Middle English Dictionary Entry
odde adj.
Entry Info
Forms | odde adj. Also od(e. |
Etymology | ON; cp. OI oddi odd number. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Of a number: odd, not even; of groups of things: odd in number; of a month: ?numbered with an odd number; ~ nombre, an odd number; ~ fot, an odd number of feet; ~ mone, a lunation of 29 days; ~ place, the position assigned to an odd number; (b) as noun; an odd number; the numerical property of oddness [quot.: (a1398)]; bi ~, in terms of an odd number of tines on the top of a stag's antlers; (c) even and ~, etc. [see even adj.15. (c)].
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)122a/b : Compotistes departiþ þilke xii moones in sixe euene & sixe odde, as þe moones [Mrg: monþes; L menses] ben euene oþir odde, for an euene mone answeriþ to an odde moneþ and an odde mone to an euene moneþ.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)270a/a : Þe spiþur..haþ alwey feet euene and nought odde [L impares].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)327a/a, a/b : Some nombres odde..may nouȝt be departed in to euene parties, for þe oone partye is more and þe oþer lasse as in þre, fyue, and seuene, and oþre suche..Impar is an odde nombre þat comeþ of multiplicacioun of odde nombres as..nyne and fourty þat..comeþ of multiplicacioun of odde nombres, as seuene siþe seuene makeþ nyne and fourty.
- ?c1400 Sloane SSecr.(Sln 213)16/6 : Take þe names..and acounte þe letteres of þo names by þe noumbre..and..if al þe hole noumbre be euene..þe man sal dye, and if it be odde, þan es it þe womman.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)33b/b : Inpar: odde.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)89a/a : Ȝif it so be þat two pointes suffice not for alle þe wounde, þe pointes moste euermore ben odde but ȝif þer be enye corner in þe side of þe wounde.
- ?c1425 Craft Number.(Eg 2622)7/14 : Impar si fuerit, totum tunc fiet et impar..If þe first figure token an nombur þat is ode, alle þat nombur in þat rewle schalle be ode, as here 5 6 7 8 6 7.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)362 : Odde: Impar.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)65b : Þere be grete drede of grete strengþe of enemyes, þan mote þe brede be seuentene or xixe. foote, for odde foot is þe manere to be kepid in dichinge.
- c1450 Art Number.(Ashm 396)47/34 : Therfor vnder the last in an od place sette, me most fynde a digit, the whiche lade in hym-selfe, it puttithe away that, þat is ouer his hede.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)482/4 : He cuthe nott tell no maner of nowmer nor tell whilk was od, whilk was evyn.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)482/13 : He wald all way cownt ij thynges to-gedur..So on tyme afterward, þis chanon..tellid þies bakon-flykkis & fand at þai war od, & ane wantid.
- c1450 Art Number.(Ashm 396)38/30 : Yf the other figure signyfie any other digital nombre fro vnyte forthe, oþer the nombre is ode or evene.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)63b/b : If it so be þat þer bihoueþ mo sticchis þan two, þanne euermore þer schal be odde sticchis, as þre, fyue, or vij, & so forþ.
- c1475 Court Sap.(Trin-C R.3.21)1961 : She taught nombre, whyche ys odde and whyche ys euyn.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)328b/a : Oon is moder of pluralite and cause of euene and odde [L imparitatis], for if þou settest oon to an odde nombre nedes þu makest an euene nombre.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)78 : And men aske what hede bereþ the hert þat he haþ seie, he shal alway answere by euen and not by odde, for if he be fourched on þe ryghte side and lak nouȝt of his ryghtes bineth, and on þe righte side auntelere and Rialle and susrial and nouȝt fourthe but only þe beme, he shall say it is an hert of x at defaute, for þe most parte bereþ þe nombre euermore to evin.
- c1450 Art Number.(Ashm 396)46/7 : Whan the progressioun interscise endithe in ode, take þe more porcioun of alle þe nombre, and multiplie by hym-selfe.
- c1450 Art Number.(Ashm 396)47/33 : Al-weyes fro the last ode me shalle begynne.
2.
(a) Left over after division into pairs; extra besides a pair; as noun: ?an extra one; ?one of a pair [quot.: c1400]; ~ lome, the extra limb, the penis; withouten make ~, without the addition of another to make a pair; (b) left over after division into equal parts; also, divided into unequal parts; (c) additional to an amount figured in tens, scores, hundreds, etc.; also, additional to an even number; and ~, an unspecified amount over one given in scores; (d) additional or remaining days over a week or month, minutes over a degree, or shillings over a pound; and ~, an unspecified amount of time over a year; (e) ~ moneie, an unspecified amount of money in denominations smaller than that specified; also, small change [quot.: (1465)].
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)64a/b : Synowes beþ a-countid in alle too & þritty peyre & one odde synowe [L impar].
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)505 : Noe of uche honest kynde nem out an odde.
- c1425 Castle Love(2) (Eg 927)1214 : That his brother sal euer be his lord and his god, That sal be a confort to him withouten make od.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4750 : A burly best..was as a man shapen..And large was his odd lome þe lenthe of a ȝerde.
