Middle English Dictionary Entry
stēle n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | stēle n.(1) Also stē̆l, stile, (early infl.) stelan, -en; pl. steles, stel(le)s, steilles & (early) stelen, (SWM or SW) steoles, steolen. |
| Etymology | OE stela, steola. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: For senses (c) & (d) cp. stile n.(1) (b).
1.
(a) The stalk of a plant; the stem of a leaf, flower, or fruit; bene ~, gar-lek ~; (b) the trunk of a tree; (c) one of the upright sides of a ladder; also, ?a shaft for a tumbrel; laddere ~; (d) a rung of a ladder; also fig.; (e) the handle of a tool, surgical instrument, vessel, etc.; rake(s ~; also in prov. expressions; (f) in surname.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)175/4-5 : Þeos wyrt þe man action nemned..hæfd wyð þane wyrtruman greatne stelan & tweȝra feðma lagne, & heo hæfed on ufeweardon þam stelan sæd þistele ȝelice.
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)193/11,13 : Tiapis..hafeð þinne stele & lagne..& þæt sæd byþ ȝeond ælne ðone stelen cenned.
- c1330 SMChron.(Auch)2256-8 : Dan simound ȝede & gadred frut, For soþe were plommes white; þe steles he puld out euerichon, Pusoun he dede þer in anon & sett þe steles al oȝen.
- c1390(c1350) NHom.(2) PSanct.(Vrn)83/34 : Þis whete-corn I haue in muynde Þat furst stod on a luytel stele.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)26 : Oustez lez stykes & la parure..Cast a way þyse steles & þe parure.
- a1425(a1399) Form Cury (Add 5016)140.185/9 : Make rosys of gode past & frye hem, & put þe steles in þe hole þer þe spyt was.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)124a/a : Capitelle..is made of 2 partes of asshez of bene stellz [Ch.(2) stalkes; L stipticum] & 3a of calce vif.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)176a/b : Anoþer lye..is made as þis lye aforseide but þat þer is putte in stede of bene stel as myche wood asschen as was þe assches of þe bene steles.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.881 : Brenne heer and ther the heedles garlek stelis [L fusticulos].
- a1450 Dur-CRO.Bk.Hawking (Dur-CRO Roll D/X/76/7)30/145 : Tak garlik stele and ȝolkis of hard-byrned egges and put þam in a pot scharth and fry hem to-gedir to þai be powdir.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Stockh 10.90)320/518 : Þe toþer lilie..Is wode-lilie with flowres fele, Blo purpre-flowres, no leef on stele.
- a1475 Herkyn to my tale (Brog 2.1)p.86 : Then ther com..Borhammys and beynsteyllys.
b
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.770 : Ther is also graffyng in trees seer, As melo, almaunde, & thorn, as seith Virgile, Foold, asshes, quynce; & punyk, cleef his stile [L fisso ligno].
c
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)181/7-8 : Þeos twa, scheome & pine..beoð þe twa leaddre steolen [Tit: stelles] þe beoð up iriht to heouene, & bitweone þeose steolen beoð of alle gode þeawes þe tindes ifestnet.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)181/10 : Dauið hefde þe twa steolen [Tit: steoles; Cai: stelen] of þis leaddre.
- (1390-91) Acc.in Boyle Hedonp.li : In astelwod empto pro nayllyng et steels ejusdem tumbrelli, j d.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)513 : Wymmen vnwytte..Bitwene þe stele & þe stayre disserne noȝt cunen.
d
- a1400 MS Mert.248 in Spec.65 (Mert 248)15 fn. : Inter duo latera scala [read: scale] est þe stele vel ronge coniungens duo latera simul..Sed in ista scala sunt ix stadia, anglice steles, per que ascenditur ad celum.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)11/22 : Þe stize hauis tua tres, bitakins þe body and te saul..þe stelis bytuixe bitakins oure gude dedis.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)812 : Two sides þer-of may signifi Both our saules & our bodi, In þe whilk sides..Er xij steles ordand to be, Whilk er xij degrese of mekenes, And right way vnto heuyn þat es.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)340/91 : Thes theues are sente before Þat beside hym schall hyng; And sties also are ordande..With stalworthe steeles as mystir wore, Bothe some schorte and some lang.
- ?a1475(a1396) *Hilton SP (Hrl 6579)2.17.79b : Fro þe lowest to þe heiȝest may not a soule sodeynly stirte, nomore þan a man þat wil clymbe vp on an hiȝe laddre & settiþ his fot vp on þe lowest stele may at þe neȝst flien vp to þe heiȝest.
e
- c1350 Of alle þe witti (Add 45896)72 : I mot haue muche more wat þen a dishe, a pypin and a posnet, A panne wit a stele.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3785 : Absalon..caughte the cultour by the colde stele.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.949 : But that tale is nat worth a rake [vr. rakes] stele.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)19.274 : Lerned men a ladel bugge with a longe stele.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)2230 : Þe gome in þe grene gered as fyrst..Sette þe stele to þe stone, and stalked bysyde.
- (1402) Hoccl.Cupid (Hnt HM 744)50 : Whan the man the pot hath by the stele And fully of hire hath possessioun, with þat womman he keepith nat to dele.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)473 : Stele, or stert of a vesselle: Ansa.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)5247 : Whiles þei had in cheerte and fauour Profit commun, thei hadden bi þe stele Prosperite.
- (1459) Invent.Fastolf(1) in Paston Letters (Add Charter 17247:Gairdner)3.167 : j roste iron with vij staves and j foldyng stele of silver.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)75b/a : Bynde þe two stelis of þe same tenaclis faste togideris wiþ a strong þwong so þat þei lose not þeir hold.
f
- (1313-17) *in Pilkington Surn. : Whippestele.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Trin-C.R.14.45 Recipes (Trin-C R.14.45) 137/2 : Lete no more spase be onsewed þan a litel hole aboven at þe nek þat þou may pore inne þi dye with a litil horne or a box with a smale stele of tree.
- a1525 BodEMus.52 Artist.Recipes (BodEMus 52) 184/10 : Tak a lytell horn or a box with a small stell of tre, and with þat put in þe colour into þe skyne at þe lytell hole.
Note: Postdates sense (e). New spelling (stell).