Middle English Dictionary Entry
squār(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | squār(e n. Also sware, squere, squir(e, squier, squiire, squiȝer, sqire, skwire, suire, swier, swire, swirre; pl. squares, etc. & squar(e. |
| Etymology | From OF esquerre, esquar(r)e, esquire, esquier(r)e & AL squirra, scuyra. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A mason's or carpenter's tool for measuring or determining right angles, a square; also person.; (b) bi (the) ~, using a square.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300(c1250) Floris (Cmb Gg.4.27)325 : Ber wiþ þe squire [vrr. squyer, squir] & schauntellun, Also þu were a gud mascun.
- (1367) Plea & Mem.R.Lond.Gildh.81 : [1] sqyre [of iron].
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.2090 : Now Thomas, leeue brother, leue thyn ire; Thow shalt me fynde as iust as is a squyre.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2231 : Do we wel and make a toure, Wit suire and scantilon sa euen, þat may reche heghur þan heuen.
- a1400 LShip Venice (Trin-C O.5.26)404 : Alle these diuisiouns..be thei led with a rule & a skwyre from the half cercle in the bowe of .b.c.
- (1407) Will York in Sur.Soc.4347 : ij planes, j swyer, & j treaugill.
- (1412) Cloister R.Durham in Sur.Soc.35351 : Pro levells, squares, et reules, 20 d.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)7064 : Do maken vp a tour of hight..Wrought with squyre and scantilone.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.3338 : The thridde armure..Is Ellocucioun..Disposid in ordre couenable to shewe, Lik a keruer that first doth tymbir hewe, Squiers & compas cast fetures & visage.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)471 : Sqvyer [Win: Sqvyyre; Phil: sqvyȝer], rewle: Amussis.
- a1450(1391) Chaucer Astr.(Benson-Robinson)1.12.3 : The forseide cercle of the ABC, under the cross lyne, is marked the skale in manere of 2 squyres.
- c1450 When the son (Frf 16)34 : Another quarter was cast by geometrye By euclyde ys squere, lynd, and eye.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)4907-8 : Fyrst ye shal a squyre take, A Squyre off a carpenter; And ye shal vse thys maner.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Just Measure (Hrl 2251)11 : Lower in erth compas, squyer, and lyne, Voyde al errours cause of geometrye.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)124b : A Swyrre [Monson: Swyre]: Amussis; perpendiculum.
- c1500 The shype ax (Ashm 61)203 : The squyre seyd, 'What sey ȝe, dame?'
b
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)12.127 : Ich..contreeuede þe compas, And cast out by squire boþe lyne and leuell.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.556 : Euclide..þe maister and þe foundour was Of alle þat werkyn by squyre or compas.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)135 : This werk is to be mad by cumpas, and thilk werk is to be mad bi squyer.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)348 : Ieometrie þe ioynour iablid faste, And caste many cumpas, as þe crafte askith, And laide leuel and lyne a-long by þe squyre.
2.
(a) A square area; square shape; a fot of ~, an area one foot square; in ~, in a square shape; finden the ~ of the cercle, to discover how to convert a circular area into the equivalent square area; (b) a side or an edge of a square; also, a face of a cube [quot.: c1400(?c1380)]; also, a side of an equilateral triangle [last quot.]; bi (in, thurgh) ~, on each side of a square, per side; de six squares, with six square sides, hexagonal; thre ~, q.v.; (c) in ~, straight across (the forehead); (d) four ~, q.v.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Ezek.48.20 : Alle the premisses of fyue and twenti thousandis, by fyue and twenti thousandis in sqware [L in quadrum], shuln be departid in to primisses of the sayntuarie.
- c1400 Apoc.(2) (Hrl 171)113/6 : Þe citee was sett in square, & þe lengþe as moche as þe brede.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.110-11 : Let square hit so; therout of may be tolde Of squaris x feet wide..[ccc] square of x, and twyes twelue.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.24 : A fote of sqware in [L In vno pede quadrato], six sedis may growe.
- (1447-8) Shillingford86 : The Dean and Chapiter..have a cloyster joynaunt to the seide Cathedrall Churche with ynne the square of whiche cloister ys a voide place.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)95/21 : Some sayne it was he [Althimonides] that founde firste the square [F quadrature] of the sercle.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)119b : A Sqvare [Monson: Sware]: Quadra.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.321 : Þis cite stood in square.
- c1500 Stations Jerus.(Ashm 61)370 : All his [read: þis] grace & mekyll more Was purchast in a fote of square.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ex.37.25 : He made þe auter of made encense of þe treese of sychim, hauyng þoru square eche cobitis [WB(2): hauynge a cubit bi square; L per quadrum singulos habens cubitos], & in heyȝt two.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Ezek.40.47 : He matte the hous, the lengthe of an hundrid cubitis, and the breede by an hundrid cubitis, by sqware [L per quadrum].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)174b/a : Þe walles..were sextene þousande paces in square [L per quadrum] fro corner to corner; þat makeþ in alle foure and sixty þousand paces.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)1029 : Þenne helde vch sware of þis manayre, Twelue forlonge space er euer hit fon, Of heȝt, of brede, of lenþe, to cayre.
- (?1415) Will York in Sur.Soc.4362 : Ciphum..cum nodo de vj squar.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)21/10 : It was made foure square, and ilka square contened sex myle and mare.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)152 : Þe swares of þis bord on euery side wer in mesur a ȝerd and half.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)91/24,28 : Þis wose of wrethe is foure-square: o sqware of wrethe is a-ȝens god..An-oþer sqware of wrethe is aȝens þi-self.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)119/18 : Þis wose of coueytise is thre sqware: þe firste sqware is angwysch & desyre..to haue..wordly ryches.
c
- 1448 Glo.Chron.C (Arms 58)p.482 : Whenne he is i clipped in squar the forhede, he sheweth as a lyonus visage.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Rwl.C.506 Artist.Recipes (Rwl C.506) 164/8 : To worche with þu must have a rewle, and a cumpasse, and a sqwyere, and many strenchis grete and smale.
Note: Additional quote, sense 1.(a). New spelling = sqwiere.