Middle English Dictionary Entry
mōt n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | mōt n.(1) Also mote, mothe, mouthe; pl. motes & (rarely) moten. |
| Etymology | OE mot |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A speck, particle, bit of dirt or foreign matter; an impurity in drink; pl. dust; melten to ~, to be reduced to dust; motes in the sonne (bem, ~ in the sonne, motes in somertide, dust visible in the sunlight; (b) a trifle; piken motes, to take note of small points; ~ in the eie, with reference to Mat. 7.3 or Luke 6.42: a petty fault; (c) as muchel as a ~, at all; mountaunce of a litel ~, in the smallest degree; not a (the) ~, nought a ~, not a bit, not in the least, not at all; (d) a blemish, spot, stain, flaw; also fig.; withouten ~, flawless, pure.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)283/199 : For þes frere cam ȝursterday to toune and dronk with-oute leue; Ase a luyte mot þareInne ich lay and bi-gan with-inne him weue.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)9160 : Also þicke þe aruwe schoten, In sonnebem so doþ þe moten.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)108/11 : Þanne wyndeþ hi zuo uele defautes, and of motes [Vices & V.(2): filþes; F pouties], and of doust wyþ-oute tale.
- c1390 Body & S.(5) (Vrn)p.76 : What breidest þou þat i schal rote? For so dude Sampson and Cesar, Þat no mon con nou fynden a mote.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.576 : Many a mote schal be sene That wolde noght cleve elles there.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.868 : As thikke as motes in the sonne beem.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)299 : For þat mote in his mawe mad hym..to wamel at his hert.
- a1425 Adam & E.(4) (Bod 596)349/8 : I sawe ordres of aungeles as thikke as mots in the son.
- a1425 HBk.GDei (Arun 507)135 : Þare sal þou grete ma teres þen motes are in þe sonne.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)27b/b : Festuca: amot.
- ?a1425 Alphita (Sln 284)187 : Atthomus..an. motes in þe sunne biem.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)6848 : He falles hem thikker than the motes In somer-tide fflyen In the sonne.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)88/8 : Sche sey..many white thyngys flying al a-bowte hir on euery syde as thykke..as motys in the sunne.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)345 : Moote yn þe sunne: Atthomus.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)415 : If aman seruaunt of a king take a wey a feþere or a mote from þe kingis persoon, is þis..more hiȝe seruyce to þe king þan it is for to fiȝte for þe kingis riȝt in bataile?
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)14322 : Bothe men & hors..as thikke fallen..as that motes flen jn the feld.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)1974 : Pryd..Do þis modyr Mekenes meltyn to mote.
- c1460 Dub.Abraham (Dub 432)296 : Go and novmbre þe gravel in þe see, Ouþer motes in þe sunne.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget(3) (Gar 145)98/7 : I see a grete pales..wher-in was an hoste of heuenly chevallrye, vnnowmerable as motes of the sonne.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)272 : Coughe not..ne put youre fyngurs in the cuppe, mootes for to seche.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)1.48.33a : Þou schalt seen al þe felþe and þe smale motes in þin hows.
- c1475 St.Patr.Purg.(2) (Brm)p.98 : Fyndys stodyne on euery syde As thyke as motys yn somer tyde.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)82b : A mote: Attamus, festuca.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)1.4.5a : Also thikke thei passed on eueri side..as motes fletyng in the sonne beem.
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)175/11 : Hi byeþ mest ham-zelue gelti þet y-zyeþ þet mot [Vices & V.(2): a strawe] ine þe oþres eȝe and ne yzyeþ naȝt þane refter ine hire oȝene eȝe.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.7.3 : What seest thou a festu, or a litil mote [L festucam], in the eiȝe of thi brother, and thou seest nat a beme in thin owne eiȝe?
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)10.263 : Quid consideras festucam in oculo fratris tui..Why meuestow þi mode for a mote in þi brotheres eye, Sithen a beem in þine owne ablyndeth þi-selue?
- 1425(a1400) Spec.Chr.(1) (Lnsd 344)153/4 : Of chidinge of mothe [vrr. mote, mowthe] & fyȝtinge folili.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.570 : Of a smal mote ye can abraide me, But in your eye a beem ye cannat see.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)402 : Ful wele þou may..se A litil mote in þi sister ee, Bott a grete balk in þin awn Vnto þi sight may not be knawn.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)155/29 : And þan he bad hym vmthynk hym in his awn harte þat þis balk was his awn synys, and þis litel mote was þe synnys of þe toder man.
- c1450 ?C.d'Orl.Poems (Hrl 682)171/5113 : A ye, my frend, kan ye suche motis pijk?
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)86/31 : Þe pore..full eldyr seen a mote yn anoþer manys ee, þat con not se a beem yn hor one.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)141 : Whow myȝt-tou in thine broþer eiȝe a bare mote loken, And in þyn owen eiȝe nouȝt a bem toten?
c
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)456 : Þe schyre sunne hit vmbe-schon, þaȝ no schafte myȝt Þe mountaunce of a lyttel mote vpon þat man schyne.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2209 : Hit helppez me not a mote.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.1603 : Though I myght a thousand tymes selle..my lif in thi servise, It myghte naught a moote in that suffise.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)943 : Nat wold I rekke as mochel as a mote..So that I myght ay paied be.
- c1450 Stations Rome(1) (Clg A.2)323 : My mys-beleue blyndede me, That y myȝte not þe mote se Of goddes myȝth & his werkes.
d
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)556 : Þat is sounde on uche a syde and no sem habes, Wythouten maskle oþer mote as margerye-perle.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)726 : Hys ryche no wyȝ myȝt wynne Bot he comþyder..Wythouten mote oþer mascle of sulpande synne.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)764 : Cum hyder to me, my lemman swete, For mote ne spot is non in þe.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)948 : As hys flok is wythouten flake, So is hys mote wythouten moote.
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)19/27 : Vse honeste in lyuyng & þou mayt haue no betere besom to swepe a wey þe motes of infames birþe.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)86 : Als wemles were his wedes, withouten any tecche Oþer of moulynge, oþer of motes..As þai hade..bene ȝisturday shapen.