Middle English Dictionary Entry
bēver n.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | bēver n.(1) Also bevre, be(a)uver, bivre; early beofer, befer. |
| Etymology | OE beofor |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The European beaver (Castor fiber); (b) beferes herthan, beaver testicles, castoreum; ~ heued, beaver-colored, reddish brown; ?~ womb, the belly fur of a beaver; (c) in names [see A. H. Smith, PNElem. 1.28].
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)543/34 : Beofer.
- (c1350) Rec.Norwich 2202 : D'le peu de Beuer, iiij d.
- (c1380) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.103590 : In 2 pell. de bevyre..2 s. 9 d.
- (1395) Will York in Sur.Soc.454 : Toga nova de blodio, mixto cum pelle de bevyr.
- a1400 Mirfeld Sinonoma (Pmb-O 2)14 : Castor animal est, i. bever.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)34 : Bevyr, beste: Bever, castor, fiber.
- (c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.7 (Hrl 2169)186 : [Party silver and gules with] ij bewerys sylwyr and gowlys countergolorys.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)547 : Take þe tayle of þe bevere.
- a1500 Weights in RHS ser.3.41 (Vsp E.9)19 : And xl skynnys make a tymber, as sabylles, ermyns, letys, beuer.
- c1500(?a1437) ?Jas.I KQ (SeldArch B.24)st.157 : The lesty beuer, and the ravin bare.
b
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)31/2 : Nim þu beferes herþan [L castoreum] and barne to duste.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)45/5 : Do to ele and wex and beferes herþþan [L castoreum].
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester7 : Weuerwombes [?read: Beuer-] and oter skynes, tymbar, v d.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)845 : Brode, bryȝt, watz his berde, and al beuer-hwed.
c
- (1200) Fine R.King John106 : Johannes de Beverlac.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)6.205 : Beverlay [L Beverlacum]..is at the este from Yorke..as the place or lake of bevers or of grayes [L quasi locus vel lacus castorum].
2.
(a) Beaver fur, beaver pelt; ~ hat.
Associated quotations
- a1225(?c1175) PMor.(Lamb 487)266 : Ne sal þar ben..cunin, ne ermine..ne beuer [Jes-O: beuveyr], ne sabeline.
- (1261) Wardrobe Acc.42-45 Hen.III in For.Acc.Wardr.& Househ.[OD col.]No.1 m.1 : Reddunt compotum..de vno capello de beure pulcherimo.
- (1324) in Löfvenberg Contrib.Lex.16 : [A cap of] Bevre [well lined with cloth of] sharlet..[a cap of] Bevers [lined with green velvet].
- (1327) *Wardrobe Account 20 Edw.II [OD col.]26/9 : Un chapel de byure blank, line de veluet.
- (1329) *Wardrobe Acc.3 Edw.III [OD col.]34/3 : 2 capell' de Beure gris.
- (1345-9) Wardrobe Acc.Edw.III(1) in Archaeol.3178 : Et j capell. de beuere furur. de xxxij dors. de gris.
- (1379) Will York in Sur.Soc.4107 : Unam furruram de bever.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.272 : In motlee and hye on hors he sat, Vp on his heed a Flaundryssh beuere hat.
- (1391) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.5291/21 : Pro j pilche de beuere..xx nobles.
- (1391) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.5293/27 : Facienti domino j jupam de beuere..vj marc. pr.
- (1397) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.443 : De eodem Arnaldo, pro xiiii pileis de beever, val. xiiii s., cust. ii d.
- (1400) Will York in Sur.Soc.4512 : Pro j corset de bever.
- (1406-7) Rec.Norwich 254 : [For a] bever hat [for the Mayor, 20 d.]
- (1410) Will York in Sur.Soc.4545 : De una pylchia de bever.
- (1418) EEWills37/2 : A furre of beuer and oter medled.
- (1419-20) Rec.Norwich 263 : [For furrying the said beaverhat, 6 s. 8 d.]
- (1434-5) Will York in Sur.Soc.3052 : Meum pilche de bever.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)1214 : Þe holy gost wolnot as gladlyche wone Vnder a mantyl y-furned wt beuer.
- (1450) Reg.Chanc.Oxf.in OHS 93225 : Aliam togam de Melley cum beuer purfylle & albo lynyng.
- (1466) Will York in Sur.Soc.30283 : Lego..Johanni Willingham capellano meum bever hatt.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)295 : A cote haþ he furred Wiþ foyns or wiþ fitchewes oþer fyn beuer.
3.
A kind of felted cloth.
Associated quotations
- (1295) Acc.Shipbuilding in Ant.J.7428 : ccc ulnis panni de Beauuer pro dicta galia cooperienda.
- (1346) Doc.in Nicolas Navy 2477 : [For 16 ells of] beuver [to wrap round..the said cables for their safe custody, 20 d.]
- (1356) *Pipe Roll (PRO) 32 Edw.III m.33/1 [OD col.] : Computat in..x rotulis de Beuer.
- (1417) *For.Acc.(PRO) 8 Hen.V D/2 [OD col.] : Computat..in..zabulo, Filas, Cepo, Bewer..in Rosyn, oleo, cepo, Canabo, Bevyr, Towe, et aliis.
- (1417) J.Dernell in Nrf.Archaeol.15130 : Item, v ȝerdis of bever, price ij s for horse housis..Item, for letyng of yo Bever, x d.
- (1420-1) in Gras Eng.Cust.Syst.478 : De eodem pro i rolla bever, pr. xxvi s. viii d.
- (c1450) Rec.Norwich 2235 : j rolle de beuere, qa.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1397) Inquis.Miscel.(PRO)6.171 : Pillions,[one of] ben [read: beuer], [one of blue velvet].
Note: (?If this is the word.) New form: (error) ben.
Note: MS probably has 'beu' (read as 'ben') with an '-er' abbreviation which either was omitted by the scribe in the MS or by the transcriber if present there.--notes per MLL
- a1500 Hrl.2378 Recipes (Hrl 2378)99/21 : Take..i vnce of galbanum and litil of castor uel beuersyn.
Note: New compound: Med. ~ sineu, ?the dried perineal glands of the beaver or their secretion (castoreum) used medicinally. Identity of the second element is not certain.