Middle English Dictionary Entry
night-tīme n.
Entry Info
| Forms | night-tīme n. Also nightes-. |
| Etymology | From night n. & tīme n.(2) |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Nighttime, the hours of darkness; a (at, bi, in, on) ~, at night, in the night, during the night.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1731 : As an oule fleth be nyhte..Riht so this knyht..schop his rode On nyhtes time.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.358 : An other fyr..semeth..Be nyhtes time as thogh ther flyhe A dragon brennende in the Sky.
- a1400 Pep.Gosp.(Pep 2498)92/12 : Hij weren ycomen wiþ armes by nyȝttes tyme.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)278/35 : Where is contynuel preyer and deuoute, in þe which þou schuldist dispose þee a nyȝtis tyme for þe mysterie þat þou schuldist do on þe morowe?
- c1430(a1410) Love Mirror (Brsn e.9)143 : We mowe see..in what meschief..they weren..bothe for the grete tempeste..and also for the nyȝtes tyme..He..cometh downe allone in the nyȝt tyme.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)121 : It fariþ bi liȝt of sunne in þe eir or in þe walle, which at nyȝt tyme whanne þe sunne is goon, vanyschiþ awey.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)210 : This was doon out of towne..ellis myȝt not scheepherdis in þe nyȝtis tyme so fre þerto haue had a recours.
- a1450 Form Excom.(1) (Cld A.2)66 : We denownce a-cursed..alle þat standuth & herkenyth be nytestyme vndur wowes, dorres, or wyndowes, for to a-spye towching euele.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)852 : Euereche a segge to þe soper ȝede..was no wo nempned Bot daunsyng..with dynnyng of pipis..alle þe nyȝttyme [vrr. nyghtis tyme; nyghtis tyde].
- (1450) Complaint in War.AM 4182 : Dyueres of the said persons with other came ageyne to the said hous..in the nyght tyme.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)97/1 : Be nyte tyme he was ocupied moost with orisones.
- a1500(1442) Let.Marg.Anjou in Camd.86 (Add 46846)81 : I immediately, be nyght tyme, send a servaunt of myn unto hym, praying hym to tarye so litell tyme on the morowe that I myght comme unto hym.
- a1500 Nicod.(4) (Hrl 149)84 : The dyssyples of Jhesu came be nyghtes tyme and stale from vs the body of Jhesu.