Middle English Dictionary Entry
resistence n.
Entry Info
| Forms | resistence n. Also resistens, recistence, -tens, rescistens, reissistens & resistaunce. |
| Etymology | OF resistence & L resistentia, AL resistantia. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Military defense, armed resistance; fighting against an enemy; physical resistance; ~ of, defense against (sb. or sth.); maken ~; (b) a waylaying of someone; (c) physical force.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.3638 : He assembled hath a route With thritti thousend of defence To fihte and make resistence Ayein the whiche he wolde assaille.
- (1417) Let.in Ellis Orig.Let.ser.2.159 : He hath erected a new tower..for a warde to putt therwith a greate fortificacion aboute the same for resistance of the sayd enimies.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.3383 : Iason..Hath þe dragoun brouȝt vn-to vttraunce, In whom he fonde no maner of resistence.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)9274 : Thei made ther..resistence A-ȝeyns Ector & his Troians.
- (1436) RParl.4.500b : Youre Lieges on the See Costes went to the See, in resistence of youre Proditours, Rebelles, and Adversaries.
- a1450 Parton.(1) (UC C.188)2666 : He hopith fully to conquerre Fraunce; Ayen him ys no resistaunce.
- (1455) Doc.in Gilbert Cal.Dublin 1286 : The same man..fownd in such trespas bey take and led to the Kyngys jayll..And in case that the sam man..make recistens not to be take, [etc.].
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1309 : Ther is in journeyinge Gretter peril then is in resistence Of fers batail.
- (1461) Let.Hexham in Sur.Soc.44p.c : All your clergie be redy upon a day warnyng, in moost defensable wyse, to goo forth for the resistence of oure auncienne ennemyes the Scottes.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)136 : Gefrey..mad resistans and drove the Kyng Stevene ageyn into Ynglond.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)164/24 : He sufferyth hem to bynde hym so, for he makyth no resistence.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Horns (LdMisc 683)36 : Hornes wer yove to bestys ffor dyffence -- A thyng contrarie to ffemynyte To be maad sturdy of resystence.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)156/9 : Fabius Maximus..at all tyme made grete resistence agayn his gret hoste.
- ?a1500 Job (Hnt HM 140)47 : Oure auncient enemy of hell, To bryng holy Job owte of his pacience..His seruantes slewe sodenly, withoute resistence.
b
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)21/36 : Forstallynge is a coaccyoun or resistence made yn þe kyngis highe-weye.
c
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)4.549 : We shal make space with strengthe and resistens, That ȝe shal entre.
2.
(a) Nonphysical opposition, e.g., moral, political, etc.; a preventive measure; don (maken) ~, to make opposition; (b) objection, counterargument; (c) power of resistance, ability to resist.
Associated quotations
a
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)20/768 : Mi bitter teres..ben prestes defens; Oþur nul i make no resistens.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.387 : Of the cause general, Which unto holy cherche longeth, Is non of hem that underfongeth To schapen eny resistence; And thus the riht hath no defence.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.1611 : Whom fortune wole assaile, Ther mai be non such resistence Which mihte make a man defence.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.2560 : Þe scheld of Pallas..Signified..Ageyns vices to maken resistence.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)3.990 : The excellence Of love, ayeins the which that no man may Ne oughte ek goodly make resistence.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)200/8 : Sche [soul] is in tribulaciouns and may..make no recistens anemptis hem.
- (?a1430) Hoccl.MG (Hnt HM 111)110 : We mowen make resistence Ageyn the feend.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)75/25 : Whan þe good spirit feelith him in synne for defaute of resistence, he schulde þinke þat he schal be ponyssched.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)1416 : I ne may..Ageyn hys [death's] fors make resistens.
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)54 : Art þou not asshamed to be taryed so longe tyme wyth þe resistence of a woman here?
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.32 : When Conigast þe peple wolde oppresse, I met hym euer with mighti recistence.
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)6.72 : Nature withoutyn any stryfe Of Repuugnaunce or any recistence Yaffe this mayde a speciall prerogatyffe.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)4226 : Thynke whan thow dyst amys, Yiff a-forn thy great offence Thow madest any resystence.
