Middle English Dictionary Entry
act(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | act(e n. |
| Etymology | OF acte & L actus |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A deed, an action (either physical or mental); process, operation, activity; (b) a written record of an action; Actes of Apostles, a book of the New Testament; (c) a state of accomplishment or reality; in ~, actually, in fact.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)prol.405 : Thei leve noght..Upon her acte to procede.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.114 : I wol bistowe the flour of al myn age In thactes and in fruyt of mariage.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)142a/a : For þe egele, þe spirit of siȝt is..moost scharpe in acte and dede [L actu] of seynge and byholdynge þe sonne.
- c1410 Chaucer CT.Fri.(Hrl 7334)D.1486 : We ben goddis instrumentes..to don his comaundementes..In diuers act [Cmb Dd: actes; Heng: art] and in diuers figures.
- a1425(?a1400) Cloud (Hrl 674)3/6 : Þei ben ful graciously disposid..to be parceners in þe hieȝste pointe of þis contemplatiue acte.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.46 : I..desired to putten forth in execucion and in act of comune administracioun thilke thynges that I hadde lernyd.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)149b/b : Cure forsoþ wiþ manuale acte [*Ch.(2): handwerk] ys double, Som palliatif, som proprely curatyue.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)1 : Dedys of cheualrie and actis of armis.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)347 : Thorgh yow is my name lorn, And alle myn actes red and songe Over al thys lond.
- c1450 My ladyes (Frf 16)115 : Your trouth kept ye neuer in no manere, But wheras Wenus actys ben to done.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)25 : Aftir þe acte was do, a lord enqwirid of þis poete whi he ros not.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)141 : It is right selde þat Ffrenchmen be hanged ffor robbery, ffor thai haue no hartes to do so terable an acte.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)3.51 : The actes and disportes Olimpicalle were institute to the honore of Iubiter.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)108/78 : Without working of good actes in good service may no man ben accepted.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4326 : Who so wol seke actes of sondry remes, May rede of dremes many a wonder thyng.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pard.(Manly-Rickert)C.574 : Alle the souereyn actes..Of victories in the olde testament..Were doon in abstinence.
- c1425 Bible SNT(1) (Cmb Dd.12.39)Deeds p.123 : Here bigynnes þo actus of apostuls.
- a1450(c1405) Purvey Determ.(Trin-C B.14.50)171/52 : Þis is confermede in Actes of Apostilis þere as þe Apostilis weren but rude men & fischeris.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.405 : Seynte Luke and Seynte Paule did wryte the Actes of the Apostles in the cite of Rome.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)29b/a : Hete bringiþ forþ in to acte and dede schappis & liknesses þat beþ I hid in materes.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)64a/b : Þer is forsoþ anoþer speciale maner of restreynyng flux þat is redi to be made, þof alle it be not in acte [L actu non sit].
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)112a/a : Gouernaunce forsoþ curatif, when the lepre is in acte [L actu] not confermed, haþ 4 intensions.
- c1450 Art Number.(Ashm 396)47/16 : Seithe Boice in Arsemetrike that vnyte potencially is al nombre, and none in act.
2.
A law or ordinance enacted by a governing body; a judicial decision; ~ of Parlement, an enactment of the English Parliament.
Associated quotations
- (1425) RParl.4.267b : As proveth of recorde by ye same acte, and in yis fourme.
- (1427) RParl.4.326b : Grauntyng..certain pouoir, ye wich is specified and conteined in an Act of ye said Parlement.
- (1439) RParl.5.7b : Savyng to alle the Kings Lieges there Title..in the seide Duchees..this Acte notwithstandyng; and that this Ordinance endure to the ende of v yere next ensuyng.
- (1450) RParl.5.189a : The seide Petition or Act of Resumption shall not extende to the prejudice of..William Rous.
- (1454) GRed Bk.Bristolpt.2 p.51 : What man dooth the contrarie of this Ordinaunce and acte [etc.].
- c1460 Oseney Reg.198/7 : Actes In the prebendall church of Buckeden.
- (1461) LRed Bk.Bristol2.128 : Prouide alwey and excepte, that thes acte strecche not to any mannes wyfe of the Crafte of Weuers now levyng at the makyng of thes acte.
- (1466) Paston (Gairdner)4.218 : Be ther opiniounis, the Acte of Parlement is a tytyll of recorde.
- (1473) RParl.6.81a : Provided alwey, that this Acte of Resumption, or any other Acte made..in this present Parlement, extend not..unto [etc.].
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)350/3 : The sentens of thys acte is..that the seyd abbas & couent sholde receyue ther afturward all tythys of hey.
3.
Med. (a) The function of a bodily organ; (b) the active phase of a disease; (c) the action of a medicine.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)16b/a : Þe acte [*Ch.(2): acte i. dede] of þe stomac forsoþ is for to dygeste bi þe hete of his owne carnositee.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)99b/a : Þat, in conseruyng, þe membre be conforted and reduced to his actez or dedez.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)10a/a : In euery membre, 9 þinges were to be seyne..þe substaunce, þe complexioun, þe quantite, þe nombre, þe schappe, & þe fastnyng to gedre, þe actes or dedes, & the profites, and..the sekenessis.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)143b/a : The sekenesses of þe tonge lettynge his acte i. dede ben distemperures, vlceres..swellynge.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)107a/b : In curacioun of þe gout ar comonly attended 2 þyngez..la. is to preserue bifore þat it come, 2a. to cure whilez it diseseþ in acte.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)110b/a : Acte i. doyng [*Ch.(2): dede] forsoþ of þe lepre is noying of þe vertue ysaid which comeþ of sperplyng of melancolie bi þe body. And þis acte is said to haue 4 tymes: Bigynnyng, augmentyng, state, & declinacioun.
c
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)70/22,23 : Þer owe to be putte noþing cold in acte bot hote, ffor..cold þingz in acte bene enemys to bonez.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)72/24 : And al þise [medicynes] be giffen leuke in acte [L actu tepida].
4.
The active principle.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)28b/a : Mannes body of þe whiche body þe soule is act & perfectioun.