Middle English Dictionary Entry
metal n.
Entry Info
| Forms | metal n. Also metal(le, metale, mettal, metel(le, mettel, metail(e, metaille, matal(le, mataille, matel & (errors) mace, macel. |
| Etymology | OF metal, metail |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Metalline substance, metal in general; ~ kinde; ~ makere (smith), a metalworker; ~ yetere, a caster of metal, founder; (b) in contexts referring to a particular metal or alloy; (c) metallic ore; ~ ore; (d) a metal implement or instrument; armor; (e) metalwork; (f) her. one of the tinctures: or, argent.
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)663,665 : He let closy fur in metal..Þat..þe water..þer of it cacþ hete; Þe metal is nou iturnd al in to roches grete.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)26/7 : Of guod metal hy makeþ ualse moneye.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)3 Kings 7.14 : A craftis man of metal..& of lore to don alle werk of metal.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Wisd.15.9 : But & metal makeris he folowith, & glorie he berþ beforn.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Is.41.7 : Coumforten shal the metal smyth [WB(2): smyth of metal; L faber aerarius] smytende hym with an hamer.
- (1383) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)4.128 : [4] pyntpottes de metall.
- (c1392) ?Westwyk EPlanets (Peterh 75)24/18 : Tak thanne a barre of metal of the brede of a large enche.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2500 : Bot forto worche it sikirly, Betwen the corps and the spirit, Er that the metall be parfit, In sevene formes it is set.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)76a/a : Metalli watir folwiþ þe doynge & kynde of metall; for þe watir þat passiþ be veynes of Iren stoppiþ and hardeþ þe wombe..watir of metall of bras helpiþ moisture..watir of þe metall of syluer keliþ & drieþ.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)24667 : Mai tresur nan be þar-to like O metal [Göt: metel] ne o stan.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6232 : Pylers of metal [LinI: macel; read: matel] stronge Þat ben an hundreþ feet longe.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6247 : He bisette by cee and londe Wiþ butumay and metal [LinI: mace] stronge Taracunteys and Magogecas.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6725 : Þere was ycome wiþ þe messagers A queynt man, a metal ȝeters [LinI: metal ȝeoter], Þat couþe cast in al þing.
- a1425(a1349) Rolle MPass.(2) (Upps C.494)43/11 : Now swete Ihesu make me towȝe as metal [vr. metaille] a ȝens temptaciouns.
- (?1439) Will York in Sur.Soc.4597 : De xviij lb. metall fracti, ij s.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)538 : Ȝetynge, of metelle, as bellys, pannys, potys and other lyke: Fusio.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)p.17 marg. : Bokerame, Sylver plate, Wegges of silver and metall.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)10699 : Þi goddes ar made of metayle.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)2125 : To forge malyable mataylle.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)1676 : For goolde and siluere thei wille make Of what metalle men wille hem take.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)2.155 : He mellid so þe matall with þe hand-molde That [þey] lost lemes þe leuest þat þey had.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)1105 : An ax he hente of metall broun, Þat heng on hys formest arsoun.
- a1500 Our shyp (Dub 516)66 : Thys good shype hath ankers thre, Of bether mettel þer may non be.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)2502 : By those waters men weene..all faultes to amende of metall kynde.
b
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)3620 : Ðis folc..Offreden him siluer and golde And oðer metal, swilc he wolde.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.596 : Oþer metel was þer non on, bot stiel.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)139/32 : Þis is þe dyamod of noble kende þet nele naȝt sitte ine gold, ac ine poure metal ase yzen.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.11 : Þe malice of þis venym was so grym..þat no bras ne iren ne non manere metaille myȝte it holde.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2491 : For as the philosophre tolde Of gold and selver, thei ben holde Tuo principal extremites, To whiche alle othre be degres Of the metalls ben acordant.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)113a/b : Vesper, an eue sterre..he haþ colour whiȝt & schinynge as electrum, þat is, metall þat is most whit & briȝt.
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.102 : Na metal mai better be Than gold.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)6158 : Maumetry ys made alle Of golde and syluer and swych matalle.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)193a/a : Aurum, Gold, is most temperat of alle metallis.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)9 : Alkamye: metalle.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)17/29 : Venus is a planete of hevin, aftir whom the Friday is named; and the metal that we calle tyn or peuter is yoven to the same.
- ?a1450(1422) Lydg.SD (McC 182)60/14 : Þe riche ymagis of þe temples of Rome made of golde, silvere, and sondrie meteles.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4583 : Is þer non Instrumentis of Iren in all þat Ile founden, Ne nakin metall of to make messelyne ne othire.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)159/239 : Gold is þe rycheste metall.
- a1500 Agnus Castus (Bal 329)203/20 : The vertu of þis erbe ys yf he be broke vp with-owte any jre or othyr metell, and a man haue grete ache in hys tethe, take þis erbe and toche his tethe þer-with.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)435-6 : On mettall transmuted we fynde vnto A mettall of ane other kynde.
c
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)144 : Sope aboute couentre & ire at gloucestre, Metal [vr. Metel], as led and tyn, in þe contreie of eccestre.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.399 : Valeys bryngeþ forþ food, And hilles metal riȝt good.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.17 : Þe erþe of that lond is copious of metal ore.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)179b/b : In þe mounteyns þere beþ y-myned with metalles of dyuers kynde.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.2681 : Hote bathes [&] wellis ther be founde, Dyuers myneres, of metallis ful habounde.
- c1400 Interpol.Rolle Cant.(1) (Bod 288)67 : Hillis holden stoones and metal-oor.
d
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1513 : Þer watz rynging on ryȝt of ryche metalles, Quen renkkes..rennen hit to cache.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)95/27 : To ȝeild hym loueyngis with honily swetnes and cry of metell [L mentali clamore] & with desire.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)556 : Schoken out of scheþes..& mallen metel, þroȝ vn-mylt hertes, Hewen on þe heþen.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)9520 : Fell was the fight with foynyng of speires, Mallyng þurgh metall maynly with hondes.
e
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)169 : His molaynes & alle þe metail anamayld was þenne.
f
- c1475 Sln.4 Recipes in Rel.Ant.1 (Sln 4)324 : There he [read: be] but ij metallys and v colours yn all blasyng of armes, that ys to say: sylver and gold metalles, sabylls, aser, gowles, synaper, and vertecolers.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)163b/b : Mountayns conceyuen noble metall, ffor noble metall [L metalla nobilia] ys y-myned owte of veynes of mountayns.
Note: New phrase
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)277 : Þese ylke deuelyn þat nou y-falled be…ne be but metal and stynkke as an honde.
Note: New fig. use.