Middle English Dictionary Entry
ordūr(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | ordūr(e n. Also ordour(e & ordre & (error) odure. |
| Etymology | OF ordure |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Filth; dirt; rubbish; also fig.; a particle or amount of dirt; (b) excrement, dung; a piece of excrement; maken ~, to defecate; (c) moral filth; sin; an instance or kind of moral filth.
Associated quotations
a
- [ (1275) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.23 : [Wool..clean and dry, and well-washed, without any manner of] ordure. ]
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1092 : By nobleye of his norture he nolde never towche Oȝt þat watz vngoderly oþer ordure watz inne.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1101 : So clene watz his hondelyng, uche ordure hit schonied.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)43 : La gourge de nase reuersez, Lordure de deinz de gettez; þe botme of þe zene torn vpsedoun, þe ordure wt ynne cast hyt out.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.750 : Þe stremys..made a ful purgacioun Of al ordure & fylþes in þe toun.
- (1422) Plea & Mem.in Bk.Lond.E.127/184 : We endite Symkyn Audele for castyng out of ordure all þe tymes of þe day.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.385 : Augurye of thise fowles..To trowen on it bothe fals and foul is. Allas, allas, so noble a creature As is a man shal dreden swich ordure.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.m.7.9 : The wawes, that whilom weren clere as glas and lyk to the fayre bryghte dayes, withstande anon the syghtes of men by the filthe and ordure that is resolved.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.3424 : Hir faire face was soiled with ordure.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)9.724 : Fressh armure Thoruh long resting leseth his brihtnesse, Fret with old rust, gadreth gret ordure.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)19/26 : Lete thi worde be clere and trewe in kynde, Appollo schall yeue it the in mynde, For he be no mene may noon ordure Suffre no wise vnder couerture.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)9114 : But a lyknesse off ordure, And a statue off slyym vnclene..Thow shalt yt [the body] fynde.
- c1475 Wisd.(Folg V.a.354)52 : All lustys and lykyngys worldly..xall seme to hym fylthe and ordure.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.428 : Of the hyndre part of hire buttokes, it is ful horrible for to see, for certes in that partie of hire body ther as they purgen hire stynkynge ordure [vr. ordre].
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)230/14 : He made his ordur.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Deut.28.27 : The Lord smyte the part of bodi wherbi ordures [WB(1): toordis; L stercora] ben voyded.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2758 : Man in prisoun sett..may not geten for to et But barly breed, and watir pure, And lyeth in vermyn and in ordure [F ordure].
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)11/25 : Ȝif his wombe be costyue, be it softned þat þe hardnes of þe ordure bryng noȝt in anguissh in egestion doyng.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)325/38 : The akþe..is somtyme forsothe icausede..for hardnesse of þe egestiouns, i. ordoures or schitinges.
- (1444) Let.Bk.Lond.K (Gldh LetBk K)289 : The pulters kepyng wythin hem Swannes, gees, heronsewes, and other pultrie, wherof the ordure and standyng of hem is of grete stenche and so evel savour that it causeth grete and parlous infectyng of the people.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)58/22 : Man es not ellys bot stynkynge slyme, a sac of vyle ordre [L stercorum] and wormes mete.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)16 : He myghtily brest up a plaunch of the chambur flore, and therwithall cuverid hym ayane, and entred adowne lowe beneth amongis thordure of the privay.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)20850 : Round abouten in the place, Yt was full (I yow ensure) Off bryddes dunge and foul ordure.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)1.14.7a : He..cast him self as a swyn in ordure and in filthe.
- a1500(?c1440) Lydg.HGS (Lnsd 699)616 : Whan deth approchith..The riche is shet with colours & pictur To hide his careyn stuffid with fowle ordur.
- a1500 *Bk.Marchalsi (Hrl 5086)25a : [Hrl 6398: Hys owne brydill..haue loyn upon þe herthe and a crapaud] hath made his ordure [þeronne].
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.157 : Right as a sowe wroteth in euerich ordure, so wroteth she hire beautee in stynkynge ordure of synne.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.715 : This ydelnesse is the thurrok of alle wikked and vileyns thoughtes and of alle iangles, trufles, and of alle ordure [vrr. ordre, orduris].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.906 : They putten Iesu Crist out of hise herte and yeuen hem self to alle ordure [vrr. ordoure, ordour, ordre, Odure].
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.470 : In Chaumpayne folk hadde of the disdeyn For thi most hatful, lecherous ordure.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.1163 : Ther was that tyme no wrong nor violence..Ribaudie & al swich fals ordure..Ibanshed wern.
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)48/18 : This sacrifice was wel made in remembraunce of the precious deth of Iesu Crist, of whom the blood was shedde for oure saluacion and for to wassh awey the ordre of oure synnes.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)4060 : I am callyd Dame Penaunce, The cheff wardeyn..Off thylke yle..yhyd withInne a man; I make yt clene (I yow ensure) Off alle fylthe & al ordure.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Test.(Hrl 218)46 : Lyche a lambe his..blood dovn ranne..To wasshe the ordures of our Iniquite.
- c1475 Chartier Quad.(1) (UC 85)159/11 : The plesaunt woordes and delites femynyns causeth you to slepe as hogges in the ordure [CQ(2): myre] and filth of the horrible synnes.