Middle English Dictionary Entry
plum n.
Entry Info
| Forms | plum n. Also plum(m)e, plom & plumb(e, plombe & (errors) blumbe, plumby. |
| Etymology | OF plomé & plomee & L plumbum. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The metal lead; ?a compound of lead [quot.: Med.Bk.(1)]; blaunk ~, white lead, basic lead carbonate; plastre of ~, a medicinal plaster made of litharge, ceruse, etc.; (b) the lead weight at the end of a builder's plumb line or attached to a quadrant; a plumb bob, plummet; also, a complete plumb rule; ~ line, a plumb line; ~ reule, a plumb rule; (c) the lead weight at the end of a mariner's sounding line; a plummet; a weight or sinker on a fishing line; (d) a lead weight for a clock, chime, etc.; (e) a small piece of lead at the end of a whip or stick used for beating; ~ of iren, an iron weight used in torture; (f) a leaden seal on a papal bull or episcopal edict; (g) ?a coin; ?a measure of weight [cp. sicle n.(1)].
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1350 Recipe Painting(1) in Archaeol.J.1 (Hrl 2253)65 : Vorte maken blankplum.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)152b/b : To make ane oynement þat is cleped verlilium, Take halfe ane ounce of literge and..of ceruse oþer of blaunke plumme.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)38 : Blanke plumbe [KC: blavmblumbe]: Album plumbum.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)98/260 : For to make Dyaclum: Take botre, oyle of olyfe and melt hem, and put þerto powdir of litarge, and temper heme togedir, and make rolles of heme in papyre when itt is kele; and so of plumby with rede lede.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)91 : Tak..ceruse..or of blank plom.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)49/5 : Take..of blankplum iii ounce.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)61/8 : For to make trete þat ys callyd playster of plombe.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)70/5 : Cast þer-to a quarte of blameplum [read: blancplum].
- a1500 Hrl.2378 Recipes (Hrl 2378)79/2 : For to make vnguentum album: Take..of blank plum ii vnces.
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2247 : Wit cord and plum [Frf: plumme; Göt: plumbe], þai wroght sa hei.
- c1400 *Chaucer Astr.(Brussels 4869)[2.38.] 95a : Sette thy pyn by a plumrewles ende [Rob.: plom-rule evene; vr. plom-rewle euene] vpriȝt, & lat this pyn be no lengere than a quarter of the diametre of thy compas fro the pyn.
- ?c1400 Treat.Geom.(Sln 213)58 : Go froward til þe perpendicle, þat es to say, þe threde whereon þe plumbe henges, falle vpon þe mydel lyne of þe quadrant.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)49a/b : Perpendiculum: a lyne or a plum.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)405 : Plumbe of wryhtys or masonys [KC: plumme of carpentrye or masonrye]: Perpendiculum.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.Semblable (Ashm 59)36 : By crafft of Ewclyde mason doþe his cure, To suwe heos mooldes ruyle and his plumblyne.
- c1475 Court Sap.(Trin-C R.3.21)1978 : Geometry..sat at lust wyth lymes [read: lynes], large and longe, Compas, rule, plombe, and many an instrument.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)285 : A Plumme: Amissis..perpendiculum.
c
- c1425 Bible SNT(1) (Cmb Dd.12.39)Deeds 27.28 : Þei put þer plumbe into þe see to knowe þo depnes of water.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)406 : Plumbe of schypmen: Bolidis [Win: boliolidis] vel bolis.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)4564 : He Sank a-down lik a plom of led.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)155/17-18 : Your lynys must be plomed with leyd, and þe next plume to the hoke schall be ther-from a large fote & more, and euery plumbe of quantite of þe gretnes of the lyne.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)157/1 : Fyrst, for a grond lyne rennyng and for the floyt set vppon the grounde lyne lying, a x plumys rennyng all to-gedur.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)173/5 : Ye schall angle to hym marche with a menew hangud by yowr hoke by þe neþer lyp, with-owt floote or plumbe.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.47 : The depeste place in the see Mediterrany or occean conteynethe the space of xv forlonges by a plumme of ledde.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)285 : A Plumme:..bolis.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)728/22 : Bolideum: a plum of lede.
- c1500 Stations Jerus.(Ashm 61)769 : What fysch or foule commys þere-Ine, He schall neuer fle ne swyme, Bot synkys done, as a plombe of lede.
d
- (1399) Fabric R.Yk.Min.in Sur.Soc.3519 : Item, ij plumes pro orilogio ponderantes xxij petras.
- (1446) Invent.Lytham in Chet.n.s.6030 : iij plummes of lede.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4919 : I wille yat John Elys serche sewrly and owyr se the chymes at Seynt Marie awter..and to make plvmbys of leed and newe lynes and ropys.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4928 : I wil yeve and be qwethe..viij s. to kepe the clokke, take hede to the chymes, wynde vp the peys and the plummys as ofte as nede is.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4929 : I wil that the berere of the paxbrede..to wynde vp the plvmme of led as ofte as nedith and to do the chymes goo.
e
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)110/191 : With stanes he bad þai suld him bete And pelt on him with plumes of lede.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)110/251 : Bifor Decius war broght Sere turmentries, al newly wroght: Plummes of lede at battes grete.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)5.1133 : Bete hir and reende hir with Iern and plummes of leed.
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)85/8 : On that galow he lete hong first Caiphas by the fete, his handis hanging dounward with plummes of yren.
f
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4919 : The bulle and the busshoppees seelys..be set in a loker of burde for brekyng of the seelys, and curyd ovir after a loker on the syde ageyn the plombe of lede.
g
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)285 : A Plumme:..ciclus [?read: siclus], ciculus.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.33rb (2.3) : Somtyme þe vryn is blo mykel like a draght of lede wiþ a plum in papir or in a perchemyne lef.
Note: Additional quot., sense (b). Editor's gloss: 'a plummet, a stick of lead used for writing'.
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.91va (3.5) : If þe vryn haue a maner of dymhed abouen & þerwiþ þe skye be bloysh like powdre of askes or poudre of pomys or of blank plum, it is o þe spirituales.
Note: Need date, sense (a).
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense (a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. plaster of plumb.