Middle English Dictionary Entry
revel n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | revel n.(1) Also revelle, rēvel, reul, rewle. |
| Etymology | OF revel, resvel, rivel. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Merrymaking, revelry, carousing; joy, happiness [quot.: Chaucer CT.NP.]; also, the personification of revelry [quot.: a1475]; also, a place of revelry [quot.: PPl.B]; (b) an instance of merrymaking, a festivity or festive occasion; also, the celebration of the churching of a woman [quot.: ?c1450]; (c) holden (maken) ~, to engage in revelry or merrymaking, carouse; maken reveles, hold festivities; maken ~ to (unto), entertain (sb.) at a feast or at festivities; (d) kinges ~, a church festival or parish feast, perh. presided over by a mock king or his court.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Co.(Manly-Rickert)A.4420 : He sente..his array Vnto a compeer..That loued dys and reuel and disport.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4393 : Ful is myn herte of reuel and solas.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.180 : Gode herte he hente, And rode so to reuel, a ryche place and a merye.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)40 : Þis kyng lay at Camylot..With mony luflych lorde..With rych reuel oryȝt & rechles merþes.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4179 : What schuld I write þe reuel & þe daunces, Þe fresche array, [etc.].
- c1425(?a1400) Arthur (Lngl 55)186 : Þis feste dured dayes þre In reuell & solempnite.
- c1440 Thos.Ercel.(Thrn)268,270 : Reuelle amanges þame was full ryfe. Knyghtis dawnsede..There was revelle, gamene, and playe.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)268/14 : Leue þin glotony, revell, and dronkenes.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)121/16 : Þe thredde..is nygardschippe..whann þou hast ynow..spendyng þi good in..lustys, in delycacyes, in ryott, in revell, [etc.].
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)13/15 : At Cartage both he and his disciples were lettid gretly with felauchip and reuel.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)3685 : Then gaff they hem to myrth, revel, pley, & song.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)16064 : Sese also in-to thyn hond Solace and play in ech cyte..And Ioyes..Revel, and al worldly glorye.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)4.20 : Whanne þe reot and þe reeuell, þe rent þus passid, And no þing y-lafte but þe bare baggis, Þan felle it afforse to fille hem aȝeyne.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)448 : Thei..fonde ladyes and maydenes carolinge and daunsinge, and the moste reuell and disport that myght be made.
b
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1953 : Alle real reueles rinkes rif bi-gunne.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Ph.(Manly-Rickert)C.65 : She wolde fleen the compaignye Where likly was to treten of folye As is at festes, reuels, and at daunces.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1369 : Uche duk..Schulde com to his cort to kyþe hym forlege And to reche hym reverens and his revel herkken.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.2699 : It were but veyn to make mencioun Of her reuel ne her gret array.
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)2255 : This revel, ful of song and ek of daunce, Laste a fortenyght.
- (1433-4) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)230 : Paide to the Bachelers reuell at Shroftyde..iij s. iiij d.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)110/23 : Alexander gart ordeyne a grete reuelle in Babyloyne.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)109/24 : Atte the day of her Reuell and purificacion..she lete it be do simply [F elle..faisoit faire simples levailles] withoute gret noye.
- c1475 Mankind (Folg V.a.354)82 : Do wey þis reull, sers!
- a1500(c1380) Chaucer Rosem.(Benson-Robinson)6 : At a revel whan that I see you daunce, It is an oynement unto my wounde.
- a1500(a1450) Gener.(2) (Trin-C O.5.2)5592 : I come fro thense..The same day thei were weddid full sekyrly; My hast was suche that I myght not be ther To see the rewle.
c
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2717 : This noble duc..made reuel al the longe nyght Vnto the straunge lordes.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.273 : Assuerus..made greet revel and feste [L grande convivium] to his princes þat durede an hondred dayes þre score and ten.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)71b/a : A man..makeþ reuels and festis of spousailes.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)13.442 : I rede ȝow riche, reueles whan ȝe maketh, For to solace ȝoure soules suche ministrales to haue.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)191/4 : Whan hire children..dyen þei [women] maken gret feste & gret ioye & reuell.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)13316 : Thei daunsed & sang & made revel.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1667 : Of oure renttez of Rome syche reuell he haldys.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)33/16 : He iustyd and made festes and revellys.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)9/13 : This behapped her for the misgouernaunce abouesaid, to ete and make suche reuell out of tyme.
d
- (1474-5) Acc.Croscombe in Som.RS 43 : Comes John Joyce and William Branch and brings in of the Kings revel, [etc.].
2.
Disorderly conduct, hostile action; also, a disturbance.
Associated quotations
- (1461) Paston2.250 : Þer is gret noyse of this revell þat was don in Suffolk be Yeluerton and Jeney.
- (1465) Paston (EETS)1.306 : I suppose that Richard Calle hath told you what revell ther was by the bayllyf of Coshay and hys felaw vppon youre men.
3.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- (1201) Fine R.King John180 : Willielmus Revell.
- (1246) Inquis.PM Hen.III16 : Maud Revel.