Middle English Dictionary Entry
rāsǒur(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | rāsǒur(e n. Also raser, rasir, rasor, rasur(e, razur, raisour, raissor, rosour. |
| Etymology | OF rasëoir, rasor, raseur, rosöer & ML rāsōrium. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) An instrument for shaving or cutting hair, a razor; (b) a razor as a surgical or veterinary surgical instrument; (c) a razor as an instrument of torture or self-mortification; (d) a scraping tool; (e) in cpds. & combs.: ~ fish, razor fish (Xyrichthys novacula); ~ hous, barbershop; ~ knif, razor; ~ smith, maker of razors.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?c1300) St.Patr.Purg.(1) (Auch)p.106 : Þe brigge was..as scharpe as a rasour, and naru.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)66/11 : Þer is a feloun þet heþ þe tonge more keruinde þanne rasour.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)51.2 : Al day seid þy tunge vnryȝtfulnes; þou dost treccherie as a rasour [L novacula] sharp sauaand.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Num.6.5 : Al þe tyme of his seuerynge arasur shal not passe opon his hed.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.13.5 : Þou schalt conceyuyn & bern a sone whos hed schal no rasour [vr. rasure] touchyn.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.325 : He dredde þe barbour to schave with rasoures [L cultros tonsoris] ful soore.
- (1392) Will York in Sur.Soc.4184 : Domino Thomæ de Garton..j razur habens manubrium de ebore.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6543 : He haþ in his frount an horne stronge..No rasoure so keruynde.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)213 : Þe bit burnyst bryȝt, with a brod egge, As wel schapen to schere as scharp rasores.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)3169 : Eche of hem..shal..With..rasours kene Kytt her throtes.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2654 : Out he caught a knyf as rasour kene.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.1437 : Tymes [read: Tyme] with his rasour hath..Shauen a-wey the honour and the glory Off many a noble.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)424 : Rasoure, knyfe [vr. rasour of schavynge]: Novacula, rasorium.
- a1450(?1409) Vision Staunton (Roy 17.B.43)73 : Þat rong was sharper þan ony rasor.
- (1463) Acc.Howard in RC 57215 : Item, to Fynche the same day ffor ij rasorys, viij d.
- (a1474) Paston (EETS)2.360 : Item, a rosour.
- c1475-c1500 Looke well (Skeat)24 : They can shave nerer then rasours or sheres.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)300 : A Rasure: nouacula..rasorium.
- a1500(?a1325) Otuel & R (Fil)1471 : Y sawe neuer..a berd so clene y-schore..Now ys cursins a good rasour.
- a1500 Gloss Dict.Garland (Hrl 1002)123 : Willelmus, vicinus noster, habet..rasoria [glossed:] rasors.
b
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)131/6 : Waische þe heed softliche, takynge hede þat no water ne oile entre into þe wounde, & þanne schaue it wiþ a rasour.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)52 : Take..þe flessh þat is vpon þe ye wiþ þe nedil and drawe it up on hie and þan kitte it with..a Rasoure.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)166/28 : Drawe þou vp þe skyn of þe wombe..and þere perse it wiþ a rasoure [L rasorio] or wiþ a spature.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)82/26 : Schere þan þe flesche with a raysour doun to þe bane.
- a1450 Treat.Horses (Sln 2584)139/723 : Þou schalt with an hot rasur..garse þe bonche with sumdel depe gaces & aftur þrest out þe blod.
- ?a1450 Arderne LW (Em 69)116 : With a litell cuttynge uppone the stone with a launcette or with a rasour, I hadde out the stone.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)304/993 : Make the skynne raw aboute with sciseskyn or vnqueynt lyme or with a rasor and þen lay to poudre.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking in Studia Neoph.16 (Hrl 2340)16 : Take the fethers away, and if it be but litel, with a rasure kut it and anoynt it with hote butter.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)65b/a : Take a rasour or ony oþir scharp instrument & pare awey boþe þe brerdis of þilke wounde.
c
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)343/100 : Alle manere of tormenz bi-fore him he liet bringue -- Hokes of Ire and ȝweoles also with rasores al-a-boute.
- c1300 SLeg.Kath.(LdMisc 108)222 : Four ȝweles of Iren he let fullen with rasores kene I-nowe.
- a1325 SLeg.Juliana (Corp-C 145)142,144 : Al were þe uelien aboute wiþ rasours ystiked uaste..þe maide þerbi hi sette; Dupe wode in hure naked fleiss þe rasors kene iwette, Þat þo hure uless was al to torne.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)48/44 : Loue me [God] in hert ouer al þyng..And þou dost me þen more plesyng, Þen þaȝ þou styedust vpon hyȝ pelere Folle of rayssors kene stekyng.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)178/3 : For & þer was a pyler of yrn byrnand, sett full of sharpe rasurs..me had levir..be drawen þeron vp & down.
- c1450 St.Eras.(Add 36983)p.203 : Cuttyng his flesshe withe rasers.
- a1500 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)p.142 : Seint Jame martir toke his deth after tale, Alto kytt with sharpe knyves & rasoures kene gobettinale [read: gobettmale].
d
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)55a/a : Rallum: a rasour.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)300 : A Rasure: rallum.
e
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.830 : In his hond a rasour knif He bar, with which hire throte he cutte.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)424 : Rasowre fysche: Rasorius.
- (1459) Deed Yks.in YASRS 111144 : John Dolfyn, rasursmyth.
- ?a1475 PParv.(Win)366 : Rasyr hows, or schavynge: barbibundium [Hrl 221: Rastyr howse, or schavyng howse].
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)102a : A Raser howse, vbi radunt: barbitonsorium, tonsorium.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. razor.