Middle English Dictionary Entry
suspeciǒus adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | suspeciǒus adj. Also suspeciouse, -peccious, -pes(s)ious, susspecious & suspicious(e, susspicius, sispicius; pl. suspiciouses. |
| Etymology | From two sources: (1) OF suspectieux, AF suspecious, vars. of OF sospeços; (2) L suspīciōsus & OF suspicïos, -picieus, AFsuspicious. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Inclined to believe ill, jealous; full of suspicions, mistrustful; ben ~ to, to have suspicions of (sb.); (b) regarded with suspicion, distrusted; liable to excite suspicion, exciting suspicion; open to suspicion; suspect; of dubious character; ill-famed; med. of a remedy: ill-regarded [quot. ?c1425]; maken ~, refl. to lay oneself open to a suspicion.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)71b/a : No man is more wrecche..þan he þat hath an yuel wif crienge, iangelinge..suspicious [L suspiciosam] & wreþful.
- a1400 Cato(3) (Frf 14)307 : Fle to be susspecious atte þou be noȝt doutous and ay in misese.
- ?c1400 Sloane SSecr.(Sln 213)13/32 : Whose passes ar schorte, he es hasty..suspicius [Lambeth: suspecious; Yonge: suspeccious]..and of euel wille.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.5771 : No man shal be suspecious To þi persone, nor engynyous To deme amys, how þis mater goth.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)485 : Suspycyowse: Suspiciosus.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Look TM (Hrl 2255)177 : No man..is moore suspecious Than he that is moost..coupable; By cause he..is nat vertuous, He wold ech man to hym were resemblable.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)2292 : A Priores..sal not be..ouer-lyghtly suspecius.
- c1450 Metham Physiog.(Gar 141)125/32 : Eyn that meue faste..betokyn..that he ys syspicyus.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)53b/b : He is hard and suspicious & ful of sorowe and gyle.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)106/35 : Who hath a swete voice, he is envious and suspecious [Caritate: susspicius].
b
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)226/9 : Þe uerste is him-zelue kepe and priueliche bi ine his house, naȝt uor to uolȝy þe uelaȝredes suspiciouses.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.540 : Suspecious [vr. suspeccious] was the diffame of this man.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6110 : He wole hym silf suspecious [F soupeçoneus] make, That he his lyf let couertly In gile.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)595/4 : Vnguentum Egipciacum..þat is soden is lesse suspecious [*Ch.(1): suspecte; L suspectum] þan þe rawe þat byleueþ alle grene.
- (1435) RParl.4.490a : Suche persones..shippen Wolles in Crikes, and oyer suspecious places..and yanne caryen into other places yan to Caleys.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)133 : It is ordeyned..that non..take in kepyng..clothes..ne wolle..ne non other maner of thyng suspesious, for silver..ne for other victuayle, wher of a man may have veray suspesioun that swich maner of thyng so put to wedde be not the owen propre good of such poure men that leyn hem to wed.
- (1447-8) Shillingford88 : By the whiche yeatis full ungodely cariage, as suspecious men and wymmen have, be ladde yn and oute.
- c1450(c1400) Vices & V.(2) (Hnt HM 147)227/22 : It bihoueþ to flee þe enchesones of synne, as for to speke priueliche wiþ wommen and in suspecious places [Ayenb.: stede suspect] and alone togidre.
- (c1450) Capgr.St.Aug.(Add 36704)8/29 : His moder..forbade him all suspecious cumpany, and he took ful litil heed at hir wordis.
- a1500 Proc.Chanc.in Archaeol.ser.2.612 : Youre seid suppliaunt was serchid, and they cowde fynde no purce nor knyf nor any other suspecious poynt uppon hym.
- c1525 Rule & T.St.Francis(2) (Fst D.4)73 : I commaund..to alle the bretherne that they have no suspect or suspiciuse felowshipe..with wymmen.
2.
(a) Of an assertion: open to doubt, questionable; of gossip: spiteful, injurious; ~ of shape, peculiarly constructed; (b) of a place: ?of uncertain security; ?crucial to safety.
Associated quotations
a
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.51 : Þow hast remembred vs Wiche þat þou hast in comen good be-stowe; Ful soth it is and noght suspessious.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)105/12 : Neuer telle him or here þat is..spokyn of what þou hast herd of a noþer..but yif þou cowþist turne it in to such kynde þat it be þe lesse suspecious for þi wordis.
- c1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Tbr A.7)22256 : This lady..Was off schappe suspecyous..Sche departyd was on two.
b
- c1475 Abbrev.Trip.SSecr.(UC 85)376/8 : Be well ware of treason, and haue spies in alle suspecious places.
3.
Med. (a) Medically unsafe, medically inappropriate; (b) ~ to, conducive to (pain, fever).
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)247/5 : Ne þe resoun of ham auaileþ noght þat saien þat strong medecynes may arere vp and drawe oute fro þe botme, for suche ben suspecious, for..þai may induce apostemes.
b
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)583/9 : Repercussioun..letteþ þe encresynge of þe aposteme and þe quittrynge þerof, þe whiche þinges ben ful suspecious [*Ch.(1): suspecte; L suspecta] to akþe and to feuer.