þey ben neisshe and white, and some of Colerik humour and ben citryne, longe, swifte, and scharpe, & some of malencolik humour, and þey ben ycoloured as aisshen and ben lene and slowe in moeuynge.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)303a/b : Wolle of scheepe þat is y-bite wiþ a wolf gendreþ luys & mowþes.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)5.112 : But ȝif a lous couþe lepe, I may it nouȝt leue, He shulde wandre on þat walsshe scarlet, so was it þredbare.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.197 : In a tauny tabarde..Al totorne and baudy and ful of lys crepynge.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)651 : Herbes forth bringes floures and sede, And tres fair fruyt..And þou forth bringes..Nites, lyse, and other vermyn sere.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)60a/b : Sexcuples: a lowse wyþ sijx fete.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)40/23 : In þat abbeye ne entreth not no flye ne todes..ne lyzs ne flees.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)115b/a : Of pediclez, i. lyez, and Cirones, i. hondwermez, and her liche þinges.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)8a/b : Of fallynge of þe here, of þe whytenesse, & of lyese.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)119b/b : It is schewede by the same Gordoun þat multiplicacioun of lise, neuerþelatter, of an Inwarde cause sheweþ the morphewe and the lepre.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)p.947 : How arnold, son to Charles of Fraunce, was eten with lys and so died.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)9.1025 : He [Arnold]..In myscheeff spente his daies..With lees and wermys maad infortunat, Thoruh skyn and flessh fret onto þe bon.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)314 : Lowce, wyrme: Pediculus, sexcupes.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)p.38 marg. : For to distroye lysse, id est, pediculos.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.608 : Sle luys [L pediculos] with staphisagre & comyn.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)443/18,21 : He wold..entyr in-to þe ordur, bod he was ferd for lyce..Bewar at þies lies take not fro the the kyngdom of hevyn.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)200/641 : Take the Juyse of an erbe that is clepid blyte, and enoynt thi hede þerwith, and both lyes and nittis shall fall away.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)77/17 : To slen lees, probata est. Tak saxifrage, [etc.].
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)19/26 : The 7 medicyn..for to distrie lies þat ben engendrid of corrupt humouris.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.32 : They be couered with heere even to the verri Iowe; To close in licse it is a noble purveaunce.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)706/27 : Hic pediculus: a lows. Hic pedicus, idem est.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)3685 : Also finde I..Þat wormes be made of mannes swoot, As lijs and oþer wormes moo, And somme of mannes flesche also.
b
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)439 : Him semede it nas noȝt worþ a lous, batayl wiþ him to wage.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)491 : Þis werldys wysdom ȝeuyth no [read: not] a louse of God, nyn of hye heuene.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)772 : Loke þou ȝeue not a lous of þe day þat þou schalt deye.
c
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)177a/a : Anacardus is þe pedicule, i. lous, of þe Elephant [*Ch.(2): an Olyfauntes louse], ca. & sic in 4o & it is vlceratif.
d
- a1300 Hrl.978 Vocab.(Hrl 978)559/6 : Psilliun, i. lusesed.
- a1500 MS Ashm.1447 in Hunt Plant Names (Ashm 1447)246 : [Staphisagria:] lausword.
- a1500 MS Ashm.1389 in Hunt Plant Names (Ashm 1389)246 : [Staphisagria]: anglice lous-erbe.
- 1523 MS Add.27582 in Hunt Plant Names (Add 27582)67 : [Caput Purgium]: anglice lowsewort.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. louse.