Middle English Dictionary Entry
scul(le n.
Entry Info
| Forms | scul(le n. Also skul(le, skule, schulle, scol(le, skol(le, scholle, sholle. |
| Etymology | ?From ON: cp. OI skoltr, Swed. dial. skullt, skulle; & cp. MDu. scholle, scolle, MLG schulle, scholle clod, sod. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The bony structure enclosing the brain, cranium; also, the skeleton of the entire head; also, the head; also in asseveration: bi mi ~; (b) ~ bon, the cranium, skull; also, one of the bones of the cranium; brain ~, the cranium; (c) the scalp, crown of the head; (d) the headpiece of a helmet; (e) used to translate L cervix: the nape of the neck; also, the neck; (f) as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)153/18 : Ne ȝef þu him neauer inȝong, ah tep him o þe sculle [Nero: schulle], for he is earh as beore þron.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)2121 : With þulke stroke he smot al of, þe scholle [Corp-C: scolle] and þe croune, Þat þut brain ful on þe pauement.
- c1300 SLeg.Judas (Hrl 2277)84 : He smot him wiþ a ston bihynde in þe pate Þat al þe sculle to-daschte.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1423 : A croune of þornes hi sette vpon his heued; Sharpe and kene were þe þornes, hi wente to þe scolle.
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.157 : Fi a debles, kaites, þat kemiþ þe wolle, Al þe schindes of þe tronn a[nd] heiȝ opon ȝur sculle.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)8 : Greue, fountayne, et haterel: Sched, molde, and sculle.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)4 Kings 9.35 : Whan þei weren gon þat þei birien hir, þei founden not but þe sculle [vr. scul; L calvariam] & þe feet & gobetis of þe hond.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.371 : Albuinus had..overcome þe kyng of Gispides, and i-made hym a cuppe of his skulle [Higd.(2): breyne panne] forto drinke of.
- c1390(c1350) NHom.(2) Corp.Chr.(Vrn)167 : Þe Iew seide, 'beo my scolle, Wel ouhte þi wombe be fulle!'
- c1390 KTars (Vrn)46/515 : Summe pleyed of þe heued, And summe heore scolles icleued.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.2544 : The Cuppe..was policed ek so clene That no signe of the Skulle is sene.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)38b/a : Þe brayn..myȝte be liȝtliche I-hert ner þat þe skolle & oþir bones defended it.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)258/5 : Þese ij hoolis in þe nose ben maad fast in þe scolle.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)98b/b : Þou schalt not leue þine operacioun to þat þu be passed þe spongiosite, so þat þu leue þine operacioun in þe harde skulle.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)450 : Sculle, of the heede: Craneum.
- c1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(2) (Hrl 4016)79 : Take a plouer and breke his skoll and pull him dry.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)2265 : Of grete buries thoo trees ben fulle As grete as is a mannys sculle.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1191 : Al hir wordis I can nat wele reherce..howe she did perce Thurh ffawnys hert & his scull also.
- (1472) Acc.St.Edm.Sarum6 : Item, a pece of ye skoll of seynt Wolfrise standyng in a fote of silver and parcel gilt.
- a1475 Asneth (Hnt EL 26.A.13)852 : In the lift side of þe sculle he smote hym with a ston.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)18a/a : If it hadde be so þat þe scolle hadde ben al oon boon, whanne it hadde suffrid heuy hurt or greuaunce in his oon partie, þanne it schulde haue greued al þe hool scolle.
- a1500(a1400) Libeaus (Lamb 306)1196 : The lord a stroke he sete Throwe helme and basnett, That in the skolle hit stode.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)42/34 : Robert Brok..scraput out þe brayne of þe scolle about on þe pament.
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)22a/5-6 : When woundys be made in þe hede with brekyng of skull, take hede if þe brekyng of þe skule be percyde and passith inward.
b
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)22/17 : Summe defenden þe principal lymes from harm, as þe brayn scolle..þe brayn of þe heed.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)215/13 : Whanne I siȝ wel þat þei hadden her bigynnynge of þe scolle boon, I wolde not entermete þerwith of þe cure.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)88b : Yf þe skolle bon be dryfe a-downe with a stroke..a-none stampe violet and yf him to drinke þe juis with wyne.
- ?a1450 Lanfranc (Add 12056)127/24 : Þe brayn scolle schal be trepaned.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)18a/a : Whi þe scolle was mad of manye diuers bonys, þer ben two comoun causis, of whiche þe firste is þis, for þe commoditees & þe profitis þat longen to þe selue scolle boon.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)46b/b : Þer beþ conteyned in þe brayn scolle vj boonys.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)82a/b : To þe same cause take þis medicyne: R[ecipe] scolle boonys of a man and brenne hem to poudre and tempere it with hony and leye þerto.
c
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)265/146 : Hire her was..Þunne and schort, þat it miȝte onneþe helie hire scholle.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)353 : Loke þat þou be armed sad & hele þy bare scolle.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv.(Manly-Rickert)A.3935 : As piled as an ape was his skulle.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv.(Manly-Rickert)A.4306 : She..smoot the millere on the piled skulle [vrr. sculle, scoll].
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)93/3 : Whan þe last lyne of þe heres is long aboue fro the skull, it sheweth hym to be slow.
- ?a1500 Trin-C.LEDict.Suppl.(Trin-C O.5.4)586/32 : The schulle [glossing Dict.: Glabella].
d
- (1384) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)4.149 : [Richard Judde, one of the jurors, had in his hands a missal, a legend, a] sholle [of an old] basynet [and an old] jakke [of defence worth 13 s. 4 d.].
- (1397) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.165 : [A] sculle [of a] basenett [with a visor worth 10 s.].
e
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.49.8 : Iuda, þee schullen preyse þi breþeren, þi hondez in þe skulles [WB(2): nollis; L cervicibus] of thyn enmyse.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.21.4 : Þei sholyn kutte..þe scollys [vr. scullis; WB(2): heed; L cervices] of þe calf.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Deut.28.48 : He shal pute on anyrun ȝok opon þy scolle [vr. scol; WB(2): nol; L cervicem].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)1 Kings 4.18 : He fel fro þe litle seete bacward besidys þe dore &, þe scullis [WB(2): nollis; L cervicibus] brokyn, he is dead.
f
- (1215) Close R.Tower 1235 : Willielmus Skul.
- (1254) Close R.Hen.III140 : Martinus Skulle.
- (c1296) Chester R.in Chet.n.s.84203 : Jona Sculle.
- (1327) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10118 : Gilb. Scul.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. skull.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense (b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. brain skull.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense (b)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. skull bone.