Middle English Dictionary Entry
sprẹ̄te n.
Entry Info
| Forms | sprẹ̄te n. Also sprẹ̄̆t, spreot, sprette, sprite, sprit(te, (in place name) sprot-. |
| Etymology | OE sprēot |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A pole, pike, or staff; (b) a pole used for propelling a boat, a punting pole; ~ or ore, ore and ~; (c) a bowsprit; (d) naut. in cpds. and combs.: ~ seile, the sail set under the bowsprit; ~ yerd, the yard slung under the bowsprit; bou ~, q.v.; long ~, a bowsprit; rof ~, a spare spar; (e) in place name [see Smith PNElem. 2.140].
Associated quotations
a
- (1397-8) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99215 : Pro sprettis et stramine emp. pro tectura.
- (1423-4) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99271 : Pro sprittis, wattillis, doubyngstoures.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)470 : Sprete, or qvante: Contus, conta, contum.
- c1440 St.Chris.(Thrn)300 : A lang sprete he bare in hande, To strenghe hym in þe water to stande.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)181 : Torrent vndyr hys [giant's] spryt he spred And a-bowght the body he hyme hente.
b
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)2754 : Sone as þe schipmen seie him out lepen, hastili hent eche man a spret or an ore & launced luþerly after him.
- (1396) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.76 : [In making the boat go he thrust a] sprete [to the bottom of the water, where it became fixed in the mud; and the boat moving on, the] sprete [dragged him into the water so that he was drowned].
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)857 : Þai swymmeþ wiþ spreet [LinI: spreot], draweþ wiþ honde, And þe shippes bryngeþ to londe.
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)12653 : Thei brende bothe mast & wynlase, Sterne & stere, ore & spretes.
- c1440(c1350) Octav.(1) (Thrn)103/472 : Sum hent an ore and som a sprete [vr. sprytt] The wylde lyones for to mete.
- c1450 Rich.(Add 31042)1867 : The maryners theym gane hye..With are and sprete and sayle also.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)601 : A sprette ouyr þe bord þey caste.
c
- (1399) RParl.3.444b : Les Communes..ont ewe graunde perde..par le rumper d'un cabel, rope, sprete, ou mast d'ascun Shoute.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)104 : Cables þay fasten..Spynde spak to þe sprete þe spare bawe-lyne.
d
- (1294-5) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 252 : In uno masto uno longspret et j Lof, j Seilyierd.
- (1350) *Acc.Exch.(PRO) 25/32 [OD col.] : Rofsprete.
- (1399-1401) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 296 : De byrlynges xxiiij, De rofspretes ij.
- (1417) *For.Acc.(PRO) 8 Hen.V G/1 [OD col.] : j dialle, j Soundynglyne, j Roffe Sprite in Balingera Regis.
- (1420-21) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 296 : j Sundynglyne, j Roff Spritte.
- (1466) Acc.Howard in RC 57210 : My mastyr paid to Willyam Elyse for to carye his spret seyle to Yipswyche to cuewer my masters salt for the reygne.
- (1485) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 2103 : Spritt sailes feble j, Bonetts for the same j.
- (1485) in Sandahl ME Sea Terms 2103 : Spritte yerds j, Spritte sailes j.
e
- (1205) EPNSoc.10 (Nhp.)135 : Sprotun.
- (c1220) EPNSoc.10 (Nhp.)135 : Spreton.
- (1222) EPNSoc.10 (Nhp.)135 : Sprottun.
- (1235) EPNSoc.10 (Nhp.)135 : Spretton.