Middle English Dictionary Entry
sineu n.
Entry Info
Forms | sineu n. Also sineue, sineou, sinou(e, sinue(u, sinu(e, sinuu, sin(u)we, sin(e, sinoghe, sinnou, sinnu, cineu, cinwe, seneu(e, senou(e, senue, senwe, cenu, zeneu, (error) syewe; pl. sineues, etc. & sinuen, sineis, sinneues, sinnes, zines, sennes, sennus, senwe, cenowes & (early SWM) seonew(w)en, senuwen, (early) sinan, (nom., acc., gen.) sina, (dat.) sinum & (error) senouns. |
Etymology | OE seonu, sinu, acc. sine, sinwe, sinuwan, dat. sinwe, LOE sinewe, pl. seonuwa, seonowe, seonwe, senwe, sinwe, sina, gen. sina, dat. seonowum, sinum; also cp. ON: cp. OI sin. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A fibrous cord connecting a muscle to a bone or other bodily part, a tendon; a ligament or other connective tissue; also, a muscle [quot.: ?a1450 Macer]; hole in ~ and veine, completely healthy; kne (hough) ~, the hamstring; thurgh nerve and ~, throughout the body; tasten ~ and veine, to examine a patient thoroughly; (b) the tendon of an animal used for food; -- also coll.; (c) the tendon of an animal used in the construction of bows or military machines; (d) the tendon of an animal used to bind someone; a fetter.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)41/9 : Gnid þisse wyrte leaf wið sealte, sete þanne on ða feot & on ða sina, þanne ys þæt ȝewislice lacedom.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)259/9 : Wið syna ȝetoȝe, gate tord meng wið ecede & smire mid.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)7/18 : Eal þat heafod byð hefi..and þa sinan on þan hneccan særȝiað.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)25/25 : Hyra swyran mid þan sinum fortogen beoþ.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)33/17 : Þa sina fortoȝiað [L tremunt nervi] and eal se lichama byþ faþ.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3239 : Þat deor..for-bat him þa breste, ban and þa senuwen.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Marg.(1) (Bod 34)18/4 : Ich wulle tellen hwen þu al to-toren art..alle þine seonewwen [Roy: seonewen].
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)2392 : Hondene and Armes he to-drovȝ mest of ech-on, Þat þere nas no flesch bi-leued, bote senue [Corp-C: synuen; Hrl: synes] and bare bon.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1804 : Iacob..wrestelede an engel wið; Senwe sprungen fro ðe lið.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)26/48 : Þo he was yscourged so þat me miȝte iseo ech bon And euerich ioint and synueu.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)41/914 : Þe ȝongeman seȝ þe childes peyne, And tasted his senewe [7S(2) vr. senows] and his veyne.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)2781 : Þe syns brast; þat was no wonder.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)1 Par.18.4 : Dauiþ..kutte þe kne [WB(2) vr. houȝ] senewis of alle þe hors of þe charis.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.411 : Þanne his senewes [Higd.(2): senowes] gonne to schrynke so þat he schulde have i-deied anon.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.690 : Vsage of labour..maketh..the laborer to haue stronge armes and harde synwes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)63b/b : Þe ioyntes beþ faste couplid togedres with synewys.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3941 : Iacob was þan hurt wel sare, þe maister sinu of his the þat all his liue þan halted he.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1917 : A philosopher..lykend mans lyf til a tre..growand..Thurgh a mans hert..Yf þat tre war tite pulled oute..Þe rotes suld þan rayse þar-with Ilka vayn and ilka synoghe and lith.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)84b : Wylwe th e rote sodyn in wyne..makiþ syneous harde and brekiþ bilis.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)35/8 : Ligamentis or bondes beþ of kynde of synowes.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)8.1602 : A kniht vnknowe..With a sharp spere thoruh euery synwe & veyne, Of this tiraunt roof the herte on tweyne.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)78 : Cynew [Win: Cynwe], or cenu, of armys or leggys: Nervus.
- c1440 Bonav.Medit.(3) (Thrn)206 : In this hevy fallynge, all þe Ioyntes & cenowes of his blesside body braste in-sondire.
- a1450(c1400-25) Legat Serm.PD (Wor F.10)11/72 : Alle þe veynus & te sennus in Christis bodi to-barste.
- a1450 *Liber Cophonis (Add 34111)57/468 : Þis medicine is gode for alle whelkes þat bien in synneus.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)353/132 : A roope schall rugge hym doune Yf all his synnous go a-soundre.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)102 : Vyldemalwe..alaxeþ þe synues of þe matrice.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)14969 : Þou mad [Lngl: made me] of erth and clay with bonys and synows [vr. synuvs] semly to se.
