(a) The feeling of joy or state of happiness; delight, gladness [sometimes difficult to distinguish from 2.]; also, a person's pleasure, enjoyment (of sb. or sth.); ~ of herte; in (on, mid, with) ~, with mirthes, joyously, happily, gladly; worldes ~, worldly pleasure; (b) drauen ~, to obtain happiness; geten ~, be happy (in the company of sb.); obtain happiness (from sb.); haven ~, rejoice, be glad; live happily; haven ~ of, be delighted by (sb. or sth.), derive pleasure from (sth.), enjoy the company of (sb.), be happy on behalf of (sb.); haven ~ at (of) herte; haven ~ in lond (on mold); maken mirth(es, be happy, be delighted (by sth., with sth.); -- also refl.; menden ~ [see menden 2. (c)]; mahoun meng you with ~, may Mahomet grant you happiness; meten mirthes, achieve happiness; missen mirthes, be deprived of happiness, be miserable; taken ~, be delighted (by sb.).

(a) Eternal bliss, salvation; the joys of heaven, spiritual joy; heven-rich(es ~, soverain ~, the) eche ~, etc.; meine of ~, the heavenly hosts, saints in heaven; (b) bringen to mirthes, to restore (Adam) to eternal life; comen (gon, wenden) to ~, meten with ~, be saved, attain salvation; ben met with ~, be blessed; meten mirthes, grant the joys of salvation (to mankind); forlesen (lesen, missen) ~, forfeit salvation, be damned; (c) as epithet for God or Christ.

(a) The expression or manifestation of joy or happiness; ceremony, celebration; festivity, feasting; recreation, festive or pleasurable activity; also, vivacity, liveliness; bi (with) ~, ceremoniously; joie and ~, ~ and joie, mete and ~, ~ and meles, ~ and game (jolite, etc.); (b) haven ~, to have fun, have a good time; haven mirthes in mene, gather on festive occasions, hold feasts together; maken mirth(es, be festive, celebrate, make merry; also, have fun (with sth.); also, participate in the ceremonies of a funeral; maken ~ to, hold a feast in honor of (sb.); meven ~, occasion fun, be the life of a party; mongen (with) mirthes [see mongen (a)]; usen ~ (and gladnes, be festive, be sociable; smiten into ~, begin festivities, become festive; (c) sexual dalliance, lovemaking; maken ~, to make love, have intercourse.

A source of joy, an occasion for happiness: (a) a marvelous phenomenon, delightful thing; felicitous event; favor, benefaction; godes and mirthes; don wonder and ~, to do miraculous deeds, bestow marvelous gifts; maken ~, grant favors; ben ~, be a blessing (to sb.), have a salubrious effect (on sb.); ~ for to here, ~ in hering, delightful to hear; meven ~, ?propose an expedient plan; (b) beauty or attractiveness, pleasantness or delightful aspect; melen materes of ~, to broach a pleasant subject; nevnen ~, discuss pleasing subjects, exchange pleasantries; speken of ~, talken ~; tellen of ~, dwell on pleasant things in a narrative.

(a) An entertainment or amusement; divertissement, distraction; occasion for mirth; story, jest; song, singing, musical performance; minstralcie and ~, mirthes and bourdes, song and ~, etc.; gostli ~, ?a hymn; mirthes of mouthes, singing of birds; pleies and ~, theatrical spectacles; (b) comen to ~, to be amused, be entertained; connen of ~, be a raconteur; don ~, tellen ~, entertain or amuse (sb.); lesinges of ~, lies told in jest, facetious lies; maken mirth(es, entertain (sb.); also, tell a story, make jokes; sing songs, make music; talk and sing; menen mirthes, divert oneself, wile away one's time; spel (tale) of mirthe, entertaining story.