Middle English Dictionary Entry
snīten v.
Entry Info
| Forms | snīten v. Also snit(e, snithen; sg.3 sniteth, etc. & snit; p. snitte; ppl. snited, isnit, isnut. |
| Etymology | OE snȳtan; also cp. ON (cp. OI snȳta) & MDu. snuiten. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To blow one's nose; blow (one's nose); also [1st quot.], with punning ref. to 1st quot. in (b); (b) to snuff (a candle); also, tweak or pull (a person's nose with tongs); ~ oute; (c) hawk. to wipe (the beak) after feeding [cp. snouen v.(2), snouten v.].
Associated quotations
a
- a1325 SLeg.Dunstan (Corp-C 145)91 : As god þe ssrewe hadde ibeo habbe ysnut [Hrl: ysnyt] atom is nose.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)152 : Homme morue et nees muche; M. snyfterith and nose snyt.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Prov.30.33 : Who hugely snyteth drawith out blood.
- ?a1425 Const.Masonry(1) (Roy 17.A.1)745 : Kepe thyn hondes, fayr and wel, From fowle smogynge of thy towel; Theron thou schalt not thy nese snyte.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)461 : Snytyn a nese..Emungo, mungo.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)284 : Pike not youre nose..Snyff nor snitynge hyt to lowd lest youre souerayne hit here.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)189/7 : Whoso ouer-harde Snythyth the noos, he draueth blode, and therfor wyth benurtee and fayre chere thou Sholdyst reproue, and the trespace lyghtely foryewyn.
b
- c1300 SLeg.Dunstan (Hrl 2277)85 : Mid his tonge he snytte hire nose and tuengde hire sore.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Ex.37.23 : He made also seuene lanternes, with her snytyng tongis, and the vessels where tho thingis, that ben snytid out, ben quenchid, of clennest gold.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)461 : Snytyn..a candyl: Emungo, mungo.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)116b : To Snyt..a candyll: mungere, demungere, emungere.
c
- a1450 *Rwl.Bk.Hawking (Rwl C.506)312b : An hawke snytyth [Bk.St.Albans leaf a vi/a: snytith or seuith] hyr beke & not wypyth.