Middle English Dictionary Entry
mist n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | mist n.(1) Also mīst, mest, meist. |
| Etymology | OE |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1a.
(a) A weather condition of mist or fog; ~ hakel, a mantle of mist; (b) fig. turnen to ~, to vanish.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)108/17 : An stæfne wæs iworden on þam miste.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)688 : A wel deork mijst þare com al-so þat swiþe longue i-laste.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)603 : Ȝwane þe sonne hath þudere i-drawe þene mist for hete, It ne may no feor for þe colde, ake bi-cometh al to wete.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)620-1,622 : Þare come a þicke myst, and a cold forst þer-to; þanne freost þe þicke Myst..And þarof comez þe Rym-forst, ase þilke Mist deth fleo.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)101 : Desouz la mountayne surd le broil [glossed:] mist [vr. miist].
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)7364 : Ich hope þurth Ihesu Crist, We schul hem driue, so sonne doþ mist.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 13.11 : Anoon a myst [L caligo] fel down on hym and derknesse.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.281 : The ferste Periferie of alle Engendreth Myst and overmore The dewes and the Frostes hore.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.259 : As soore wondren somme on cause of thonder, On ebbe, on flood..and on myst..til that the cause is wist.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)118a/b : But ȝif it happe þat it be lette by mystis outhir clowdis I-set bitwene him and þe siȝt.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)139a/a : Myst is impressioun I-made of resolucioun and to fallinge of cloudes..Mist is frende to þeoves & to yuel doers, for he hidiþ here spyers & waytynges.
- a1400(?a1350) Siege Troy(1) (Eg 2862)41/494 : Þe weder changed; gret myst it was, So þat y lost my felows echon.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5752 : Kyng Alisaunder a-morowe arist; Þe sonne dryueþ away þe myst.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)prol.88 : Tho[u] miȝtest betere mete myst on maluerne hilles Þanne gete a mom of here mouþ til mony be shewid.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)17.228 : Ysekeles in eueses, þorw hete of þe sonne, Melteth in a mynut while to myst & to watre.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2081 : Mist muged on þe mor, malt on þe mountez; Vch hille hade a hatte, a myst-hakel huge.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.1633 : Al þis while was so huge a reyne..and so huge a myst Þat euery man hath his felawe myst.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)12/43 : In þat mornig fell a myst; And when oure I[n]gliss men it wist, It changed all þaire chere.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1445 : Now se we þe lyfte clere and faire; Now gadirs mystes and cloudes in þe ayre.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.1991 : Ther peeple and thei departed heer & yonder With wynd and mist, that non of hem sauh oþer.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)340 : Myst, or rooke: Nubilum.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2001 : Sir Lott and sir Launcelotte..Sall lenge on his lefte hande..To meue in þe morne-while, ȝif þe myste happynne.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.2 Merch.(Hrl 2255)193 : For now presence hath maad the wedir cleer, Of absence chacyd the mystis ful of teene.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4550 : Þe wynde stonchede & blew nomore, & þe meyst tur[n]de in to a bryȝt cloude.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)966 : Tho gan y loken under me And beheld the ayerissh bestes, Cloudes, mystes, and tempestes.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1985 : A rak and a royde wynde rose in hor saile; A myst & a merkenes was meruell to se.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)12 : The dewe appon dayses donkede full faire..And the mery mystes full myldely gane falle.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2736 : The nyght is ouerlonge, Thicke is the myst, and thestir is the mone.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1561 : Atte last gan fall Such a myst a-mong hem þat no man myȝt se othir.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)3.172 : Þer is as moche good witte in swyche gomes nollis As þou shuldist mete of a myst fro morwe tyll euen.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)82a : Myste: nebula maris est, nubulum terre est.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)693 : Nothinge he saugh but as it hadde ben a smoke of myste in the eyre.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)75/354 : Thise iij dayes has bene durand Sich myst þat no man may other se.
b
- c1440 Treat.Prayer (Thrn)299 : Þe fende..hafande grete ferly, how þat it faris þat his myghte es noghte bot turnede to myste.
1b.
