Middle English Dictionary Entry

pǒudre n.(1)
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Entry Info

Forms pǒudre n.(1) Also pouder, -dur, -dour, pouedre, pouther, pudre, puder, pouldre, pulder, podere, podur & poure & (error) poundir.
Etymology From OF poudre, pouldre, poure.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) A pulverized or particulate substance, a powder; maken ~, to make a powder, grind something into powder; beten to ~, maken in (to) ~, grinden into (to) ~, make (sth.) into a powder, pulverize; maken ~ of, make a powder of (sth.); (b) ~ of, a pulverized preparation of (sth.); ~ of corn, ?meal or flour; (c) ~ canel (gingivere, galingale, peper), powdered cinnamon (ginger, galingale, pepper); cloves ~, ground cloves.
Show 42 Quotations
2.
(a) The crushed or powdered remains of something, rubble, dust; tobresten to ~, bringen into ~, to reduce (sth.) to rubble or dust; smiten to ~, pulverize (sb. or sth.); breken to ~, fallen to (into, unto) ~, break up into dust, disintegrate; (b) powder as the remains of burning, ash, cinders; brennen to ~.
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3.
(a) Dust of the earth, dirt, soil; also fig. a low or humble state; ~ of (the) erthe; (b) powder or dust as a contaminant; dust in the air; also fig.; the dust of the sixth plague of Egypt; (c) leien (putten, senden) ~ upon hed, casten ~ upon (over) coroune, sprengen with ~ the hed, etc., to cast dust on (one's) head as a sign of remorse or mourning; (d) maken ~ flen, to cause dust to fly, cause a disturbance or an uproar; (e) the ~ of iacob, ?the dust of the earth to which the number of Jacob's descendants is compared; ?fig. the descendants of Jacob.
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4.
The material substance from which man's body comes and to which it returns; the decomposed remains of a person's body.
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5a.
(a) A medicinal powder administered directly or used in preparing ointments or potions; also fig.; [see also senses 1. (a) and 1. (b)]; capital ~, powder for wounds of the head; citrine ~, powder of yellow color used in treating illnesses of the eye; ~ grek, a caustic powder made of arsenic sulfide and quicklime; red ~, an astringent or styptic powder; ~ Wauter, a medicinal powder attributed to Walter Agilinus (13th cent.); (b) powder used in alchemy; a particular alchemical powder; ~ of paris, ?a compound of arsenic.
Show 23 Quotations
5b.
(a) Ground seasoning for food, spicery; ?pepper; [see also senses 1. (b) and 1. (c)]; (b) ~ douce, a sweet spice or combination of sweet spices; ~ fort, sharp or pungent spicery; ~ fort of gingivere or of canel, pungent spicery containing ginger or cinnamon; ~ lombard, spice imported from or associated with Lombardy; ~ marchaunt, a kind of spice or mixture of spices; ~ rostinge, spice used in roasting meat; blaunk ~, a light-colored, sweet powder, perhaps containing variously white sugar, ginger, cinnamon, or nutmeg; (c) used fig., superficial enhancement or appeal; -- ?as extension of sense 'spice'; sense 'medicinal powder' [more likely if 'rote' = 'rot'], or perhaps sense 'cosmetic powder' [a sense not attested till the next century].
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5c.
Misc. (a) Gunpowder; (b) a powder used by scribes, ?pounce; (c) a random pattern of dots or flecks in fabric; (d) ?a kind of plant; ?dust; (e) error for foudre.
Show 6 Quotations
6a.
In cpds. and combs.: (a) ~ box (boiste), a box for powdered spice; (b) ~ bagge, a bag for ground spice; ~ vessel, a container for some kind of powder; (c) ~ bef, salted or spiced beef; (d) ~ beter, one who grinds spices.
Show 16 Quotations
6b.
In proverbs.
Show 5 Quotations
7.
As surname.
Show 3 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1450 Liber Cophonis (Add 34111)45/321 : Tak þe seede of brome and fenelsyde…and stampe hem and…ȝif hym þes poudres in metes.
    • Note: new plural usage

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)223/9 : Peny-worþe of poudir watur, an half peny-worþe of sede-wale and a peny-wurþe of spykenard.
  • c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)94/251 : An oþ' for dropsy in the wombe and in the fete & for costyfnes and for glett [fo. 23 verso] and for wormes in the wombe and for badd stomake Take iiij peny wyght of scamony and ij peny wight of rubarb and vj peny wyght of cene and iij halpeny wight of redewale and halfe a peny wight of spyknard iij peny wiȝt of powder watter a peny wiȝt of floure of canell and dj vnce of sugre of cipress and bray hem wele in a brasen mortare all to powdir and vse this medecyne fastynge ech day a sponefull iij dayes & he shall be hole and haue a good stomake.
  • c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)134 : Take fyue peny wyȝt of rewbarbe, ten peny wyȝt of sene, ten peny wyȝt of pouder of gyngyr, ij peny wyȝt of skamonye, halfe a quartron of sugre caffatyn, iiij peny wyȝt of pouder wauter, a peny wyȝt of spikenarde. Ad purgandum. Take foure peny wyȝt of pouder of walnoot barke, and vj peny wyȝt of catapuce, & þre sponful of þe jus of walewort rote, and tempre hem wyþ wort.
Note: Additional quotations for sense 5a.(a); specifically for the phrase ~ Wauter, a medicinal compound attributed to Walter Agilon (Gualteri Agilonis Summa medicinalis). See further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. powder Walter.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. powder.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5a.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. capital powder.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5a.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. citrine powder.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5a.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. Greek powder.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 5a.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. red powder.

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