Middle English Dictionary Entry
mācis n. singular & plural
Entry Info
| Forms | mācis n. singular & plural Also maces, masis, maicis & mace, mas, mauce, macz. |
| Etymology | OF macis, mace & ML macis. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The aril or outer covering of the nutmeg used as a spice; (b) gum mastic.
Associated quotations
a
- (1234) Close R.Hen.III381 : x libras de maces.
- ?c1335(a1300) Cokaygne (Hrl 913)75 : In þe praer is a tre Swiþe likful forto se..Trie maces beþ þe flure, Þe rind canel of swet odur.
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)p.109 : Tak macis and powdre of gyngyner [read: gyngyuer] and powder of peper.
- (1390) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.5222/1 : Clerico speciarie..pro di. lb. macz.
- (1393) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.52159/33 : Clerico speciarie..pro maas et clowis.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)236b/b : Nux muscata, the note migge, is þe fruyt of a tre þat groweþ in Inde..and þe rynde þer of hatte macys [L macis] and is swiþe medicynal.
- (1398) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.165 : [3 1/2 lbs. of] mases [worth 14 s.].
- (a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)63 : Take poudour of canell, of gyngur, clowes, & maces hoole.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6786 : Þe caneil and þe lycorys Swete flauour ȝiueþ..and mace, Gyngyuer.
- (1423-4) Doc.Brewer in Bk.Lond.E.180/1257 : Item, for j vnce of Maces, ij d.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)94/4 : Ȝe..vnderstand þat þe macez er þe huskes of þe nutemug.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)122/316 : Take mugworte, wormode..mauce, and make þeroff a bath.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)28/1 : Fylle a potte of old reed wyn and doo þere-inne powder of canell..notemuge..spykenard, masys.
- (1471) Paston (Gairdner)5.119 : Sende me word qwat price a li. of peppyr, clowys, masis, gingyr, and sinamun.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.13 : Fors hit with clowes or macys gode.
- a1500 Sln.521 Recipes (Sln 521)134/16 : For þe cardiacle. Tak clowys and macys and gallingale and anys.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)13 : Peper, saffryn, clowys, mace, gynger, and suche other, thes be called Sotyll Warys.
b
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)196b/a : Maicis is þe gumme of a tree h. & d.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)76b : Mace species: Macia, Mastix.