Middle English Dictionary Entry
skēr(e adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | skēr(e adj. Also scker(e, schere, sher(e & (early) scēre, scẹ̄re; comp. (early) skerre, sckerre. |
| Etymology | ON (cp. OI skærr) & LOE scēr, skēr (from ON); some forms perh. influenced by ME shīr(e adj. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. shir(e adj., skir(e adj., sher(e Thuresdai phr.
1.
(a) Blameless, innocent, faultless; of speech: honest, straightforward, sincere; maken quite and ~, to consider (sb.) blameless; prove (oneself) innocent; (b) free (from sin), absolved; ~ of actual, free of actual sin; ~ of sinne(s; (c) free, unhindered; also, ?on one's own, left to one's own devices [quot.: a1225, 2nd]; quite and ~, free from prison; relieved of an obligation; gon quite and ~, to go free, go wherever one wants; (d) safe (from sth.), secure; ~ of harm, unharmed; (e) deprived (of bliss, possessions), bereft; (f) of the weather: clear, bright; (g) attenuated, rarefied, not dense; (h) in surname.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)162/19 : For hwon he beo þe skerre, as is ilich þe mon þe haueð on him monie deadliche wunden, [etc.].
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)179/5 : Hwa is þenne skerre [Cleo: sckerre] & mare ut of þe world þen pilegrimes?
- ?a1300 Sayings St.Bede (Dgb 86)28 : Makein ous clene and skere, Þat we in heuene..Ben ho wiþ-outen ende.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)622 : Marie turnede, of wordes freo and of vilenie quijt and sker.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)432/100 : Euere he ladde wiþ him þe asse as wo seiþ lo her Him for wan ȝe chidde wiþ me nou ȝe witeþ me sker.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)843 : Darstow in to bataile go, Al quite & skere ȝou make?
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)1075 : He agulte þorw þe and elles he wer skere.
- a1400(?c1280) SLeg.Nativ.M&C (Stw 949)294 : Þo Iosep hadde ydronke þerof, he ȝeode aboute þe auter Seue siþe þat eche man it say þat he was þerof sker [StJ-C: cler].
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1261 : Þe knyȝt with speches skere A[n]swared to vche a cace.
- (1447) Shillingford21 : Gode and gentell longage and shere y have of that other party, and that they will abyde the rule of the lordys.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)881 : Some dampnede Launfal þere, And some made hym quyt and skere; Hare tales were well breme.
b
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)424/140 : Ich am..a seli gost..ich am her In mi purgatorie, forte ich beo of mine sunnes scker.
- (a1333) Herebert Cryst (Add 46919)16 : Of sunne make ous sker.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)105/183 : Þe man hys sckere of actuel, Ac he [read: ho] hys here so bryȝt?
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.203 : Egwynus..seide þat he schulde be skeer of his synnes whenne his gyves were unloke by virtue of God.
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)1144 : Wolde þat his lymes all ipyned were, To maken vs of sunne al quit and skere.
- a1450(a1400) SLeg.Corp.Chr.(Bod 779)238 : He..was bore of þe mayde þat was of sinne skere.
c
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)2389 : Wih þon þe he lette sckere hine & his ifere.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)6364 : Heo..habbeð iqueðen us scere, nu & auere-mare.
- a1300 I-hereþ nv one (Jes-O 29)372 : At eure Muchele feste euervyche yere Schal ich þere gywene kyng lete gon al skere?
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)438 : Wolle ȝe me ihere, Ȝif ȝe of Egiþte [read: Egipte] lond wolleþ faren skere.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.568 : He..brouȝt þe out of his prisoun & made þe quite & skere.
- ?1316 SMChron.(Roy 12.C.12)252 : He yef gret truage to Rome, Thre hondred pound by yer, Er he moste be quite and sker.
- c1390 Disp.GM & Devil (Vrn)396 : Þenne miȝt þou go boþe quit and sker, Wher þou wolt.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)7936 : Sire ffortiger þe kyng þankede God þo, Þat so quit & sker had lat hym go.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)297 : For loue of swete Jhesus, Now let vs passe skere.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)429 : Fyfty delyuerede pouere prysouns And made ham quyt and schere.
d
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)45/480 : Ne ne schulen ha neauer beo sker of ure weorre.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)72/22 : Þine briddes þet beoð þine gode werkes beoð al sker [Tit: scher] of his atter.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)190/27 : Inoh is iseid þruppe hwi þe gode nis neauer sker [Tit: siker] of alle fondunges.
- a1275 Louerd asse þu ard (Trin-C B.14.39)132 : Make us scere forto ben from þe fendes net.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)9/43 : He..of eche harm was sker.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)5835 : If þow wolt be y-fulled heer þar-of, þanne ert þow skeer.
e
- a1275 Doomsday (Trin-C B.14.39)39 : Of blisse ȝe beoþ skere, For ȝe owre sunnen of þisse worlde bere.
- a1275 Louerd asse þu ard (Trin-C B.14.39)61 : Of þe blisse of paradis al heo weren scere, & binumet hire mete in þornes & in brere.
- a1275 Þene latemeste dai (Trin-C B.14.39)46 : Of þine riche weden nou þu ard al scere.
- ?a1300 Doomsday (Dgb 86)st.37 : In to berninde fuir, of blisse ȝe beþ skere.
f
- a1450 in James Cat.MSS Peterh.350 : Dreufull lady goddys moder in mornyng schere..þu had in þe behaldyng yat gud lord.
g
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)332b/b : Þe more sadde a body is, þe more heuy it is, and þe more schere and þynne, þe more liȝt it is y-founde.
h
- (1301-2) Name in LuSE 3571 : Sherlock.