Middle English Dictionary Entry
menstrūā̆l adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | menstrūā̆l adj. Also menstruel. |
| Etymology | L menstruālis & OF menstrüel. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Anat. (a) Capable of menstruating; (b) menstrual; ~ blod, blood expelled in menstruation, the menstrual flow; ~ flux, renninge ~, the menstrual flow, esp. when excessive; ~ humour, any superfluous humor expelled in menstruation; ~ purgacioun, the menstrual flow; ~ superfluite, the superfluous blood and humors expelled in menstruation; ~ time, the time of menstruation, menstrual period.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)60b/b : For onliche a womman animal..menstruale [L animal menstruale est], so seiþ Isidre.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)60b/b : Þe menstrual superfluyte hatte menstruum, for it folweþ in þe cours of þe moneþ.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)61a/a : And sche [matrix] is somtyme I-greued wiþ to moche flowinge & schedinge of menstrual humours.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)100a/b : Somtyme it [leprosy] falliþ whanne a childe is conceyued in menstruel tyme.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)201a/b : Þe vertu þerof..stauncheþ menstrual blood and emerodes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)217a/a : Þis flour..helpeþ aȝens þe blody flux and also aȝeins menstrual flux.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)231b/b : And vertu þerof..bryngeþ out menstrual purgacioun.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)245a/b : Licium..heliþ roted gomes..and aȝeins þe rennynge menstrual of wommen and whanne þey haue moche of superfluite of humour in þe moder.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)266a/b : If þe femelle asse eteþ barliche y-wette in menstrual blood.
2.
(a) Anat. ~ blod, blod ~ = menstrue blod; ~ humour, any humor flowing in the menstrual blood vessels; ~ veines, the menstrual blood vessels = veines menstrue; (b) ~ superfluite, a pathological humor, prob. related to phenomena in (a).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)54a/a : Þe pappe is a noeful [read: nedful] membre to..norische þe child and to fonge menstrual blood to turne in to melke.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)68a/b : Out of þe modir..kynde sendiþ forþ menstrual blood, and by hete & humour of þat blood þe childe þat is conceyued is I-fed.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)70a/a : Þe childe in þe modir wombe is I-fed with blood menstrual; But, whenne þe childe is I-bore, kynde sendeþ þat blood to þe brestes & turneþ in to melke.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)116b/a : Ȝif he [moon] is in companye wiþ goode planetis..menstrual humours in wommen meuen.
- (a1400) *Barton's Urines (Sln 280)f.283v : From þe tyme of conceyuyng to þe birþe, þat childe .. in þe modir drawiþ kyndeli þe menstruel blode to his fode, as a tre or an herbe drawiþ þe moisture of þe erþe to his fode.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)67/31 : Bytwene it [matrix] and þe tetes beeþ melky and menstrual veynes [Ch.(1): veynez..menstrualez; L bene (sic)..menstruales] contynued.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)139a/a : In hem þat drynken snowe watir contynualliche, hit brediþ menstrual superfluyte of grete bocchis vndir þe chynne.
3.
Associated quotations
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)44a : For thy fyrste grounde principall, vnderstand thy waters menstruall.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. menstrual humour.