Middle English Dictionary Entry

penī-wō̆rth n.
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Entry Info

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) Goods costing a penny; what can be bought for a penny, a small quantity; what is worth a penny; also fig. of an abstraction; peni ne ~; (b) pl. goods, merchandise; god (faire, bettre) peniworthes, goods well (better) worth the price; wel peniworthes, overpriced goods; for here peniworthes, for their own goods, as their own; bisetten peniworth(es, to bring (one's) wares to market, drive a bargain; (c) sg. & pl. goods valued at a certain amount; in peni and in ~, in penies and in peniworthes, in money and in goods; (d) price.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1500 Cmb.Diseases Horse (Cmb Ll.1.18)77 : For a lose hove: Take…tarre…rosyn…tansey…rewe…myntes, and sotheroun wode as moche, and bray all thyse to geder in a morter, and than shall be þut þerto half j libra off butter, and a penywerth off virgyn wax…sey ham alle to geder…and ley this þerto…and hit well be hole.
  • Note: Postdates word. Belongs to sense (a)