Middle English Dictionary Entry
spāde n.
Entry Info
| Forms | spāde n. Also spad. |
| Etymology | OE spadu, spada. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A tool for digging, spade, shovel; also fig.; (b) in cpds.: ~ grafe, q.v.; ~ iren, the iron with which a wooden spade is shod; ~ land [cp. MDu., MLG spadelant], ?reclaimed or cultivated marshland; ~ tre, the shaft or handle of a spade; (c) in surnames.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)550/26 : Uanga uel fossorium: spade.
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)175/15 : Ȝif eax ne kurue, ne ðe spade ne dulue, ne ðe suluh ne erede, hwo kepte ham uorte holden.
- a1275 Þene latemeste dai (Trin-C B.14.39)25 : Nu sal þin halle wid spade ben wrout.
- c1300 SLeg.Cross (LdMisc 108)3/73 : Þo nomen huy spade and schouele..And bigonne forto deluen deope.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)296 : Qaunt poure femme mene la tresche; Plus la vaudrait en main la besche [glossed:] spade.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)108/23 : Þanne nymþ he [the Holy Spirit] his pic and his spade [Vices & V.(2): scholue] and beginþ to delue and to myny and geþ in-to his herte.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.553 : His berd..was brood..as though it were a spade [vr. spaade].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)253a/b : Vynes needeþ deluynge & parynge of þe grounde wiþ schouele, spade, or mattok.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21529 : He nam a spad in hand, Lang he delf.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)7.175 : Heremites henten hem spadis, And doluen drit & dung to ditte out hunger.
- a1425(?a1350) 7 Sages(2) (Glb E.9)1333 : Þai toke with þam bath hak and spade; Vnder þe erth a hole þai made.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)35a : He moote..ordeyne..for tool also as spades, schoueles, mattokis, & pykoyses þat nediþ to dikynge of dyches and mynynge of wallus.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)279/35 : Whan all is gadred..in þe siȝth of þi soule, make a spade of þi tounge and cast all..oute of þe dorre of þi mouthe.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)308/20 : As a spade hath thre partys, þat is, a scho, an heued, & an handyll, so þis spade pouert in spirite..doth thre thynges.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.163 : This shal be thende of alle welthe and prosperite: Eche man to be couered vndir cloddis with a spade.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)4/13a : Vanga: spade.
- a1500 Tan.Mir.Virg.(Tan 407)375/27 : Wit a spade þei dede deluyn in þe grounde..þat the rote þer-of myght be founde.
b
- (1277) in Salzman Building in Engl.330 : [3] spadetres [and 9] soueltrowes [bought for 12 d.].
- (1277) in Salzman Building in Engl.330 : [2] spadhisenes [and 4] souelhisene [..bought for 11 1/2 d.].
- (1336) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.78 : [300 acres called] spadelond [in the said marsh].
- (1342) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.78 : [His tenants held 300 acres of land called] Spadelond [in those marshes].
- (1356) Doc.in Riley Mem.Lond.283 : [One] spadierne.
- (1383-4) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100390 : Item, in uno spadyrin empt., 2 d. ob.
- (1411) in Rec.B.Nottingham 286 : j spadetree, j d.
- (1435) in Salzman Building in Engl.330 : [4] schoueltre [and] spadetre.
- (1472) Fabric R.Yk.Min.in Sur.Soc.3578 : Pro..iij dos. hespes et vj spadyrnes, et iij dos. snekes, 34 s. 6 d.
c
- (1246) Assize R.Lan.in LCRS 4774 : John Spadeberd.
- (1273) Close R.Edw.II9 : Thomas Spademan.