Middle English Dictionary Entry
sheltrǒun n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sheltrǒun n. Also sheltrone, -tron(ne, -trun, -drun, -trom(e, -trum, -tirne, -torn, shiltroun, -tron(e, -trun(ne, -trom(e, -trumme, -teroun, -terne, sholtrom, -trum, shultrom, cheltroun, -trone, chiltrone, (early) soltrome, sultrome & sheld(es)trome, (early) sceldtrume & (errors) schetrone, -trome, schilton, sheld In; pl. sheltrouns, etc. & sheltrunnes, shildrimes, (?errors) shiltrynges, schelchownys. |
| Etymology | From OE scild-truma, scyld-truma, sciltruma, scyltruma, sceltruma; cp. AF chiltron, scheltrom (borrowed from English). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A group of soldiers or an army in fighting formation; a tight battle formation or phalanx; right-half ~, the right wing of an army; (b) fig. of (a); (c) fighting, a battle; (d) a group of fighting ships, a fleet; (e) anat. a row or line of bones.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8170 : He nom his eorles..& his holdeste men..& makede his sceld-trume [Otho: one soltrome].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)13729 : Heo comen to þere uerde..& þene sceld-trume [Otho: sultrome] breken þe Bruttes þer heolden.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)46/993 : Þe ferste scheld trome [vr. schilton] Beues nam.
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)18/187 : Orfeo haþ his armes y-nome, & wele ten hundred kniȝtes wiþ him..Þai made scheltrom in ich a side.
- c1350 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Hrl 740:Koch)p.72 : Scheltroun: eschele.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)5542 : Wan þay ynto þe batayl entred were, Sone þus habbeþ þorw gon there þe scheldtromes of þaire fone.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.20.22 : Þe sonys of israel..in þe same place in whiche raþere þei stryuen þei dressedyn þe scheltrome [vr. schetrome].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.20.33 : Alle þe sonys of Israel risynge fro þeir seetys tiȝtyn scheltrome [vr. shiltron] in þe place þat is clepid Baalthamar.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)1 Kings 17.26 : Who, forsoþe, is he, þis philistee vncircumcidid, þe whiche reproueþ þe sheltromes [L acies] of þe god lyuynge?
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.61 : Þe Romayns wyfe..wente..bytwene þe scheltroms [vr. scholtroms; Higd.(2): hostes] and cryde pees.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.413 : Darius passede þe ryver Eufrates at mount Taurus wiþ foure hondred þowsand of foot men and an hondred þowsand of horsmen, and sette forþ þe scheltroun [vr. scholtrum].
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.195 : Pompeus his scheltrum [vr. schetrone] hadde fourty þowsand of foot men.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)284b/a : Elephantes..bereþ toures of tree & þroweþ doun scheltroms and men of armes.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)21.294 : Sheteþ out shot ynowh hus shultrom to blende.
- a1425(c1333-52) Minot Poems (Glb E.9)18/6 : Þat es a semely sight, With schilterouns faire and schene.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)1 Mac.9.1 : He puttide to eftsoone for to sende Bachides and Alchymus in to Judee, and the riȝt half schiltrun [WB(1): riȝt horn; L dextrum cornu] with hem.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)10640 : Many an-other moder sone He brak of bothe the scheltrone.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.6135 : Thou scornest hem that ther sheltrouns dresse Toward batailles for conquest and victorie.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)445 : Scheltron, of a batayl: Acies.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1992 : His archers..he ordaynede þeraftyre To schake in a sheltronne, to schotte when þam lykez.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)3512 : Þey bere þe launces vp and doun, On þe manere of a scheltroun [vr. cheltroun].
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)40a : Ȝif..þese archeres be noȝt myȝti to scomfite þe enemyes ne putte hem to fliȝt, þen schul þei wiþ-drawe hem behinde þe grete scheltrunnes.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)79a : It is bettre to make schortere and narwere scheltroms..þan to make wide and longe schel-troms [vr. scheltorn].
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)5619 : Þey made scheltroun [vr. shiltrynges] and batayle byde.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)5671 : There was non off hem so bolde To breke þe Sarezynes scheltrome [vr. shiltrome] Tyl Kyng R. was jcome.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)5786 : Also soone as he was come, He brak asundry þe scheltrome [vrr. chiltrone, shiltrone].
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)170/31 : Now kene knyghtys kythe ȝoure craftys and kyllyth knaue chylderyn..Shewyth on ȝour shulderys scheldys and schaftys, Shapyht amonge schel chownys ashyrlyng shray.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)1505 : Aȝens þe Crystene he sette scheldtrome.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)1595 : Þey hadde to holde stout scheldestrome Wyth soudanys ten.
- a1500(?a1400) Firumb.(2) (Fil)1533 : In Euery schyltrom were..Mo thanne ten þousand in Batayle to fyȝt.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)174/8 : He ordaynyd his shildrymes; steryn battaill he yaue.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)36/161a : Acies: the schylterne of a batayle.
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)31/29 : Thay brakyn har sheldrun [Dub: sheld In], and wentyn aftyr.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.81 : Mesure we vs wel and make owre faithe owre scheltroun.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)155/15 : Haile! maid and moder..Haile! scheltyrne, schours to schyelde.
- c1450(a1400) Orolog.Sap.(Dc 114)343/39 : Þis is þe poynt of aduersite be þe whiche þe best prevede knihtes sette in þe cheltrone of Criste bene most streytlye examinede.
- a1500(a1449) Lydg.Haste (Cmb Kk.1.6)151 : To vynqusche Sathan no scheltron is so good As Cristus Passion.
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)3 Esd.1.30 : Þe king seide to his children, 'moueþ me awei fro þe bataile..' & anoon his children moueden hym awei fro þe sheltrum.
d
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)119b : Bote &..þou moste nede fighte in þe opoun see, loke þou make þi scheltrun of þi schippes not forþ right in lengþe as þou doost in þe feeld, but sette hem half rounde like þe mone, so þat ȝif þyn enemy wil prese on the þou maist close hym with ynne þi corneres as in a bosum or a pynfold.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3239 : The sheltrun to-gedur, Þat fild were with folke & fyne gold to wale, Sesit vp þere sailes.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)6033 : Thaire shippis in sheltrons shotton to lond, Knyt hom with cables & with kene ancres.
e
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)14b/a : In which [the hand] bene 3 sheltrons or wardes of bonez [Ch.(2): egges of bones; L acies ossium].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)19b/b : In þe fote bene 2 sheltronez or wardez [*Ch.(3): scharpnes oþer schiltrouns] of bonez.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)54a/b : In þe first schiltrunne þer ben þre bones.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)54a/b : In þe secounde schiltrumme þer ben foure bones, and in þe ouer partie is a litil boxe in þe whiche þe firste bone off þe þoumbe is festende.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)23409 : Þai ran alle neu in cheliron [L caterua] thik, And on þar fas fulharde þai tik.
Note: New form: Also..(error) cheliron.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense (a).--notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. sheltron.