Middle English Dictionary Entry
rǒund(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | rǒund(e n. Also rount, rond, roun. |
| Etymology | From OF rëont, rëon, rond, AF röunt & ME rǒund(e adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A spherical body or form; a globular lump; (b) the rounded end of a bone; (c) an eye socket; (d) ?a round nut or seed.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330 KTars (Auch)47/577 : When þe child was y-bore..lim no hadde it non; Bot as a rond of flesche y-schore..Wiþ outen blod & bon.
- a1475 Sidrak & B.in Centaurus 12 (Lnsd 793)224/6114 : Al þe formes þat þou woost, Rounde conteineþ alþermost.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)104a/b : Þai entende..for to þriste þe rounde [Ch.(2): rowndenesse; L rotundum] of þe adiutorie in to þe concauitee of þe focile.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)30a/b : Þe adiutorie boon is þe firste whos vpmoste extremite and round goiþ to þe composicioun of þe schuldris iuncture & entriþ in to þe concauite..of þe schuldre boon.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)87b/a : Þe tokenes..beþ..difficulte of breþinge, bolnynge of face, roundes of þe iȝen swelliþ and akeþ.
d
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.50r : Floures so smale Y neuere wel couthe demyn, & after þe floures, a fewe litle rownde lik smale whelkys or bleyns, mykel as perl of a quadrant [Add: Out of þe top come a fewe litil rounde, as þe perle of a quadraunt, saue not so fayr ne so qwyt].
2.
?A round shell of pastry.
Associated quotations
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)437 : Make a rounde of paste and lay hit in the mydwarde of the chargeoure.
3.
(a) A halo; (b) ?the circumference of the earth; (c) pl. circles (i.e., the celestial equator and the ecliptic); (d) ?the wheel of Fortune; (e) in ~, in a circle; round about; in-to ~, round about; also, in a circular course, in a cycle [quot.: c1450]; on ~, here and there, around; (f) a skein of thread, hank.
Associated quotations
a
- a1325 SLeg.Becket (Corp-C 145)2168 : Þer nis ipeint a round al aboute is heued Þat is icluped diademe.
b
- ?a1500 Trin-C.LEDict.Suppl.(Trin-C O.5.4)600/35 : Paritonius..the rownde of the erth.
c
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)3.m.9.32 : Thow knyttest togidere the mene soule of treble kynde..and divydest it by membrys accordynge; and whan it es thus divyded [and] it hath assembled a moevynge into two rowndes [L orbes], it gooth to torne ayen to hymself.
d
- a1350 Opon a somer (LdMisc 108)88 : Sitte I say & seþe on a semeli sete, Ryȝth on þe rounde on þe rennyng ryng.
e
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.19.27 : Ne ȝe sholen in rount [vr. rownde; L rotundum] dodde heer ne schaue berd.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Ezek.41.7 : The street was in to [WB(2): in] round, styinge vpward bi the heeȝ toure.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)423 : Ofte hit [ark] roled on rounde and rered on ende.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)147 : Hit watz a ioyles gyn þat Jonas watz inne, For hit reled on roun vpon þe roȝe yþes.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.275 : For þing þat flitteþ ever to and fro, Bot if þat he enstablischeþ it so, Compellynge it to mouen into rounde, It moste nedes fayle fro his grounde.
f
- 1436 *Acc.Exch.K.R.53/5 [OD col.] : Computat..in vj Rouns fili vocati Pakthrede..expenditis circa facturam..veli noui.
4.
A swinging thrust or stroke in fencing.
Associated quotations
- a1500 The man that wol (Hrl 3542)p.308 : He most have a goode eye bothe fer and nere, And an in stop..Two rowndys an an halfe with a goode chere.
- a1500 The man that wol (Hrl 3542)p.309 : With a rownde and a rake abyde at a bay.
5.
A billet of firewood, log; also, a rung of a ladder.
Associated quotations
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)78/19 : Decorticauit ficum meam nudans..Albi facti sunt rami eius..þeos..haueð bipilet mi fier..& te grene bohes beoð fordruhede & forwurðen to drue hwite rondes.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)78/25 : Hwen þe rinde is awei..druhieð þe bohes & wurðeð hwite rondes, to na þing betere þen to fures fode.
- c1450 Chaucer CT.Mil.(Tex 143)A.3625 : Roundes [Heng: He made laddres thre To clymben by the ronges and the stalkes Vn to the tubbes hangyng in the balkes].
6.
Associated quotations
- a1450 Chaucer PF (Tan 346)675 : First were chosen fowles..To singe a rounde [Rob.: roundel] at hir departynge.
7.
In cpd.: ~ hous, a guarded building, prison.
Associated quotations
- (c1437) Paston2.515 : Paston..hadde youre seide suppliaunt in prisone..the seide Paston dede to bringe here outeof the Roundehows yn-to youre paleys.