Middle English Dictionary Entry
spurǧe n.
Entry Info
| Forms | spurǧe n. Also sporge, spourge. |
| Etymology | OF espurge, AF spurge & AL spurgea, spurgia. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) One of several plants of the genus Euphorbia, spurge; (b) a spurge plant considered as a weed or an undesirable growth; -- used in fig. context; (c) ?mistransl. of OF esparge asparagus; ?error for sparage n.
Associated quotations
a
- [ a1300 Hrl.978 Vocab.(Hrl 978)557/7 : Spurgia, i. spurge, i. guweorn. ]
- a1400 Alphita (SeldArch B.35)112/4 : Mezereon, anabula maior, rapiens uitam, leo terre, faciens uiduas idem: gallice et anglice, spurge.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)645/15 : Tintimalius: spowrge.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)39a : Lawreoll and sporge..ben don for to make men delyuer a-boue othir by nethe.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)173b/b : Medicines þat ben but febelly brennyng ben as..gumme of rue & water of þe asschen of þo þat ȝeuen mylke, as of ffiges and of spurge.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)470 : Sporge, herbe: Catapucia, esula, anabulla.
- c1440 Thrn.Med.Bk.(Thrn)29/14 : Tak vj leues of spourge..Stamp þam & drynk þe jeuse & it sall delyuer the.
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)356 : Spowrge: herba est.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)368 : The Crow toke Onyonus and Spourge and made þerof a playster.
- a1500 Bollard Grafting (Sln 686)33 : To make apples or oþer frutes laxatif: Perse a tre..And in þe hole doo white elebre or blak elebre or spourge or cene..or what other laxatiue þou wilt.
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)713/5 : Spurgia: a sporge.
b
- a1500 Conq.Irel.(Rwl B.490)113/4 : Na the wodd of har gentryce, throgh non envy ne myght, neuer be y-roted, for euer ham spryngyth new Spourgis, of whych the myght in the londe is not lytell.
c
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)80 : Þei [boars] make grete pittes and goon to seche þe Rootes of þe feerne and of spurge [F esperge] with inne þe erþe.
- a1425 *York MGame [OD col.] (Dgb 182)v. : Þei [boars] wroteth so depe in þe grounde, tille þei fynde þe rootes of þe ferne and of þe spurge [Vsp: spryng; F esparge] and of oþer rootes.