Middle English Dictionary Entry
pō̆ten v.
Entry Info
Forms | pō̆ten v. Also pot(e, poti, potte(n, poit; p. pot(te; ppl. i)pot, potte & pout. |
Etymology | OE potian |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. putten.
1.
(a) To push (sth.), shove; cast (oneself); ~ with fot, kick; (b) ~ bihinden, to disregard (sth.), consider of less value; ~ forth, hold (sth.) up for praise; ~ in, thrust (a hand) in; ppl. potinge oute, poking out, extending; (c) ~ of, to rid oneself of (a fever); remove (an impediment); ~ oute(of, expel (sb.) from (a place or state); ~ to, hold (sth.) forth into (someone's teeth); (d) ~ with the bal, to play at a child's game; -- used fig.
Associated quotations
a
- a1350(1265) BLewes (Hrl 2253)38 : Heuede he nou here sire hue de bigot..shulde he neuer more wiþ his fot pot to helpe Wyndesore.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ecclus.7.7 : Synne þou not in þe multitude of þe cite, ne poote þee in to þe puple.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)8880 : Merlyn seyde, 'Now makeþ assay To potte þe stones..& wyþ force fondeþ þem to bere.'
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)8885 : Ilk man tok þat he myght hent: Ropes to drawe, tres to potte; Þey schouued, þey þriste, þey stode o strot.
b
- a1275 Louerd asse þu ard (Trin-C B.14.39)305 : Hider thomas..poit in þine honde; mit flece & mit bone þu me hauist ifunde.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)135/34 : Wone is of þe zoþe milde oþren to herie and praysy and poty him uorþ an worþssipij.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6478 : Þere hij founde Wymmen growen out of þe grounde, Of summe þe heued potende out, Somme to þe breest.
- (1435) Misyn FL (Corp-O 236)93/10 : Euerlastynge potand behynde, in temporall solas & bodily lufe þa seyke to florysch.
c
- (c1384) WBible(1) Prol.Cath.Epist.(NYPubLib 67)4.594 : Myn eelde sum what thou potest to the teeth of enuyous men to be gnawen.
- c1400 Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7:Bab.)3.187 : Pot [StJ-C: After þat Tarquinius was put out of Rome, þe Romayns hadde pees amang hem self].
- c1400 Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7:Bab.)3.311 : Lyȝtlokur potte [StJ-C: He myȝte liȝtloker putte Darius out of his trone and out of his kyngdom þan Dyogenes out of þe state of vertue].
- c1400 Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7:Bab.)3.313 : Potte [StJ-C: He wolde putte of þe fevere by deeþ].
- c1400 Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7:Bab.)3.333 : Pot [StJ-C: Demoscenes, þe advoket, was..busye to putte of alle manere lett of his speche].
- a1425 WBible(1) (CC 145)Mark 5.10 : Poten [vr. cast; L expelleret; Dc 369(2): He preide hym myche that he shulde nat put hym out of the cuntreie].
d
- c1450 7 Sages(1) (Arun 140)135/1863 : Syr, þou potyst with þe ball; Anoþer schall lat hym jnne all.
2.
(a) To place (sth.), put; ~ in, put (sth.) in (sth., a place, a person's sight), place (sb.) in (a dungeon); ~ into, put (sth.) into (sth.); ~ to, affix (a seal) to (a document); ~ up, spend (money); (b) to put (oneself, one's life) in danger; ~ in (on) aventure; (c) ~ ayenes (on), to attribute (error, ignoble reputation) to (sb.); ~ from, save (sb.) from (shame, misery); ~ in, put (sb.) in (fear), frighten (sb.); ~ to, put (sb.) to (flight); (d) to cause (a land) to be (desert); ~ into, turn (a land) into (desert); ~ in, establish (justice) on (earth); ~ to, add (sth.) to (sth.); (e) to apply (one's diligence to do sth.); ~ to, set (sb., one's soul) to (a task, an action); (f) ~ to ferme, to grant the use of (land) for a fixed payment; ~ under areste, seize (ships, merchandise), distrain; (g) refl. to include (sth.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Body & S.(5) (LdMisc 108)p.47 : Ȝwat wist i wat was wrong or rith..Bote þat þouȝ pottist in mi siȝth, Þat al þe wisdom scholdest cone?
