(a) The male child of a human being, pagan deity, or personified abstraction, a son; first (seconde, thridde) ~, first-born (second-born, third-born) son; (b) ~ of neveu, neveus ~, nephew's son, grandnephew; aunte ~, an aunt's son, a first cousin; doughter (sones) ~, daughter's (son's) son, grandson; em(es ~, uncle's son, first cousin [see also em n.(1) 4.]; also, nephew's son, grandnephew [quot. a1425 *Medulla vr.]; suster (susteres, brother) ~, sister's (brother's) son, nephew; sone(s wif, son's wife, daughter-in-law; (c) ~ child, a son; ~ and heir; ~ to, son of (sb.); ~ unto, son of (a god); fre ~, a male child born to a free woman; moder(es ~ [see moder n. 8.(a)]; sonnes ~, the sun's son [glossing L (ult. Gr.) proper name Eliades]; habben to ~, to have (sb.) as son; taken on sones stede, adopt (sb.) as a son; (d) a foster son; also, one who assumes the role of a son to someone else; (e) the male offspring of an animal; pl. the young (of an eagle); (f) in proverbs and prov. expressions.

(a) A male descendant more remote than a son; also, a female descendant [1st quot.]; pl. descendants, members of a clan or tribe (of a specified ancestor); ~ of david (abraham), a male descendant of David (Abraham); sones of amon (benjamin, levi), Ammonites (Benjaminites, Levites); sones of the jewes, Jews by birth; (b) ~ of david, davides ~, a term for the Messiah, the Christ; -- specif. applied to Jesus of Nazareth.

Applied to Jesus of Nazareth: (a) as the Son of God; (b) as the second person of the Trinity; fader and ~ and holi gost; -- often used in formulas; (c) as the son of Mary; ~ seinte marie, seinte marie ~; (d) in selected phrases: ~ of grace; ~ (and heir) of heven; ~ of the heighest; wulderes ~.

Theol. ~ of god, godes ~: (a) used as a title for the Messiah, the Christ; (b) used specif. of Jesus of Nazareth, regarded as the promised Messiah; (c) sones of god, divine beings; angels.

Theol. ~ of man, manes ~: (a) a mortal man, human being; (b) used as a title for the Messiah, the Christ; (c) used specif. of Jesus of Nazareth, regarded as the promised Messiah; also, man ~.

One who stands in a spiritual relationship like that of a son or child: (a) to another human being, esp. a religious superior or mentor; -- often used as a term of address by a bishop to his subordinates, a prophet to his people, a saint to his disciple, etc.; (b) to the church; (c) to God or Jesus Christ; sones of god (the heighest), godes sones; kinges sones of heven.

(a) An inhabitant, a native; sones of israel, the Israelites [some or all quots. may belong to 2.(a); cp. Israel n. (a)]; sones of the reaume, the Jews; (b) ?a dependency, dependent village.

As a term of address: (a) for a pupil; (b) for a young man, esp. one of lower rank; also, for one addressed by a pagan goddess [last quot.].

Fig. (a) One who inherits the spirit or displays the character of someone or something; ~ of mars; sones of belial (the fend); develes (epicurus, helle, wrakes, etc. ) ~; (b) one who pratices something; sones of (in) cursinge; sones of withdrauinge; (c) one characterized by the presence or influence of a quality, vice, virtue, etc.; ~ of grace (ire, pes); sones of obedience (unbileve, etc.); (d) sones of biheste, children of the promise, believers who are to be saved; sones of wratthe and dampnacioun, persons worthy of damnation; fendes ~, one who by rights belongs to the devil.

(a) ~ of perdicioun (lernesse, los), ~ o (of) tinsel, the Antichrist [see also perdicioun 2.(a)]; (b) ~ of perdicioun (dampnacioun, los, loste), Judas; (c) as an epithet for a naughty child: ~ o (of) deth, ~ of los, ~ o tinsel; as an epithet for a wicked fellow: ~ of the devel.

Fig. A concomitant virtue regarded as descended from another virtue.

A man, fellow; pl. persons, human beings.

In phrase: the ~ of oile, a fruitful place [transl. of Vulgate L filius olei].

In surnames.