Middle English Dictionary Entry
stink n.
Entry Info
| Forms | stink n. Also stinke, stinc, stingke, sting(e, (N) stinck. |
| Etymology | From stinken v. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. stench n.
1.
(a) Offensive or stinking odor; a particular or distinctive stench; also, that which emits an offensive odor: dung, muck, foul water, etc.; putrefaction, rottenness, filth; also fig.; (b) the offensive odor of a person's body, bodily part, wound, urine, flatulence, etc.; the sharp or strong odor of garlic; also, the stench of decaying human or animal corpses; also, a particular or distinctive stench of a wound, decaying corpse, etc.; (c) strong- or foul-smelling smoke, vapor, or exhalation.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Job 25.6 : Þe mone shyneþ not & þe sterrys ben not clene in þe siȝte of hym; myche more a man stynk [WB(2): rot; L putredo] & þe sone of man a werm.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Prov.12.4 : A besy womman a crowne is to hir man and stynk [WB(2): rot] in þe bones of hir þat berþ thingis worþi confusioun.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.3.24 : Þer shal ben for swote smel stynk, & for girdil a litil corde, & for crisp her ballidnesse.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)6236 : Þe filthe and alle þe stynk Of alle þe werld þan sal synk Doun with þam in-til þe pitte of helle.
- a1425 Gloss.Bibbesw.(AS 182)801 : Stynke [vrr. file, filthe; glossing AF (Cmb): fens].
- a1425 WBible(1) (CC 145)Ezek.32.6 : I shal ȝiue þi flesh on hillis &..y shal moisten þe erþe with stinc [L fetore] of þi blod.
- c1425 Mirror LM&W (Hrl 45)85/11 : Ȝif he þinke what he is, he schal fynde þat he is noght but filþe and stynke.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)475 : Stynk: Fetor, oletum..Stynkynge, or full of stynk: Fetidus, putridus, putibundus.
- a1450 LDirige(1) (Dgb 102)267 : I sayde to stynke and rotenesse, 'My fader and moder arn ȝe.'
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)121a : Stynke: scenositas..fetor, Sordes, putredo, sentina.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.271 : Þu schal nout knowyn be þe bodyys þe ryche from þe pore..alle þey turnyn þer to erde & aschyn and to wormys mete & to stync and to vnclenesse.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)1960 : Heuy smylle is not..The myddille odour, but only the las stynke.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)53/284b : Turpitudo, feduas [?read: feditas], fetor, olor: a stynke.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)11189 : The gret of the grekes agreit hom all, The corse for to cast in a clere terne Vndur a syde of the Cite..A stanke full of stynke standyng besyde.
b
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)2975 : Summe storuen and gouen stinc.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)7288 : Ded he fel to grounde þo..Gij wiþ-drouȝ him þer-fro anon For stink þat of þe bodi come.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3814 : Ful wlatsom was the stynk of his careyne; No man ne myghte hym bere to ne fro.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.2274 : Make hym lete a fart And ye shal seen..That equally the soun of it wol wende And eek the stynk vnto the spokes ende.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)319b/b : Mylk of bestes þat beþ neih þe burþe is þynne and wattry..and is cause of heed ache and of stynke of teeþ and of breþ.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11860 : Þe roting þat him rennes vte, þe stinck þat ai es him a-bute, Ne mai na liueand man it thole.
- ?c1400 Earth(3) (StJ-C E.24)st.5 : Whan erþe upon erþe is browȝt with-in þe brinke, Þan schal erþe haue of erþe riȝt a foule stink.
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)269/3431 : He bad hys wyf mak hym a cop of myes..And when he had etyn þis myes, warm wappyt, he tuk a sclepe & swet tyll he na langar myght ly in þe schetys, what for swet, what for stynk of þe swet.
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)350/5267 : Of corrupcion of blod is blahede & stynk in uryn caused.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)140/6 : It es noȝt semely þat so grete a multitude of folk schuld verrayly hafe bene deed þare so fresch withouten stynk or corrupcioun.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)39/8 : Þe quitour is citryne or ȝellow and blo or wanne medled wiþ watry blode wiþ gret stynk.
- (1440) Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)1201 : With þat word his weye sone he tase, With horibile stynk at hire fundement And stynkyng vryne whech lay on þe pament.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)475 : Stynke, of fowle feet: Pedor.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)683 : Suþ dommyn þe diches with þe ded corses, Crammen hit myd karayn, þe kirnels vnder, Þat þe stynk of þe steem myȝt strike ouer þe walles.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)115 : Oynones destruyeþ þe stynke and þe heuy sauour of þe mouþ.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)181 : Þis drinke..doþ out of þe mouþ þe stynk [vrr. stynges, styngke] of garlyk.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)171/7 : Sho was so smytyn with canker and seknes þat sho rotid so..þat no creatur mot fele þe stynk of hur.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)35/21,25 : Þe watyr of awence..be-nemyth þe stynke of woundys..Watir of bawme bynemyth stynke of teth.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)74/1 : Dragones and serpentis cam down in þe watir, and oþir bestes dede, of whech was swech a stynk þat it caused gret pestilens in Rome.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)666/14 : He smote of his hede, And therewithall cam a stynke of his body, whan the soule departed, that there myght nobody abyde the savoure.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)113b/b : He affermeþ þat his stynkinge schulde passe alle stynkis of oþere woundis.
