Middle English Dictionary Entry
smel n.
Entry Info
| Forms | smel n. Also smelle, smil(le, smal(le, (WM) smeol, (chiefly SW & early) smul, (early SWM) smeal(le. |
| Etymology | LOE (12th cent. sg.dat.) smelle; also cp. ME smellen v. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Smell as a property of matter; the odor of something (land, water, a flower, etc.); (b) an inhalation of an odor, a whiff; also fig.; haven the ~ of the smakke, to detect the scent of something, smell; (c) the scent of an animal, esp. a poisonous scent; also, the sweet-smelling breath of an animal [1st & last quots.].
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)99 : Ac on þe holi fleis bileueð þe shap and hiu and smul of ouelete, and on þe holi blod hew and smul of win.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1009 : Neddren..deieþ þoru smul of þe lond.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)177/30 : Huanne þet weter is y-sset þer ne blefþ no colur ase ine melk, ne smel ase ine wyn.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Job 14.9 : His stoc at þe smel of water shal buriownen.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.83 : Oþere þere beeþ þat haueþ no mouth and lyueþ by odour and smelles.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)311a/b : Affter colours it is to spekynge of odours and of smelles.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3106 : His tend..brend..þe smel was suette þat soght til heuen.
- a1425 KAlex.(LinI 150)2557 : Swote is þe smeol of flour.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)80a : Tutesayne..beryth black bayes..the smyll of hym makes men and women caste.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)100/36 : Colre..is double..The natural is an humour..declynynge to a manere citryne, and scharpe in smell and in sauour.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)442 : Savowre or smel: Odor.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)63 : Þe smel of wermode wole make þe sike to slepe.
- a1475 *Sidrak & B.(Lnsd 793)6912 : Wellis of watris þou may see Of diuers colours..But..Smel of watir alle þei make.
b
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.2284 : He hadde the firste smel of fartes three.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)461 : Þe raven..hade þe smelle of þe smach, and smoltes þeder sone.
- (c1456) Pecock Faith (Trin-C B.14.45)205 : Whiche bokis, if ȝe wolen rede diligentli..and not forto take an hasti smel or smatche in hem..ȝe schulen fynde in hem..greet witt.
c
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)610 : Ut of his ðrote cumeð asmel mid his rem forð oueral ðat ouer cumeð haliweie wið swetnesse.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)132/114 : Ac hi vareþ as deþ þe blod hond at bigynnynge of þe ȝere Þe smul haþ wel of euerich best, of hare & ek of dure, Ac wanne þe hauþorn bigynneþ to blowe al it is forlore.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.159 : Basiliscus is kyng of serpentes þat wiþ smyl and siȝt sleeþ beestes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)274a/b : Cocatrice..is king of serpentes, and þey..fleeþ whanne þey seeþ him, for he sleeþ hem with his smyl and wiþ his breþ.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)52b : Nepis..helith black spotte and all venym wormes þe smyl þere of sleyth.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1017 : O noble pantere! of thi breth the smylle, Swete and pleasaunt to beest & briddis alle.
2.
(a) An aromatic substance; also fig.; (b) a pleasant odor, an enticing smell; also fig.; best (god, hevenli, lustful, noble, sote, swete) ~.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Roy 17.A.27)35/283 : Swete softe iesu, alre smealle [Bod: smelle] swotest, þu al-weldende godd.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Prov.27.9 : With oynement & dyuerse smellis deliteþ þe herte.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)216a/b : Balsamum is y-sette tofore all smyllis.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)11567 : Marye Maudeleyn..broȝt a smel of grete sauour.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)11503 : Bot attropa gaue gift of mirr, A smell [Vsp: smerl] of selcuth bitternes þat did man cors wid smerled es.
- c1400 Apoc.(2) (Hrl 171)27/11 : Þe foure and twenti eldir men felden doun bifore þe lomb, alle hauynge golden harpis, and violis ful of swete smellis, þat ben þe preieris of seyntis.
b
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)53 : Þurh þe sweote smel of þe chese he bicherreð monie mus to þe stoke.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)32/296 : Se swote smeal [Tit: smal] ham folheð hwider se ha wendeð.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)56/17,18 : Vre lauerd..þreateð ham wið helle stench þe habbeð delit her i fleschliche smealles [Nero: smelles]..Þer toȝeines ha schulen habben heouenliche smealles [Nero: smelles] þe habbeð her of irnes swat.
- c1300 SLeg.Magd.(2) (LdMisc 108)618 : Þo cam wit hire swuch a smul..þat swuch ne smulden huy neuerer non.