(a) A fume or cloud of smoke; (b) a vapor, steam; also, an aromatic vapor; (c) a cloudy condition of urine; (d) ?mildew.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390(?a1350) Trental St.Greg.(1) (Vrn(1))55 : And in þat derknesse a myst [Gar: mest] among, Al stoneyd he was, such stunch þer stong.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3274 : Iason can so wirke, Þat he is skapid from þe mystis dirke Of þe fire with his blases blake, Þat al þe eyre so cloudy dide make.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3305 : He..hath outterly eschewed Þenfeccioun of þe smoky leuene..þe mystis wern waftid hym to-forn.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)68a/a : Vapor: smokynge or myst.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)43.19 : Vppon Somme that weren thore decended Adown a foul gret Mist, that Alle blak becomen they.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.1490 : Out of the water a myst ther com, Stynkyng, blak, and full mervelous.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)310 : And next to her was god Pluto set, With a derke myst enuyrond all aboute..Of fyre and sulphure all hys odour wase.
b
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)53/214 : A-non so huy openeden þat lid of is swete toumbe þere, Þare cam a-doun þoruȝ al þe churche ase þei it a mist were..þat huy i-seien alle with eiȝe.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)199b/b : Eliotropia is a precious stone..it makeþ þe water seþe in þe vessel..and resolueþ it, as it were, in to myst, and soone þer after it is resolued in to reyn dropes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)218a/a : Whanne it [cinnamon rind] is y-broke, þerof comeþ a breth, as it were myst [L ad modum nebule] and most swete.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)59a/b : If þe vryne..is wel disposid in substaunce & colour, nouȝt bloo, noþir wan, noþir I-dirked, noþir I-schadowid with myst, it tokeneþ þat þe spiritual membres bene wel disposid.
d
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.827,829 : For blychenyng and myst [L nebulas] take chaf & raf And ley hit on thy lond..And when thou sist the myst, let brenne vp chaf And raf.
2.
(a) Obscure vision, dimness of eyesight; (b) fig. something that obscures the mind or reason; mental darkness, emotional gloom, spiritual perversity.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)16 : Elde me is bistolen on..ne michte ich seon bifore me for smike ne for miste.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)87 : Or he it biðenken can, hise egen weren mirke..Of hise egen wereð ðe mist wiles he dreccheð ðore.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)297b/b : Þe myste..is cause of dymnesse in þe eyȝe.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Job 23.17 : Y perischide not for derknessis neiȝynge, nethir myist [WB(1): dusknesse; L caligo] hilide my face.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)178/550 : A lectuary for many yueles..for sores in the side, for the myst, and for the stomake.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)159/227 : A derke devyll with falsnese I saye Shall cast a myst in þe kynggys eye.
- a1500 Bloodletting in HSLC 29 ser.3.5 (Chet 6680)2 : For rotinge of lyuer and binge, brest & myste.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.1866 : Thus stant this world fulfild of Mist, That noman seth the rihte weie.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.467 : Þe eyr gan to wexe clene Of þe mystis of his cloudy sorwe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.1817 : Want of siȝt made þe slydre, Þoruȝ myst of errour falsely to forveye By pathis wrong from þe riȝt weye.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Job 3.5 : The schadewe of deeth and myist [L caligo] occupie it.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.242 : Til Crist cam..þicke mystis of synne hiliden þe puplis þat shulden be saved. But þis liȝt þat cam to men persid þis myst and made it clere.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)352 : Every thing ys wyst, Though hit be kevered with the myst.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)104 : My poore witte..avaunce; Cast out therof the cloude of ignoraunce..O Lady myn..Condite it out of myst & nyght..To write of al by see & lond the werre.
- a1475(?1445) ?Lydg.Cal.(Rwl B.408)263 : Pray..to swete Iesu Crist, That he pourge and clense oure soules and hert Fro al wikked synful and derkely myst.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)161/304 : Herowdys to þe devyl he tryste to marre ȝow in a myrke myste.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)1988 : Hit sownyd to me as a parable, Derke as a myste or a feynyd fable.
3.
In place name [see Smith PNElem. 2.41].
Associated quotations
- (1240) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)195 : Mystorre.