- a1475 VPhilibert (Brog 2.1)p.20 : Aȝens us bothe is ȝeve the jugement and senttense; There is no favor to make reyssystens.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)58/5 : A clene mayde..Shall bere a childe which xal do resystens Ageyn foule Zabulon, þe devyl of helle.
- c1500(?a1475) Ass.Gods (Trin-C R.3.19)837 : After these went..Resystence of Wrong, Performyng of Penaunce.
b
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)6161 : She gan to gruchen in hyr thouht; But whan she sawh yt wayllede nouht Mor to maken resistence, She suffrede al in pacience.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)178/15 : Ageyn oure argemente is no recystence In metaphesyk ne astronomye.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)185/17 : If þei yef an ansqwer in hast and acord, make resistens and obieccionys ayens her seyngis.
- 1543(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Grafton)p.203 : Clerkes by sapyence Agayne heretykes shulde make resystence.
c
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.3843 : Wher folk be dronke ther is no resistence.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.138 : Tresour haþ no kyndely resistence For to defende þe lordes þat þeym owe, But þat þay may be raft be violence.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.2683 : Hir tunge is so besie and hath noo resistence.
- a1500(1413) ?Hoccl.Poems PS (Eg 615)p.lvi/173 : Myne enemy..Wold schend me but if thi resistence Now be myne helpe, a blisful qwene.
3.
(a) Difficulty, trouble; hindrance, impediment; also, difficulty of attainment [quot.: c1440]; (b) fires ~, that which resists fire, a nonflammable protection.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.439 : As a Cite withoute wal, Wher men mai gon out overal Withouten eny resistence, [etc.].
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.909 : Thise metals been of so greet violence Oure walles mowe nat make hem resistence But if they weren wroght of lym and stoon; They percen so and thurgh the wal they goon.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)131b/a : Fire..entriþ and þurlyþ alle þyngis wiþoute resistence [L resistentia] ant let.
- c1450(c1440) Scrope Othea (StJ-C H.5)88/31 : Some þing..may not be geten wiþ-oute greet traveile; þe rennyng þat sche [Atalanta] made is þe defence or þe resistence of þe same þing.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Meas.Treas.(Hrl 2255)143 : I shall to hem make no resistence That be gouernyd iustly be mesure.
- a1450(?1420) Lydg.TG (Tan 346)1263 : Euere conquest haþ his excellens, In his pursuite as he fint resistence.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.55 : The see is so streyte..that the singenge of bryddes and berkenge of dogges may be herde to gedre, with owte the wynde cause resistence [Trev.: but weder and wynde lette; L nisi ventus impediat].
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)3.131 : When Cirus..made haste to Babilon, the floode of that water callede Eufrates ȝafe resistence to hym.
- a1500 Now wursheppful (Tan 407)6 : For ȝour soferyng sylens that ȝe han kept þis day In pleyng of oure play withowte ony resystens, Derely we thank ȝow.
b
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2486 : The Chiualers with confidence Go myghti out, and fire this engyne, First pulde away the firys resistence.
4.
Resistance to the touch, firmness; inflexibility, stiffness.
Associated quotations
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)35a/b : Signez & domez beþ bolnyng & hardnez wiþ sufficient resistence [Ch.(2): wiþstandynge; L resistentia].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)48a/b : Signez of aquose hernie ar inflacioun & greuousnez with softenez shynyng with briȝtnez; Signez of ventose beþ inflacioun & liȝtnez with resistence [Ch.(2): gaynestandynge] & shynyng with clerenez.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)59a/a : Þe secounde skille is þat be cause of þe plicacioun of hem [ribs] and of her recistence oþer ȝeine stondinge þei schulde not be liȝtlie broken.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)34a/b : Þese litil ribbis..þoruȝ þeir plicacioun & foldynge & litil resistence þei schulden þe lattere be y-broken.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 ?Scrope Ribot First Monks (Lamb 192)47/29 : Helye..led wyth hese discyplys a religyous lyf of a prophete and a solytary in prayerys and sylence and fastys and othyr dyuers resystencys of the flessch [L diuersis carnis mortificacionibus].
Note: ?New sense.