- a1500 Ancr.TSenses (Roy 8.C.1)22/26 : Crist suffered in his smel þe stynke of ded and roten careyns in þe hill were he was crucified.
c
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)79/8 : A rotid vlcus is stynkynge..& out of him passiþ a stynkynge smel eiþer smoke..þilke word 'stynk' I vndirstonde it bi my maner witt: sich breeþ þat comeþ out of a bodies ende, whanne a bodi breþiþ wiþ þe mouþ in frosty wedir, [etc.].
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.882 : Brenne heer and ther the heedles garlek stelis; The stynke [L nidorem] of hit for hockis help & hele is.
- a1450 Diseases Women(2) (Sln 2463)102 : Subfumigacion..þe poudre shall be putt into þe coles vnder þe woman..this pouder is made of stynking spyces and stiptyk, for stynke makith þe marice to arise into hir place.
- a1500 Diseases Women(3) (Yale-M 47)59/557 : Do pyche on a softe lynnen cloþe and ley it to þe priuey membre, and þe stynke of þe pyche schal make þe modere drawe in to hire owne place.
2.
(a) The stench or fume of hell, of the burning sulphur in hell, or from the damned souls in hell; -- also used as an epithet for hell personified [quot. a1400]; also, a stinking place in hell [quot. c1415]; also, the fume of burning sulphur sent by God from heaven [quot. a1400(a1325)]; (b) fig. the stench of sin or of a particular sin; also, sin [quot. ?a1450]; (c) ?despicable people; ?error for stinkinge, ppl. of stinken v. 2b.(b).
Associated quotations
a
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.115 : Þai shullen han..þe stynk of helle for her leccherie.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.209 : In helle..hire nosethirles shullen be ful of stynkynge stynk.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2867 : Þar þaa fiue cites war won to be es noght now bot a stinkand see..if ani fische þar-in bigane Wit leding o þe flum iordane, Þe lijf it es for-don wit stink.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)18147 : Þu hell, sua fule stinkand sting [Vsp: thing], vndo, late in þe blisful king!
- c1400 Apoc.(2) (Hrl 171)103/6 : Crist schal sle þe vnpiteous man..& caste him & hise disciplis into þe fier of helle, brennynge wiþ stynk, bitokened bi þe brymstoon.
- c1415 Chaucer CT.Pars.(Lnsd 851)I.841 : A stink [vr. watir; Elsm: Auowtiers shullen ben in helle in a stank brennynge of fyr and of brymston].
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)6676 : Þe thred payne es..Þe grete stynk and filthe þat es in helle.
- c1450(c1370) Chaucer ABC (Benson-Robinson)56 : Glorious mayde and mooder..but if thou my socour bee, To stink eterne he wole my gost exile.
- c1450(c1400) Rev.Jul.Norwich (Add 37790)73/4 : Onane a lytelle smoke come in atte the dore with a grete hete and a fowle stynke..than wiste I wele it was the fende was comen to tempest me.
- 1451-1500 Tundale (Wagner)159 : He se cum ane ugly rowte Of wikked gostes..Of hem come þe foulest stynke Þat ony erthely man myght thynke.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)258/798 : Þe devyl þus seyng: 'A, A, Judas, Derlyng myn..þou xalt come wher þou xalt wonne; In fyre and stynk þou xalt sytt me by.'
b
- 1372 ME Verse in Grimestone PB (Adv 18.7.21)p.31 : Peccatum est vitandum..For it is A filthe þat God almithten hateȝ, A foul sting þat is angeles wlateȝ.
- c1390 NHom.Narrat.(Vrn)30.288/1 : Of no synne comeþ so foul stinke As of þe fulþe of lechery.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.841 : Auowtiers shullen ben in helle in a stank brennynge of fyr and of brymston: in fyr for lecherie, in brymston for the stynk of hire ordure.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)6518 : The syxte synne ys glotonye; þat ys a shameful vyleynye þat men doun of mete and drynk, For ouermoche ys abominable & stynk.
- a1400 Ancr.(Pep 2498)174/27 : Mygge bitokneþ stynk of synne.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)2742 : Of sodom haue i herd þe cri; Þe stinc it rises vnto þe sky..þe reke it rechis into heuen.
- ?a1450 Sel.Rosarium Theol.(Cai 354/581)56/20 : Þe discipules louseþ hym, now lifyng þe Maister hade reised dede; Forsoþe if þe discipules hade loused Lazar dede, þat had more schewed stynke þan vertue.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)10.7 : For stynk of ill werkis thai ere kastyn fra crist and all his haloghis.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Add 9066)373 : In a grete Couente..there are many bestes, that is to saye, lyouns be pride, Foxes be fraude and wiles, Beres by deuouryng, Gete be stynke of lechery.
c
- a1400 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Cai 231/117)p.204 : Stynge [vr. stynkynge; F li felun Gius pullant; Hrl 874: Here Inne ben acursed þe wicked stynkande þat] wiþ-seiþ [þe soþfast lettre of þis book writen].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Chartier Dial.F.&F.(Sion Arc.L.40.2/E.43)8/32 : Oure eldres had the golden worlde and theyr posteryte chaunged yt ynto syluer and after þat unto brasse, and now fynally we chaunge yt ynto vyces, oure age polute wyth stynkyng fylthes..whyche horrours and stynkes may wel be called the stenche of the weyght of nature.
Note: Additional quote(s)
Note: Belongs to sense 1.(a).--per MLL