Middle English Dictionary Entry
attractī̆f, -ī̆ve adj. & n.
Entry Info
| Forms | attractī̆f, -ī̆ve adj. & n. |
| Etymology | ML |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Of medicines: (a) having the property of drawing out or eliminating morbid or foreign matter from the body; (b) as noun.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)333/29 : Eueri þing þat is hoot is attractif.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)36a/a : With farmicis attractiuez & euaporatiuez.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)168a/b : Medicynes attractiuez, þat þai drawe materies fro noble membres & fro profounde i. depe to vnnoble membrez and to shewing, as is done in apostemez..in sciatic passionz, & in thornez & arowez.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)83/11 : Auripigment..is forsoþ dissolutyue, attractyue, and mundificatyue.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)190 : Þys entret ys sanatyue, mundifycatyue, attractiue.
b
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)60/5,6 : Anoon as þou woost þat þe hound was wood..leie aboue þe wounde actractiuis, to drawe out þe venym.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)168b/a : Anoþer maner kinde of attractiuez, as þo þat draweþ out materiez of þair substancial qualite, as bene laxatiuez & tiriacalez.
2.
properte ~, strengthe ~, vertue ~, the 'faculty' of an organism to ingest nutriment; -- used fig. in last quot.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)30b/b : By þe vertu attractiue of drawinge he [a plant] drawiþ to it norischinge.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)116a/b : Vertue attractyue..is destroyed of labour, ire, anguyssh..as seiþ Rasis.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)96/10 : Vche sawle..hauys two stryngthes rennynge togedre yn þe body..oon..is a tokenynge, þe oþer ys wirkand, þat glorious god hauys inlightyd of vij strenghes: of stryngthe attractyue and retractyf, of stryngthe digestyf and purgatyf.
- a1500 Away ffeynt (RwlPoet 34)62 : My lady in ffygure as þe adamauntt, to whom was lent Propyrte attractyff when sche seyde, 'Loo, mekly, my lordes own handemayde.'
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)166a/a : It [souredouȝ] is compounde boþe of hete & of colde..and þerfore he is subtiliatiue & resolutiue & attractitiue fro þe depe parties wiþout enye disese.
Note: New spelling
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. attractive.