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)107/6 : He ys alsuo ydept and al-suo dronke of þe preciouse blode..ase is a zop of hot bryead huanne me hit poteþ in-to wyn.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2213 : A message ous sente Charlis kyng to þamyral..& for we told it noȝt at is lekyng, he pot ous her in holde.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.55.2 : Whi poote ȝee vp siluer not in loues?
- (1448) Doc.in Sundby Dial.Wor.(Eg Charter 608)256 : To theis endentur the seid Thomas Corbet and Johne Blount haue pout hure Sielles.
- a1450 PPl.A(1) (RwlPoet 137)3.73 : Pote [Trin-C: Þei..rentis hem biggen Of þat þe poore peple shulde putte in here wombe].
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)30 : Lech as venegre, where it is poote, corrompeth the vessell that it is in..so ire corrumpyth the hert wherein it is sette.
b
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1003 : Roland..for þe loue of Olyuer..potte an auenture ys owe lif.
- c1400 *Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7)90b : Whanne kynges comeþ to strengthe, a potteþ here lyf for wymmen.
- c1430 Chaucer LGW (Cmb Gg.4.27)909 : Late no gentyl woman hyre assure To pottyn hire in swich an aventure.
- c1450(?a1402) *?Trev.Reg.Princ.(Dgb 233)11a : It is ful kyndelich that a party potte itself to saue þe hole.
- a1500(?c1414) ?Brampton PPs.(1) (Sln 1853)p.42 : Thi lyif thou potyst in aventure.
c
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)1258 : Þan were þus prisouns alle of þe fallyng i-pot in fere.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4591 : Þay were þe furste men of myȝt, þat potte the Sarazyns to þe flyȝt.
- c1400 Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7:Bab.)5.57 : Potteþ [StJ-C: Ȝif eny þat folweþ hym putteþ errour aȝenst us, he may take hede þat þe grete Homerus slepeþ somtyme].
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)1128 : Speke þi neybour mekyl schame; Pot on hem sum fals fame.
- a1450 Dux Moraud (BodPoet f.2)144 : Þou..Pottyst me fro scham and dolowr.
- a1450 Dux Moraud (BodPoet f.2)203 : Jhesu, heuene-flowr, Pot me from dolour.
d
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.42.4 : He shal not ben dreri ne trubblid to þe tyme he poote in þe erþe dom.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Jer.4.7 : He poote þi lond in to wildernesse.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Jer.51.29 : He poote þe lond of babilon desert & vnhabitable.
- c1400 *Trev.Higd.(Tbr D.7)85b : He pot much more to hys fader realte.
- a1425 WBible(1) (CC 145)Luke 12.25 : Poten to [Dc 369(2): Who of ȝou bythenkynge may adde o cubite to his stature].
e
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Prov.19.18 : Lerne thou thi sone, ne despeire thou; to the slaȝter forsothe of hym ne poote thou thi soule.
- a1400 PPl.C (LdMisc 656)17.127 : Potte [Hnt: Selde is þe poure pitt to punysshe eny peuple].
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)42b : Þese same kniȝtes schulde ben pot to alle manere offys and laborus.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)291 : The eldest Soster..seide that sche wolde potten al hire peyne hys doctryne to kepen.
f
- (a1416) Proc.Chanc.in Cal.PCEliz.1.p.xiii : Wheche Johan..aȝenste my wyll & wetynge pot my land to ferme.
- (1443) Proc.Privy C.5.326 : Shippes and Merchaundises..comyng to Bristow..be pootte under arrest.
g
- (c1384) WBible(1) Prol.Cath.Epist.(NYPubLib 67)4.594 : The onhed of the Trynyte in the firste epistil of John wee reden set, in whiche also wee finden myche thing to ben errid of vntrewe translatouris, potende hem the names onli of thre, of watir, of blod, and of the spirit in thilke her making and leuende the witnesse of the Fadir and of the Sone and of the Holi Gost.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 *NWomen (Eg 827)30a : ȝyf the secundine be with inne and the schyld delyuered, the mydwyf moste pote in hyr lyfte hand…and trauayl it to and fro tyl it come out.
Note: Additional quot. for sense 1.(a), phrase ~ in.