- c1450 *Bk.Marchalsi (Hrl 6398)6a : He is to blame, þat smyt hym wyth þe sporis, til þat his senouns [read: senoues] and hys veynis be dis-gourdyd.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)4047 : He feld him hale in syn and vayne.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)70/15 : To stawnche blod of weyne or of synuwe.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)588 : Þe egge of þe panne met with his shyn And karff a too a veyn & þe next syn.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)163/36 : Wyne, qwan it is dronkyn owte of mesur..febyllyth þe synowys and joyntis.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)241/30 : The entre of the stomake is synnowy..the synnowis bene of colde kynde, and the flesshe of hote.
- a1500(?c1440) Lydg.HGS (Lnsd 699)389 : Of his hed boiled..Ther comyth a gelle..It..Causith men starkid bonys to recur, Dede synnewis restorith a-geyn to live.
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)24b/7 : If þat stede be full of sennes, it behowt that þe stede rot, for þe thyng that streynyth, holdith the wheter with in, and so all þe lyme rotethe.
b
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1805 : Wulde he [Jacob] non senwe siðen eten.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3944 : O sinnu [Frf: sine] etes neuer juu.
- a1425(a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)112.66/2 : Take rawe pork..and pyke out þe synewes.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)37 : Take an howe of vele, & let boyle..& also choppe a-mong þe zynes of þe fete clene y-pikyd.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)37 : Take calfes fete..choppe þe Syneys in-to þe same milk rythte smal.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)182/572 : Synow, flesshe, vnclene porke, moch pepir, garlyke, bene perilous for thies [leprosy].
c
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)100a : Hit nedeþ the to haue wiþ-ynne þi strengthe grete plente of zenewes for grete engynes, grete arblasters, & grete bowes of brake.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2336 : Nerf is to haue or senewis aboundaunce, The crosbowyng to stringe and bowe of brake.
d
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)7195 : Wit seuen sinous wa sa me band, I tint my strenth o fote and hand.
- a1400 Primer (StJ-C G.24)82 : Thou settest my foot in a synewe, and thou hast kept alle my bypathes.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Judg.16.7 : If Y be boundun with seuene coordis of senewis..Y schal be feble as othere men.
- ?a1475 LDirige(2) (Dc 322)265 : In a synew thow hast my feet sette.
2.
A part of the body that transmits the capacity to feel or move from the brain or spinal cord, a nerve [sometimes confused with 1.(a)]; ~ of feling, feling (sensible) ~, a sensory nerve; crossed ~, the optic nerve; movinge ~, a motor nerve; reversif ~, the laryngeal nerve; speche ~, a lingual nerve [Latin nervus vocalis], supposed to control the tongue and so the power of speech.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)21a/b : Neruis obticus..is an holowȝ senewe & comeþ fro þe brayn..to þe blakes of þe eiȝen.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)37a/b : Þe synewis takeþ þe spirit of felynge of þe brayn and bereþ forþ to alle þe membris to make meuynge and felinge.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)85b/b : He þat haþ þis yuel [polyps] feliþ nouȝt þe stenche, & þat is for stoppinge of þe syewe [read: synewe] of smellinge.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)132b/a : Smoke..comeþ vp to þe brayne and stoppiþ þe senewys of felynge and brediþ sleep.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)24/17 : From þe brayn comen vij peire cordes, & þei ben clepid sensible senewis [L nerui sensibiles].
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)2.3.212 (f.32va; p.97) : Tuo synowes .. go .. to þe tunge, and þai ar called 'nerui vocales,' þe speche synowes, for vppon þe disposicioun of hem is sounyng of speche in þe tunge.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)48b/b : Þer cummen sinewes to þe tunge, boþe tastinge and motiue, fro þe ferþe and þe sexte paire of þe sinewes of þe braine.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)41/26 : Felynge synowes [*Ch.(1): neruez]..beþ ladde to þe eyȝen and to þe eres.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)42/4 : Of þe bakke..spryngen principaly þe movynge synowes.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)142/30 : Be ware of þe reuersif synowe þe whiche is þere, for by þe kyttynge of it þe voyce is lost.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)134/362 : By the synows all the body hath his mevynge.
- (c1454) Pecock Fol.(Roy 17.D.9)28/36 : Þo lijknessis..ben caried with labour of spiritis fro þe ballis of þe yȝen..into þe ynner crossid synow.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)13b/b : The senewe þat comeþ fro þe brayn & fro þe Nucha & goiþ forþ to meuen þe lymes is medlid wiþ a ligament, & whanne þe senewe & þe ligament beþ medlid togidere, þanne it is clepid a corde.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)11/23 : Taastyng is in þe mouþe, touching in þe nett of sinowis wouun..þoruȝ al þe fleisch of þe body.
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)24a/5 : Þer is no thyng that so smytithe in þe hede and senew as dothe wyn.
3.
A vein in a leaf.
Associated quotations
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)119/17 : Agnus castus..haȝt senewys in his lewys as it were lewys of plantanye.
4.
In surname.
Associated quotations
- (1309) Pat.R.Edw.II245 : Alan Synewebayn.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. sennon.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. sinew.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 2.), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. feeling sinew.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 2.), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. moving sinew.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 2.), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. reversive sinew.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 2.), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. sinew of feeling.