Middle English Dictionary Entry
scab(be n.
Entry Info
| Forms | scab(be n. Also skab(be, scap; pl. scabbes, etc. & (error) stabbis. |
| Etymology | Prob. ON: cp. Dan. skab, Norw. skabb; also cp. ML scaba, scabea. Some pl. forms may belong to ME scābies n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. shab(be n.
1.
(a) Any of various skin diseases characterized by itching, pustules, ulceration, etc.; also, the pustule characteristic of such diseases [quot.: a1398, 1st]; also, scabby or scaly condition of the skin [quot.: c1450]; (b) impetigo; drie scabbe(s; (c) the blotchy condition of the skin characteristic of leprosy or similar skin diseases; also, the discolored patch or ulceration in this disease; (d) an infection on the scalp, tinea, ringworm; also, the condition of the scalp characteristic of this disease; a pustule in the scalp in this disease; (e) a disease in the eyelids characterized by redness, inflammation, itching, burning, pimples, etc.; also, the pimply condition in the eyelids characteristic of this disease [quot.: ?a1425, 3rd].
Associated quotations
a
- c1275 Ken.Serm.(LdMisc 471)218/142 : Þet scab bi tokned þo litle sennen; si lepre betokned þo grete sennen þet biedh diadliche.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.13.6 : Þe prest..shal loke; ȝif more derkere were þe lepre & not waxed in þe skyn, he shal clanse hym, for hit is a skab [L scabies].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.28.27 : Smyte þe þe lord wiþ þe bule of Egipt..wiþ scab..& ychgynge.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)99a/a : Schabbe is corrupcioun of þe skynne and comeþ of corrupt humours þat beþ bytwene felle and fleissche..wete scabbis wiþ quyttir & skales..schewiþ and tokeneþ þat blood is medled wiþ colera.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)99a/a : Skabbe is curable wiþ metisines þat drieþ and consumeþ.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11820 : In his [Herod's] heued he has þe scall, þe scab ouer-gas his bodi all.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)191/11 : Icchinge & scabbe comeþ of salt humouris..&..is contagious.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)191/20 : Also scabbe, sum is drie & summe is wet..if it be moist, it schal be clepid scabbe.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)114b/b : Scab & ycching..beþ infeccionz of þe skyn, vlcerose, pruriginose..with squames & crustes..þer ar 2 spicez of scabbes [Ch.(2): scabbe; L scabiei], Moist & Drie.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)395/11 : Smale pustles bytokene the scabbe..bygynnynge wiþ ycchinge and afterward brekynge oute.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)75 : Þis oynement wole hele..þa scabbe þat is clepid derte or herpeta.
- ?a1450 Mem.Cred.(Tan 201)50/5 : Ȝe schull be smyten with scabbe and with icchyng.
- c1450 From þe tyme (Lamb 853)69 : Þan may we do not greet traueile But summtyme grone..And sumtyme clawe for scabbe & icche Whanne age haþ us at his auauntage.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)56a/a : In þe sixte distinccioun of þe secunde partie is ordeyned þe lepre, scabbe, morphe..and oþere diuers sijknessis þat apperen outward in mannys body.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.21.20 : A man of þy seed..offre he not bred to his god..hauynge..a dryȝe scabb [WB(2): scabbe; L impetiginem] in þe body.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)390/4 : If..þai [skin infections] be noght playne and vneven and bylede, þai ben cleped scabbe, teterys, and drye scabbes [*Ch.(1): impetiginez].
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)392/23 : Þe drye scabbe..þe tetir and..assafati..ben vnevene infecciouns of þe skynne and vttrely ybylede, noght goynge mykel depe.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)132 : Drye scabbe: Impetigo.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)108a : A Scabbe..impetigo, Arida scabies.
c
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)380/24 : Tokenes..in þe lepre and in oþer sekenesses..ben 18..The sexte is scabbe and teterys and þe rudy droppe..and vlceraciouns in þe body.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)169 : For lepres. A plastre of þis ellebore leide to þe place wole destruye spottes and..put away alle scabbes.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)14322 : Þe fend..he mared hym [Job] sone with meselry, fro hed to fote no thyng was fre, Bot blayns and bledders all his body and scabbes whor skyn was wonnt to be.
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)74/26 : The mezelry fille awey and the scabbe, and his [Vespasian's] fleish becam as clene and swete as any mannes.
d
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)185/20 : If þere ben pustulis..it is good for to garce þat skyn..hile his heed wiþ caule leuis..anoynte al his heed wiþ oile of notis..til al þe scabbis þerof be wel tobroke.
- c1400 PPl.B (Trin-C B.15.17)20.83 : Kynde..sente forþ his forreyours, Feueres, and Fluxes..roynouse scabbes [vr. scalles].
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)416/25 : The skalle is a skabbe of the hede wiþ flawes..crustes..some moysture..doynge awaye of heres..an askisshe colour and..stynkynge smellynge.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)417/21 : The firste entencioun amendith þe euel humour of [read: and] þe scabbe of þe skyn of þe hede.