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)467 : Þare cam smite out a swote smel, and wide a-boute gan sprede.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)10 : Wiþ a pound of oynement ȝeo smerede his ffet..al þe hous was yffuld of þe smel.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.620 : A swete braþe com fram his bodi..Þat in þis world spices alle No miȝt cast a swetter smalle.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)204/6 : Þe þridde stape is wel to loki..þe nase uram to moche lostuolle smelles.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)2168 : Þe wandes þan thoght he for to take..And fra þe erth when he drogh þam out, So noble smell was þam o-bout.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.27.27 : Þe smell of my sonn as þe smell of afull feeld to þe which þe lord blysside.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)129b/a : Floures in gardynes and in medis ȝeueþ swete smellis þanne al aboute.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)209b/a : A Tre wiþ good smelle haþ som tyme þe goode smylle in þe rynde and som tyme in þe flour..as it fareþ..in mace þat is a flour.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1122 : Legyounes of aungelez..Þer kesten ensens of swete smelle.
- c1400 *Aelred Inst.(1) (Vrn)862 : Lord, suster, whoþer þu haue no gostly smel in þy sowle of þis precious liquour?
- c1400 Apoc.(2) (Hrl 171)21/2 : Schewynge of þingis to comynge is þe smel of swetnesse of þe euerlastinge lijf.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (LdMisc 210)11/14 : 'I lylye of þe valeys,' þat is, most white, chast loue, and most smel ȝeueþ.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)2 Cor.2.14 : To god forsoþe be thankynges þe whyche..makys opyn þe smel of hys knowyng by vs in eche stede.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)353/40 : Here pacience casteþ to me riȝt good swete smylle.
- c1450(a1400) Lavynham Treat.7 Dead.Sins (Hrl 211)22/1 : In dyuersyte of metis & gret variacion of smellis & sauorys gredynesse can no mesure.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)135/9 : Þei southe Ihesus..with oynttementes of swete smell.
- c1475(?c1451) Worcester Bk.Noblesse (Roy 18.B.22)70 : His gardins..were so proporcionallie in a convenient distaunce sett..and the herbers of so soote smyllis of flouris..that it was the joieust..sighte that ever..Lisander had see beforne.
- a1500 Let.Alex.(Wor F.172)451 : I saw bawme with the best odour and smel of al the trees..most habundauntly wellyng.
3.
A rank or offensive smell; also fig.; hevi (ivel, stinkinge, unhoneste) ~.
Associated quotations
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.137 : Corn, gras, and ryndes of trees..were a-dreynt..in þe see of Affrica, and afterward were i-þrowe grete hepes þerof on londe..þat stank so foule..þat þe smyl þerof slouȝ boþe bestes and foules.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)30.288/34 : Þat squier..haþ muche in his bodi stinkyng synne of lecheri, þat I ne may þole his smel.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.885 : Men may hem knowe by smel of brymstoon, For al the world they stynken as a goot.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)319a/a : Chose melk..schal haue..good odour wiþouten eny heuy smelle.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)6/30 : Þei made þat pece..so þat the smell of his body scholde not greue men þat wente forby.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)11140 : As he lyued..In hide, In hew, In flesch, In fel, Sat Ector ther with-oute smel.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)81/27 : That quytter forsoþe is preysed þe whiche is whyte and euen by al, wantynge euel smel.
- c1475(a1400) Amadace (Tay 9)p.30 : Butte in his nace smote suche a smelle That there myȝte he no lengur duelle.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)14347 : For..vnhonest smell þer wold non buske with hym to byde.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)15927 : Þe smoke þer of and als þe smell..May dryfe owt all þe dewls of hell.
- (a1475) Recipe Painting(2) in Archaeol.J.1 (Sln 73)153 : Thanne is thi vermyloun maad..go not therto fastynge, for thou schalt fynde a wickid breeth of smel.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)2035 : No good odour is contrarye to a nothire; But it is not so of stynking smyllis, For stynch of garleke voidiþ stynch of dong hillis.
4.
(a) The sense of smell; also, the power of smelling; (b) the sense of taste.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)17/5 : Me wreið min herte of ða fif wittes..ȝesihthe, ȝeherhþe, smac, and smell, and tactþe.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)55/11 : Smeal [Nero: Smel] of nease is þe feorðe of þe fif wittes.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)822 : Þonne is þe hundes smel fordo; He not þurs þe imeinde smak Weþer he shal auorþ þe abak.
- a1300 Bestiary (Arun 292)3 : Ðe leun..man hunten here Oðer ðurg his nese smel Smake ðat he negge.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)269b/b : This sleynge addre..may nought wel folowe his enemy by sight, but..by hierynge and smylle [L olfactu].
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)361/2 : Euery lyme & euery membre traueliþ in þat werk..þe iȝe in his lokyng, þe eere in his heerynge, þe smyl in his smyllinge, þe taast in his tastynge.
b
- a1200 Trin.Hom.(Trin-C B.14.52)183 : Ðan þe sowle..tuneð to hire fif gaten..and here wiken hem binimeð..Eien here sene..nose here sneuenge and muð here smel, [etc.].