Middle English Dictionary Entry
skimmen v.
Entry Info
| Forms | skimmen v. Also skim(me, skime(n, skem(e(n; p. pl. scimed, skemed; ppl. skimmet, skimed(e, skem(m)ed, i)skemede. |
| Etymology | Either a back formation from skimmǒur n. or from OF escumer, eskumer (cp. Belgian F dial. eskemer, var. of écumer). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. scomen v.
1.
(a) To skim impurities from (a liquid); clarify (butter); skim impurities or fat from liquid in a pot containing (sth.); also, remove the impurities from the surface of (the white of an egg); ~ awei, skim off (impurities from honey); also, remove (sth.) [quot.: ?c1425]; ppl. skimminge, removing impurities from a liquid; (b) to cause (a liquid) to froth; cause (foam) to form; (c) to search (the sea, countryside) for enemies; scour (the sea for enemies); patrol (the sea).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)159a/a : Muste and þinges þat beeþ y-sode been yskemede & purgede of fome.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)317b/b : Þe leche skymmeþ away þat filþe [of honey] sliliche wiþ a feþer.
- a1400 Roy.17.A.3 Cook.Recipes (Roy 17.A.3)149.8/5 : Take a quart of fyn wort, half a quart of lyf hony, & sette it ouer þe fier & lete it seþe, & skyme it wel til it be cleer.
- a1425(a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)113.67/3 : Take connynges and smyte hem in gobetes and waissh hem and do hem in feyre water and wyne, & seeth hem and skym hem.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)26a/b : Expumo: skemen [Pepys: to scum; Cnt: spumam auferre].
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)11b : Þe juis of þe flour and hony y-sode to-gedir in a clene brasse pann, well skemmyd till hit be þick, no oynement so gode for þe eyne.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)158b/a : Take fyue ounce off galle of ane oxe & sette it on þe fyre & seþ it wele & skymme it.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)459 : When the scome is ful gedred, take a skymmour and skym away the ey with all the scome theraboute.
- a1450 Diseases Women(2) (Sln 2463)76 : Lete hyre drynke þe jus of mente & of popy & of planteyne, clarified and skymede.
- a1450 Hrl.Cook.Bk.(1) (Hrl 279)7 : Salt it an skeme it clene, an let it kele.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)90/242 : Boyle heme togedr, alway skymmynge with a skymmere till it be clene.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)71 : Take þe two parties of þe licour and þe þridde part of hony, boiled and skemed.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)198 : Put hyt [urine] in apanne ouer þe fuyr & skem hyt wel as long as eny skemmyng wol aryse.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)p.50 : In pan or skelet þou shalt hit frye, In buttur wele skymmet wyturly.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)168/2 : Skymme it allwey as it rysith..And lett it boyle so longe þat it be as thykke as thykke hony.
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)32b/4 : Þis is..sone sesed with a diet temperat and white of an eye swynged and skemyde [L despumato] and layed in the eyne.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)158b/b : Some [read: Fome] hatte spuma and hath þat name for it is y-fomed oþer y-skemede [L spumatur]..and is ygendrede of filþe and hore in water.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)257/16 : Take hony..vinegre..& boile hem liȝtly at þe fier til it be wel skymed.
c
- ?a1425(a1400) Brut-1377 (Corp-C 174)310/23 : Þe Englissh men..ordeyneden a nave..& scymed [vr. skemed] þe see, & manly token & helde þe Ile of Caux.
- c1450(c1425) Brut-1419 (Cmb Kk.1.12)383/8 : Þe erle toke his meyne and went to schyppe, and skimmed the see and kepte þe see-costez, þat no maner enymys durste rowte vpon þe see.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)26/26 : So by Merlyons advice there were sente foreryders to skymme the contrey, and they mette with the foreryders of the Northe and made hem to telle which way the oste com.
- a1500 Brut-1430 (Hrl 266:Kingsf.)305 : To skevre and to skoure and to skeme [Glb: Kingsf.: the worshipfull Erle..the kynge comaundid to skure and to scomoure the se for his enemyes].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1435 Chaucer CT.Mil.(Bod 686)A.3550 : Skymme [Heng: We mowen swymme as in a barge].
Note: Intransitive use of sense (c) = 'float, move over the water'.--per REL