- ?a1450 Lanfranc (Add 12056)4/11 : Of ffallynge off heer & of scabbe [L tinea].
e
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)241/30 : Þere ben oþere maner sijknes of þe iȝe & þat ben seid contagious..obtolmia..& icchinge & scabbe [L scabies], sebel, vngula, cataracta.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)38a/a : Wite þu þat reume descendeþ to þe eie, or materie is wiþholden within þe tuniclez, or scap is in þe palpebre.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)128a/a : Þer is in þe scabbe sharpnesse & granulousnesse in þe ynner partie of þe palpebre with multitude of terez & som obtalmying.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)128a/a : Cause..of scabbe is salse materie nitrose, makyng for to come first ych ysaid, afterward scab.
- a1450 Chauliac(4) (Cai 336/725)31/1 : Forwiþ shal be seid of greuauncis of parties of þe iȝe..Of scabbe..of abreuiacioun or schortynge.
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)33b/16 : Þe nayle is helyd in þe begynnyng with A grene colory þat is comoyn to old scabbe.
2.
(a) Any eruption on the skin, a pimple, a blotch, or eczema; (b) any inflamed sore or ulcer on the body, a bodily part, etc.; (c) a scab, crust.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.61 : Þere beeþ hoote bathes þat wascheþ of teteres, oþer sores and scabbes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)297b/b : Þe lusarde..whanne he is deed in wyne he heleþ þair faces þat drynke þer of wiþ vile stabbis [read: scabbis; L lentigine].
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)553 : Hir nekke was of good fasoun..Withoute bleyne, scabbe, or royne.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)63a/a : Summe [humors] ben expelled to þe skynne and resolued insensibellye oþer sensibellie bi swete oþer scabbes oþer pustules oþer apostemaciouns.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)37/21 : Tak þe rute of horsehelme & sethe it lange in water..& anoynte þe scabbes þer-with.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)175/1 : Rede dokke..is good to makyn skabbys rype.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.61 : Sulphur..causethe those bathes to be hoote, where scabbes and corrupcion be healede.
- a1500 Agnus Castus (Bal 329)203/42 : Scabiosa maior..take þe juse þer-of..and make þer-of a noynment and it woll dystroye scabys.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)34a/a : If blood rotuþ in any membres, but it be I-take out..it turneþ in to þe venym and scabbis.
- ?a1450 Lanfranc (Add 12056)5/20 : Of cancrefis & malo mortuo, þat buþ olde sores & olde scabbys on þe schyne.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)153b/a : Malum mortuum is a maner of scabbe þe whiche ocupieþ þe extermites of a mannes bodie, as þe þies and þe legges and summe time þe armes.
- a1450 *Treat.Garsing (Htrn 307)f.166v : Garsyng is good for icching bocchis & scabbis, bisyde þe þe knee with out.
- ?a1500 Job (Hnt HM 140)123 : [Job] gave theym the brode Scabbes of his sore body, Whiche turned vnto pure golde.
c
- a1475 *Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)28b : On do hyr beke & loke be þe sydys of hir jawys & þu schalte se os it wer a scabe; take þat knyfe & scrape it awey tyll it be rede.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)103a/b : Þe cruste is euene riȝt couerynge þe same vlcus and ys more openly clepid a scabbe.
3.
Any of various skin diseases affecting sheep, oxen, horses, hounds, etc., mange, sheep scab; also, an eruption or a swelling in such diseases.
Associated quotations
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Lev.22.22 : Ȝif hauynge fel wounde, ȝif litul bleynys or scab [L scabiem] or driȝe rount scab [L impetiginem], ȝe sholyn not offre hem [sacrifices] to þe lord.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.358 : Of pokkes and of scabbe [vr. scabbes], and euery soor Shal euery sheep be hool that of this welle Drynketh.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)201a/b : If it [galactite] is y-medlid wiþ water and salt and y-spronge aboute þe folde, þanne þe schepe ben ful of melk and clenseþ scabbes.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)51 : Whane þei [hounds] hunten in euyl places of prykkyng of þornys or of breres..Then commeth þt skabbe [F roinhe] vpon hem.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.934 : For the mous, kest oken askis so Aboute her hole, in hit that thei may trede; The scabbe anoon wole rise.
- a1450 Treat.Horses (Sln 2584)103/252 : Scabbe wol brede in þe necke & on þe dok of þe taile.
- a1475 Hrl.Bk.Hawking in Studia Neoph.16 (Hrl 2340)15 : Take old grece, brymston, and cinomome and confye efere and anoynt the scabbe to the fire, and he [hawk] schall be hole.
4.
In surnames.
Associated quotations
- (1264) Pat.R.Hen.III335 : Richard Skabbe.
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 2120 : Waltero Scabbe.
- (1308) Nickname in LuSE 55155 : Alex. Scabbemayster.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 *Medulla (Hrl 1738)59b/a : Porriginosus: ful of swynys scalbys.
Note: New spelling
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. scab.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. dry scab.