Middle English Dictionary Entry
pikeis n.
Entry Info
| Forms | pikeis n. Also pikais, pikẹ̄s, pekeis & pikois, picois, picoic, pikcois, pecois & pikos, picos, picous, (surn.) pichoweis & pickex, pick exe, pekex & (error) pikens; pl. pikeis, pikkeis, pikes, pikois, picois, pekois, picos, picas, pecas, pikowis, (error) pycors & pikeises, pekkecis, pikesses, pikoises, picoises, pekoisz, pikoses, picoses, picasses, pike axes, pecaxes. |
| Etymology | OF picois, pecois, AF *piceis & ML picoīsa, picōsa. For forms in -ax(e, -ex(e, cp. ME ax(e . |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A pickax, a tool used for breaking up and digging up ground, breaking up walls, quarrying, etc. (often identified with other tools, such as a mattock, spade, hoe, etc.); also fig.; ?also, a tool associated with a mill [quot.: (1329-30)]; (b) in pl.; (c) as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- (1279) Acc.Middleton in Archaeol.Cant.10324 : ij tribul, j picoyc, j Weftre.
- (1329-30) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.9917 : j pykoys, 8 d.; emend. pykoss molend., 5 d.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)941 : Mattok is a pykeys, Or a pyke, as sum men seys.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)3.307 : Eche man to pleye with a plow, pykoys [vr. pikeys; C vr. pikcoyse], or spade.
- (1407) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)7.188 : [An iron] crowe..[an iron] pycoys.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)1 Kings 13.20 : Therfor al Israel ȝede doun to Filisteis, that ech man schulde scharpe his schar and picoise [WB(1) (Bod 959): diggyng iren; L ligonem] and ax, and sarpe.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)557 : I had leuere to..haue gon atte plowe With spade & pikeys..Dolue & diched.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.4158 : Remus..wente ouer the wall. For which a knyht ordeyned..The said Remus with a pekeis [vr. pikais] slayn.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)397 : Pykeys [Win: Pykes], mattokke: Ligo [Win:Marra].
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.1153 : Let se..yet tolis mo, The mattok, twibil, picoys forth to go.
- (1449) in Salzman Building in Engl.332 : A crawe, malle, and pyke exe.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1278 : Now masouns & mynours han þe molde souȝte With pykeyse & ponsone, persched þe walles, Hewen þrow hard ston, hadde hem to grounde.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)107/5 : Þan a good herte..is wroþ wiþ hireself; þan takeþ he a pycoise [Ayenb.: pic; F pic] and a scholue and bigynneþ to delue and to myne.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)95 : The uiii day cam he to þat place wher now seynt petir cherch is..aftirward tok a pickex and reisid þe ground þer þe wallis schuld be.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)265/30 : But now schal I telle ȝow of þe howe or a pek-ex wherwyth ȝe muste stubbe out þe grauel; þis howe hath an heed wyth two endys & an handyll.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)139 : The kyng..mynede the foundement. Of a bisshopes croos he made his howwe and his pikoyse [F besche]; Pikoise was the sharpe ende and howwe was the krookede ende.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)549 : And this to do, pikens, mattok, and space And tole ynough ther most be redy made.
- 1468 Medulla (StJ-C C.22)31 : Fossorium: A byl or a pykeys.
- c1475 7 Sages(1) (Eg 1995)50/1263 : He bade hys sone a pykoys to take.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)13b : A Byll or a pycoss: fossorium, ligo.
- a1500 Hrl.1002 Gloss.(Hrl 1002)627 : Pycows [glossing: ligo].
- ?a1500(?1458) Off alle Werkys (Inscr)p.42 : The peple preved her power with the pecoyse [rime: noyse]; The Mattok was man handeled right wele a whyle.
b
- (1256) in Salzman Building in Engl.333 : [For sharpening and mending] picas [and] crawes.
- (1321) Invent.Monk-Wear.in Sur.Soc.29140 : In granario..iij wegis de ferro, ij pycois, iij vangae.
- (1338) Invent.Jarrow in Sur.Soc.2924 : In curia sunt..iij pykoys, j gavelok.
- (c1356) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.284 : [5] pikeyses, [7 carpenter's axes..3] twybilles.
- (1378) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)7.187 : Sciatis quod assignavimus..Duas Sawes, Sex Naugers, Duodecim Pykoys.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4993 : Þay seȝe Sa[r]zyns myne þe wal Wyþ pykoys & howes gret & smal.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Joel 3.10 : Bete togydre ȝour plowis in to swerdis and ȝour pikoysis or mattokis in to speris.
- (c1396) Doc.in Bk.Lond.E.235/44 : Spades, picoys, sawes & axes.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4543 : Or Theseus entred into toun, The women first with pikkeys and with mallys..bete doun the wallys.
- c1425 Siege Jerus.(1) (Hnt HM 128)1278 : Pycoyses [vrr. pecas, pikeis; Ld: Now masouns & mynours han þe molde souȝte With pykeyse & ponsone, persched þe walles].
- (1428) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)189 : Also for stor..in..pecaxes, schofflez.
- (1448) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1399 : Item, in monee assigned for Iren..for making..of pikees, shouelles, and othere instrumentes of the seid werkemen.
- (1449) Paston1.52 : The seid lord sent to the seid mansion a riotous peple..arrayd in maner of werre with..long cromes to drawe doun howsis, ladderes, pikoys with which thei myned down the walles.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)23b : Herto it nediþ euermore in þe oost spades and schoueles and pykoisis [vrr. pekoys, picasses, pekkecys, pykeaxis].
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)35a : He moote also ordeyne..for tool also as spades, schoueles, mattokis & pykoyses, þat nediþ to dikynge of dyches and mynynge of wallus.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)47b : Þey hadde also pykoys [vrr. pikesses, pykoses, pekoysz, pykoyses, pycosis] and mattokis.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8:Kingsf.)303 : He..lete alle these Shippis ben well stuffid with..mallis of led and pykowis, mattakkis, and shouelis.
- c1450 Siege Thebes (Rwl D.82)271 : Adrastus with all oþer lordes..token ful purpos to abide þe vtmost ende..ordeynyng ladders, picos, and many oþer wepon, full cruelly assailing þe Cite on euery side with skaling, mynyng þe wallys.
- 1662(1278) Bk.Vale Royal in LCRS 68 (Hrl 2064)195 : [Paid..for six] pycors [for the quarry..8] houwis..[10] bechis [and] triwlis.
c
- (1276) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)1.585 : Henry Pichoweis.