Middle English Dictionary Entry
refūs(e adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | refūs(e adj. Also refus, refusche, reffewse. |
| Etymology | ?From OF refusé, p.ppl. of refuser; also cp. OF refuse adj. (s.v. refus n.). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Despised, rejected; (b) defective, of low quality; scrap.
Associated quotations
a
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.1334 : Of hym silf ashamed & confus, As man forsake, abiect, and refus, Riȝt so ferde he.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.3248 : Cursid is my woful destine..And I refus of euery creature.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)1.570 : What cas..Hath gided the to sen me langwisshinge, That am refus of every creature?
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.6997 : The god Cupide..At the and me he wrongli dede marke..To make us refus to alle creatures.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.1565 : The cite..whilom was of this world cheef toun..Now it is abiect and refus of al othir.
b
- (1420-21) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.495 : Pro xiiii barellis sulfuris refus et debilis.
- (1425) Doc.in Kennett Par.Antiq.(1818) [OD col.]2.250 : De lana refuse vendita.
- (1464) RParl.5.567b : It shall be leefull..all the refuse Hornes..to sell.
- (1478) Let.Cely (PRO S.C.1 53/201)p.32 (36/5) : I haue resayuyd the wrytyng of the salys of woll solde to .. Jacobe Pottry of Bregys ..: j sarplere and a poke of refvse woll Cottyswolde, pryse the sacke x marke.
- (?1479) Let.Cely (PRO S.C.1 53/108)p.61 (69/2) : I pray you .. that ye woll remember you for to sell my refussche fellys, for ther schuld be of them iijc.
- (1480) Let.Cely (PRO S.C.1 53/54)p.92 (104/55) : Ye wryt not to me of the reste of my fell, weder thay be refvse or nay, and wat sum of fell there be, for I wat not wat fell the reste schold be.
- (1484) Let.Cely (PRO S.C.1 53/163)p.200 (209/58) : I hawe sold to Claysse Petterson .. yowre Cottys ffellys that cam last, and they hawe cast owte iiijxx reffewse ffellys, and the rekenyng off the sayd ffellys ys on the toder syde wrytten.