Middle English Dictionary Entry

sēte n.(2)
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Entry Info

Forms sēte n.(2) Also sēt(te, seat(e, seite, seth, cete, ceite & (early) sæte, (early SEM) sāte; pl. setes, etc. & (early dat.) seten.
Etymology OE sǣte; ult. ON: cp. OI sæti seat.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) The act of sitting; also, a sitting, session; longsom setes, protracted sittings; knouen mi ~, to know when I sit; (b) an occasion for eating, a meal, feast; bridales ~, a wedding feast; (c) a place where one sits, a seat at a feast, in church, etc.; mete ~, dining place; holden ~, to keep (one's) seat on a horse; maken (taken) ~; (d) the right to sit as a member of a deliberative or legislative body, a place in the membership of such a body; (e) something upon which one sits, a chair, stool, bench, etc.; a seat on an ass's back; a rowing bench [quot.: ?c1475]; anat. a structure supporting an organ of the body; lin ~, a stool on which one sits to spin; (f) a special chair reserved for the holder of a position of authority or special dignity, or for one of high rank; a judge's seat; a throne; also fig.; also, the authority symbolized by a throne, royal power; -- also pl.; putten doun of ~, to depose (a king); (g) that portion of a throne or saddle upon which one sits; also, the seat of a privy or commode [2nd quot.]; sadel ~; (h) the throne of God or Christ, Judgment Seat; an exalted seat of an angel, a saint, etc. in heaven; also fig.; also, the power symbolized by such a seat; the throne of Satan or Lucifer; aungel ~; (i) the anus; goinge oute of the ~, ?diarrhea.
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2.
(a) A place, region; site, location; also fig.; ~ withinnen, inmost part; streit ~ of this erthe, the narrow compass of this world; (b) an inhabited place, a country; (c) the center of a court or government, a capital, headquarters; the chief residence of a god; (d) eccl. the see of a bishop; ~ apostolical, apostles ~, papal see.
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3.
(a) A battle position; (b) fig. status, worldly position; a high position, worldly honor.
Show 7 Quotations
4.
(a) An abode, a dwelling place; a house, home; also fig.; ~ of thought (conscience, etc.); (b) an abiding place of the soul after death; (c) the part or member of the body in which a humor, faculty, the soul, or life, etc. resides.
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5.
Pl. The name of an order of angels, thrones.
Show 1 Quotation
6.
Error for sē n.(1), prob. influenced by prec. sitten v.
Show 1 Quotation

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)130/2622 : Whilom was Rome bilayn about Wiȝ seuen soudans biset…Þe honur of Rome for to abate And for to strwre [read: strwe] seinte Petres sate, Þat is to seie, cristendom to felle.
    • Note: Quot. antedates sense 2.(d).
    Note: Given the equivalence with "cristendom," the quot. probably belongs to sense 2.(d): what is at risk in seinte Peters ~, is not only the city of Rome (sense 2.(c)) but also the papacy itself and all that owe obeisance to it (i.e. Christendom as the whole Christian world under the Pope's jurisdiction).--per MLL

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. seat.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(i)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. going out of the seat.

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