Middle English Dictionary Entry
scrou(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | scrou(e n. Also scrowe, scrouwe, scraue, skrou(e, skrowe, (NEM) skrau & (?error) skrew; pl. scroues, etc. & (error) strowes. |
| Etymology | OF escröe, escroue, AF escrowe, escrou(w)e; forms in -au(e perh. influenced by ON: cp. OI skrā. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A scroll; a piece of parchment or paper on which to write; a bill, document; (b) a strip of parchment in a phylactery; (c) a scrap or strip of parchment or paper; (d) a strip of hide used in making glue; (e) the sky, heavens.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)25/22 : Leoteð writen on a scrowe [Nero: scrouwe] hwet se ȝe ne kunnen.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)146/27 : Ȝef pu hauest cnif oðer clað, oðer mete oþer drunch, scrowe oðer cwaer, hali monne froure.
- (a1382) WBible(1) Prols.Job (Bod 959)72 : To me & to myne þei suffren to han pore scrowys [L scidulas] & not as myche faire bookis as amendid.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.307 : By a scrowe [Higd.(2): epistolle; L chartam] þat was i-wrete in Englisshe..Kenelyn his deth, and þe place of his deth, was i-knowe at Rome.
- c1390(?c1350) SVrn.Leg.(Vrn)926 : Seynt Bernard him tok a luyte bok, A scrouwe iwriten on to lok.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)11109 : Þe munke..fonde yn hys mytyr horne Þese verse wryte on a scrowe.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)58b/a : Sceda, crata uel scriptum: a scrite or a scrowe.
- ?a1425(a1400) Brut-1377 (Corp-C 174)313/27 : Þey token her scrowes that þe othes were comprehendid in, to the Notaries.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)86/12 : Þai ger write in a scrowe [F en escript] þe riȝt of ayther party and puttez þase billes in þe hand of sayne Thomas.
- ?c1430(?1383) Wycl.Curse (Corp-C 296)282 : Þei taken for wryttyng and selyng of a litel scrowe, wiþ sixe or sevene lynes, twelve pens or two schillyngis.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.2466 : A screueyn..in a scrowe off litil quantite Wrot off al Troie the destruccioun.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3419 : Looke euery name be wryten Vpon a scrowe off parchemyn.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)16/2 : He wrote his absolucion in a scrow of papir.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)50 : On þe lyft side of þe same uessel sette he a ymage of seynt jon baptist..holdyng a scrowe in his hand.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)99 : Wryte þis charme on a skrowe.
- (1460) Paston (Gairdner)3.216 : Brenne this scrowe or kepe it pryvy.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)204/1 : In þis tyme þe Lolardis set up scrowis at Westminster and at Poules.
- (1467) Paston2.564 : He sawe John Paston have a littyll scrowe of papyr in his honde of hys owne wrytyng yn Englyssh; that part of the said scrowe was late wrete and moyste of ynke.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.1685 : It is harde nowadaies true loue to fynde; He is so pulled that he may not growe, Countirfeted in a figure, peynted in a scrowe.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)325 : A Scrawe [Add: Scrawle]: cedula.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.158 : Þey..usyn..charmys in gaderyng of herbis or hangyng of scrowis aboutyn man, woman, child, or beste for ony seknesse.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)274/516 : How felowse, se ye not yond skraw? It is writen yonder within a thraw.
- ?a1500 Looke out here (Cole)225 : Looke out here, Maire, with thie pilled pate And see wich a scrowe is set on thie gate.
- c1500 NPass.(Rwl C.86)152/1664 : Thes thre langweges were yne þat skrow [Cmb Gg 1.1: parchemin].
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.23.5 : Thei alargen her filateries, that ben smale scrowis, and magnyfie hemmys.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.325 : Þey [Pharisees] bere scrowes in her forhedes and in hir lift armes and cleped þe scrowes philateria; in þe scrowes were þe ten hestes i-write in mynde of þe lawe.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)530 : Thei baren scrowis in her forehedis and in her lift arme.
c
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)49b/b : Pictacium: a skrowe, or a spotte, or a clout.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)63b/b : Loke þat þer be bitwene þe two sticchis þe space of a quarter of an ynche, & þanne putte a litil scrowe of paper bitwene þe fleisch & þe þred on boþe sidis.
d
- (1339-40) Sacrist R.Ely 299 : Item, in iiij buss. de strowes [read: scrowes] empt. pro cole inde faciend., 1 s. 6 d.
e
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)910 : As þe welkyn shold walt, a wonderfull noyse Skremyt vp to the skrow with a skryke ffelle.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)10182 : The skrew [?read: skrow], for þe skrykyng & skremyng of folke, Redoundet with dyn drede for to here.