Middle English Dictionary Entry
atter n.
Entry Info
| Forms | atter n. Also hatter, ater. |
| Etymology | OE ā̆t(t)or, dat. attre, etc., corresp. to OHG eitar. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Poison, venom (as of reptiles); -- also attrib. [quots.Bod.Hom. & Cursor].
Associated quotations
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)66.2/1 : [W]ið attres strenȝe ȝenim þa wyrt [etc.].
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)10/32 : Ðeo ærene neddræ, þe buton attre wæs.
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)84/14 : Ne beo ȝe na attre, swa swa ða yfelæ neddræ.
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)142 : Betere is wori water drunch þen atter meind mid wine.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)14999 : Þe king dronc al þat win, & þat atter [Otho: hatter] þer in.
- a1300 11 Pains(1) (Jes-O 29)79 : Of vych a wrm þat atter bereþ.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)372 : And niðful neddre..sal..erðe freten wile he mai liuen, And atter on is tunge cliuen.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22207 : Wrake, Wit irne or fire or atter [Frf: attre; Göt: attri] beist.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)139.3 : Attre ofe snakes.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)654 : Arwes..with attyr enuenymyd.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)926 : Þere is no derffe dragon..so bold, with no bale atter, May loke on þe light.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)53 : Til þe foule flessh vomy for attre.
2.
A bitter substance, such as bile; fig. bitterness.
Associated quotations
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)10018 : Sume boȝhess off þatt treo..Uss berenn wasstme, acc itt iss..full off atterr.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)23 : A lutel ater bitteret muchel swete.
- a1450(?c1343) Rolle EDormio (Cmb Dd.5.64)64/102 : Þaire mede..es bitterer þan þe gall, sowrar þan þe atter.
- c1450(?a1400) Quatref.Love (Add 31042)203 : Attir and aysell þay bedde hym for skorne.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.85 : What attyre [vrr. attre, atter] wiþ ȝoure welthes many-wise Is mengid.
- a1500(?a1400) SLChrist (Hrl 3909)5824 : Quen he criet, 'I am thirsty,' Aisel & myrre thai con hym bryng with atter medelide.
- a1525 Conq.Irel.(Dub 592)102/27 : Hys speche thoght as thogh hyt wer hony..bot euer hyt was I-meygnet with attyr.
3.
Rotten matter, pus.
Associated quotations
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)12.256 : Whan his caroigne shal come in caue to be buryed, I leue it flaumbe..And alle þe oþer þer it lyth enuenymed þorgh his attere.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)28b/a : Pustles..leuen attre in here brekynge oute.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)16 : Attyr, fylthe: Sanies.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.141 : [Catullus] clepid hym a posteme venemous, All full of attre and corrupcioun.
4.
(a) Moral corruption or corruptness; noxious or corrupt influence, poison to the soul; (b) destruction, death.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)15383 : Siþþen iss all þeȝȝre spell Shir atter & shir galle.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)119/23 : Alles kennes attre of dieule.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)20/6 : Swa is ful of atter his ontfule heorte, þet he heateð euch god.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)37a : He is þe achate, þet atter of sunne ne nahhede neauer.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)186/47 : Al Atter is þi lore; beo stille a-non, þou deueles tonge.
- c1450 ?Rolle Luf es lyf (Lamb 853)62 : If y loue ony erþeli þing..I may drede..Þat it wole be attir [Cmb: hate] & ille.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)192/5 : Rybawdy and vice ys poyson to a prystys mowth and atture.
- a1500 Rolle Mend.L.(Wor F.172)34 : Thei lotyn in envie; thei grynth with their teeth for malice and attir.
b
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2286 : Why couet we..cachyng of harme?..all so myght Aunter to atter for euer.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)225/19 : Þu me ȝearwie þæt hic sy ȝescyld & symble tosæliȝ & unȝederod fram attru & fran yrsunge.
Note: New spelling
Note: = poison
Note: OE āttor, ātru
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.12rb (1.4) : Somtyme þai pyssen as it were wel corupte and roten atter and quytter..and all is be cause of scabihede and blemesshing of þe vessy.
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.39va (2.3) : Þat vile mater..cometh..fro woman, by here neþer membre fro þe matrice, os grut and filþe out of a kychyne goter, like attre and blode menket togedir.
Note: Additional quots., sense 3. Editor's gloss: 'pus, rotten matter'. New spelling: attre.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. atter.