Middle English Dictionary Entry
salt-petre n.
Entry Info
| Forms | salt-petre n. Also salt(e)peter, saltpietre. |
| Etymology | From salt n.(1), modeled on sal-petre n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Saltpeter (potassium nitrate); ?also, gunpowder.
Associated quotations
- a1400 SMChron.(Add 19677)167 : Seuene saltes þer beþ..Salt gemme & salt petre, [etc.].
- (1420-21) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.513 : xiii barellis saltpetre.
- (1453) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)323 : Salt Petir þe c, ij d.
- (1456) Doc.in Bentley Excerpta Hist.10 : John Judde..hath..doo make and ordeigne..stuff for gonne powdre of salt pietre and sulphur.
- (1474) in Rymer's Foedera (1709-10)11.841 : Pulveres, Sulphir, Saltpetyr, Petras, Ferrum, Plumbum, & omnimodas alias Stuffuras pro eisdem Canonibus necessarias.
- c1475 Sln.4 Recipes in Rel.Ant.1 (Sln 4)324 : Take coporose and salt-peter and put yn a styllatory of glasse.
- (1480) Munitions Tunstall in Mariner's Mirror 64 (PRO E 101/198/13 f.96)233 : [Items] spent by the comaundment of maister Tunstall, depute unto my lord leuetenante on the shippys that made warre uppon Dunkyrk:..xlvij lb. of gunnpowdyr, xxxv lb. of serpentynnes powdy.., iiij lb. of brymstone, iiij lb. of salt petyr, price the lb. xd.
- a1500(a1451) Commodities Eng.(LdMisc 593)553 : They brynge..Saltpeter.
- a1500 Hrl.2378 Recipes (Hrl 2378)88/12 : Take salt-petre and wurtis-stokkis, [etc.].
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)64a : Sal alembroth, sal atinkar..Salte peter..of these beware.