Middle English Dictionary Entry
sēm(e n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | sēm(e n.(1) Also seime, cem(e & (errors) semee, semei, seine; pl. semes, (early) seames. |
| Etymology | OE sēam seam. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A seam in a garment or bandage; a hem, border; also fig.; werk of ~, the craft of sewing; (b) embroidery or ornamental work along the seams of a garment; (c) the border of a book or scroll; (d) a gully, ditch; ?also, a gutter; also, a crack or flaw in a stone; (e) a gash in the face or body, slash; also, the scar from a gash or wound; (f) the groove or crevice between the planks of a ship.
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.156 : Hail be ȝe tailurs..Þoȝ ȝur semes semiþ fair, hi lestiþ litil while.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)226 : F[emme] en coustre, serche lente: W[oman] in the seyme syketh the nete.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))John 19.23 : The coote was with out seem [L inconsutilis].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.622 : Chidynge and reproche..vnsowen the semes of frendshipe in mannes herte.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)7597 : Þat wey of þoght gadreþ myȝt And knyttyþ harde ryȝt as a seme.
- c1400 *Aelred Inst.(1) (Vrn)1136 : Þey casteþ hym out of his garnemens..saue his precious cote þat vre lady hadde iwrouȝt wit-oute seem.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)28a/a : Fimbria: a sem or an hem.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)64a/b : Sutura: A semee [?read: seeme; vr. sowyng].
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)6/2 : At Costantynoble is..his cote withouten semes, þat is clept Tunica Inconsutilis.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)90a/a : Þer schal be no seme neþir foldinge neþer plite neþer selfegge.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)11174 : Many a riche ston..schon..As..the sonne..man may se to sowe a sem In the furthest of the chirche.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)65 : Ceem [Win: Ceme], of a clothe: Sutura.
- a1450(a1400) Titus & V.(Add 36523)2998 : I shall doon sewen þe hydes fast With strong seemes.
- c1450 Mandev.(4) (CovCRO Acc.325/1)878 : His waie than shalle he nym Vnto the castelle of Pyhym, And so forth right as any seme To Iaffe.
- c1460 My fayr lady (Hrl 2255)p.201 : Hire crowpe doth the semys shrede.
- c1475 *Mondeville (Wel 564)149b/a : Be wel war..þat þer be no seem ne no foldynge..in þe rolle þat mowe greue þe pacient.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)1865 : Y..tauȝt her maydenys werk o sem.
- a1500 GLitany (Dc 42)131 : By..the lotte wiche they caste on thy coote withowtyn seem..haue mercy on vs.
b
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)610 : Þe helme..watz hyȝe on his hede..Wyth a lyȝtly vrysoun..bounden wyth þe best gemmez On brode sylkyn borde, & bryddez on semez.
- c1450(?a1400) Parl.3 Ages (Add 31042)126 : Þe semys with saphirs sett were full many.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)552 : Þei..launceþ heiȝe her hemmes..y-sewed wiþ whiȝt silk & semes full queynte.
c
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)838 : Þe apostel John hym saytȝ [read: saȝ]..Lesande þe boke with leuez sware Þere seuen syngnettez wern sette in seme.
d
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)555 : Þe beryl..is sounde on uche a syde and no sem habes.
- (1448) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 490 : For scowryg of the grete semys, iiij d.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)13976 : Þe blod ran þer as water stremes In chynes, in creuesses, & in semes.
e
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)5631 : In his front he him smot..He set on him a foule seme.
- a1450 Chauliac(4) (Cai 336/725)26/5 : Of semes of woundis to be repairid.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)139 : A plastre of hit wole cicatryce, þat is to sey, close with a seem þe olde woundes.
- c1450(c1400) Rev.Jul.Norwich (Add 37790)50/9 : This was schewyd me in the semes of scowrgynge.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)256/828 : Lay þis medecyne apone raþer till þer be a sadd seine [read: seme] on the place þat was soore.
f
- a1225(OE) Vsp.A.Hom.Init.Creat.(Vsp A.22)225 : Wrec þe nu an arc..and iclem hall þ[e] seames mid tirwan.
2.
(a) Anat. A suture, esp. of the skull; (b) a bodily seam, raphe; (c) a stitch; with a skinneres ~, in the manner or pattern of a furrier's stitching.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)108/6 : Þe veynes myȝten go doun bi þe semis [L commissuras] of þe brayn panne, berynge norischinge to þe same brayn.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)39/11 : Þe coronal..endureþ fro þe myddes of þe paþes or weies to þe byndinge or seem ouerþwarte þe brayne panne.
- ?a1450 Lanfranc (Add 12056)108/40 : Coronale..bygynneþ from þe browys & lastyth vnto þe seme þat departyth þe hed twarte offere.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)17b/b : Þe scolle..is compouned of dyuers bonys hauynge certeyne semes hackid eiþir in oþir as it were oon sawe in anoþir.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)18a/b : Þe seemes of þe scolle arn serratyk.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)19a/a : Peritoneum..is..þe place atuix..þe lure & þe ȝerde, Aboue which is a suture, i. a seme, which foleweþ þe liniacion of þe ȝerde & of þe burse.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)525/35 : Þan be it kytte..after þe goynge of þe wryncele in a place somwhat ferre on þe lefte side fro þe commissure, i. semei.
c
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)269/9 : In a wounde of..þe botume of þe stomak and þe grete guttes, sewe ham wiþ a skynners seem [*Ch.(1): suture; L sutura] and noght wiþ the hedes of amptes.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1450 Lanfranc (Add 12056)109/31 : Þat ys Ioynede with þe bonys nerualibus tofore seyde, by þe mene of on zem y-mad to þe lyknesse of þe bon tofore seyde.
Note: New spelling
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. seam.