- (c1465) Invent.Cirencester in BGAS 18 (Bod 6530)326 : A peyre vestements for werkedays and an odde awbe for to change.
b
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1497,1499 : His cloþes hi delde a ffoure..Þo was his curtel odde..'We nolleþ nouȝt his curtel kerue, þey he beo odde yffalle.'
- (1445) ?Bokenham Claudian CS (Add 11814)267/101 : That householde stuffe sholde not be streyte or odde thise heyris founde.
c
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)426 : Of þe lenþe of Noe lyf..Þe sex hundreth of his age and none odde ȝerez..Towalten alle þyse wellehedez.
- a1425 Trev.Higd.(Hrl 1900)4.33 : Þat wole be þre score and twelve; but the Scripture usith ofte to speke not of the litel nombre ȝif it is odde over the grete. Thes be called the seventi.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)26a : Bitwene þe firste werrus of þe Pynus and þe secounde, þat was twenty ȝere and odde [L uiginti et quod..annorum].
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)prol.68 : They shall fele fawtis foure score and odde.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)5.8.92b : In eche of this ordres be gret nombre of blisseful spirites, an hundred and two and twenti thousand, two hundred and two and twenty and two odde in alle.
d
- a1400 Preste ne monke (Cleo B.2)172 : Of twelue moneþes me wanted one & odde days nyen or ten.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)7/23 : Þis creatur..was wondyrlye vexid & labowryd wyth spyritys half ȝer, viij wekys, & odde days.
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)2.25.48 : Than leveth there 38 degrees and odde minutes.
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)75 : Me is owand iiii pounde And odde twa schillyng.
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)776 : Foure pounde ȝe owe to me..Twey schillyngis is þer odde.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)24/57 : Sex hundreth yeris & od haue I..liffyd.
e
- (1447) Shillingford16 : Thomas Montagew sholde sende me xj li. and odde mony.
- (1465) Paston (EETS)1.317 : I take your sonne of your faders ode [Gairdner: oode] mony þat was in þe lytyll trussyng cofyr x mark.
- (1472) Paston (EETS)1.575 : Your byll a-lone drawyth iiij mark and ode monye.
- (1474) Let.Christ Ch.in RS 85.3286 : Over and above my rescept they wolde charge yow with xxix li. and odde money.
- (c1474) Let.Christ Ch.in Camd.n.s.1926 : Ther bokes varieth not but ij s. and odd money, to the whiche bokes except the odd money he is agreed to gader.
3.
Unlike, dissimilar; unconforming, irregular.
Associated quotations
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1580 : The word under the coupe of hevene Set every thing or odde or evene.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)198 : Loke also þey make non odde [vr. hond] weddynge, Lest alle ben cursed..That thylke serues huydeth so; But do ryȝt as seyn the lawes; Aske the banns thre halydawes..So openlyche at the chyrche dore Lete hem eyther wedde othere.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)88a : Odde: Dispar, inequalis.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)3034 : Who so biholdeþ þese foure þinges, Al goodnesse out of him springes; For he þat good loue haþ in God, Loue on him-self is not al od.
4.
(a) Outstanding, glorious, illustrious; (b) bold, brave; heroic; also, excellent, noble; (c) strong, forceful; (d) great, huge, majestic; (e) as noun: excellence.
Associated quotations
a
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4401 : But on [Lucifer] the oddist of other ordant our lord, Brightest of bemes in blisse for to dwelle.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)189 : Ane of þe oddist Emperours of þe werde worthe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2008 : Þe son of Ph [read: Philip] þe fers & of his faire lady, Honoured Olimpadas, þe oddest vndire heuyn.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2121 : Happy be ȝee..all in hert beris Þe honouris of þat odd clerke, Homore þe grete.
b
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4165 : Neuer wegh..Se..So od men in armys & egur to fight.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)6179 : The Sexte Batell..Ordant by Ector odmen & noble.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)94 : Þer is comyn with him..oþire out of þe orient many od hundrethe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3783 : Kyng porrus..had assemblid Anoþire ost of odmen him eft on to ride.
- a1500(?c1400) Gowther (Adv 19.3.1)573 : Þo emperour was in þo voward, And Gowþer rode befor is lord, Of knyȝttys was he odde.
c
- c1400(1375) Canticum Creat.(Trin-O 57)286 : Bad me Michel wiþ word od Worschipen þe, or elles god Wolde wrathen me.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)6172 : Þes Oysoms all were od men of strength, Massily made, mykell as giaunttes.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)6404 : He..atlit hym a dynt, With all the forse of his fole & his fuerse arme..Ector for þat od dynt ournyt in hert.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)2631 : Ȝit was ane of his ost ane odd man of strenth, A burly berne & a bald.
d
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)4097 : Duke Melios..soght fro..Pygre, With Eleuon od shippes abill to werre.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)27 : Þai..Of þe ordere of þat odde home þat ouer þe aire hingis Knew þe kynd & þe curses of þe clere sternys.
e
- c1475 St.Anne(2) (Trin-C R.3.21)290 : In theyre deuocion was to gret od, Passing all other of that same pepyll clere.