Middle English Dictionary Entry
tā̆st(e n.(1)
Entry Info
Forms | tā̆st(e n.(1) Also taist & (errors) toste, ast. |
Etymology | OF tast & AL tastum. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Taste as an inherent property of matter; also fig.; also, any of the categories into which taste is classified; (b) the perceived flavor or taste of food, drink, etc.; also fig.; (c) the sense or faculty of taste, ability to taste; also fig.; also in proverbs; instrument (lim) of ~; (d) the act of tasting; (e) in phrase: haven god ~ to, to have a good appetite for (sth.), find (sth.) tasty; (f) a taste (of wine), small sample; a small amount of food or drink; a small sample of drink, a taste, sip; also fig.; (g) fig. an experience or a foretaste of some emotion, condition, etc.; a small amount of some quality.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Jer.48.11 : Fructuous was moab fro his..ȝouþe..ne is ouer-held fro vessel in to vessel..abod stille his tast [L gustus] in hym & his smel is not chaungid.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)26a/a : He is I-chaungid and I-hurt by þe malice of þing þat is I-tastid, as it fareþ in þe taast of aloe & oþere þat beþ passinge bittir.
- ?1435(1432) Lydg.Hen.VI Entry (Jul B.2)361 : Ther were..ffruytes..Damysyns, which with here taste delyte.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)487 : Taast, or savowre: Sapor.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)177/16 : Natural vertu..dysposith hys kende..in smellyng, in tast, and in schappe.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)2110,2113,2115 : Of sapours there be fulli nyne..As sharpe taste, vnctuous, and sowre..byting taste, saltish, & werish..bitter taste, vndersowre, and dowce.
b
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.65 : Þe deuel made Eretikes..corrumpen holy writt..& makeþ hem often of bitter tast as Alors & leseþ many þat drynken of þat techyng.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)3.467 : Þe siȝt haþ likynge in faire hewe..þe mowþe in swete tast [vr. smak] and savoure.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.298 : So freissh a tast..I schal assaie neveremore.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)76a/b : In taast [L sapore] wyn is moost diuers for som wyn is swete in taast..some is swete soure.
- c1400 Aelred Inst.(1) (Vrn)1146 : He drow me awey þens þorouȝ sauour and tast of inwarde gostly swetnesse.
- ?a1425(c1400) Mandev.(1) (Tit C.16)181/28 : Fissch..ben of right goode tast [F gust] & delicyous to mannes mete.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)87/18 : Blood is..frendely in smelle and taste [*Ch.(1): sapour].
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.744 : Summe also doth askes with this donge—They seyn ther of ther wol good toste [vr. taste; L sapores] arise.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)125 : Coriaundre..is bitter in taste.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)51b/a : Blood is..swete in taast.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)163/13 : Wyne..hath a..delectabyl tast.
- a1500 Bollard Grafting (Sln 686)32 : A vyne may growe on a cherytre and haue tast of cheryes.
- 1532-1897(c1385) Usk TL (Thynne:Skeat)124/6 : Out of this grounde muste come the spire, that by processe of tyme shal..sprede, to have braunches and blosmes of waxing frute in grace, of whiche the taste and the savour is endelesse blisse.
c
- 1372 Al oure wele (Adv 18.7.21)p.57 : Glotonie schent oure tast [L gustum] And dulle makt oure wittes.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1191 : Fulofte and thus the swete soureth Whan it is knowe to the tast.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)11a/b : God..hath a þrote and tast, for he hath likinge in oure riȝtful workes as hit were in likinge of taast.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)25b/b : The Taste [L Gustus] is a witte of knowinge sauoures.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)315a/a : Þe instrument of tast is y-greued and so sauour is bitter..to þe tast.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)315a/b : Scharp sauour..heteþ þe lyme of tast [L organum gustus].
- c1400 Bk.Mother (LdMisc 210)12/4 : His fruytes were swete to my taste.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.87 : Whan þei ben drunken and þer taist failiþ, þanne he puttiþ wers wyn.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)250/32-3 : Þe taast of þe body taasteþ noþing ellis but sauour of breed, but þe taast of þe soule, þat is, holy desier, taasteþ boþe God and man in þat holy sacrament.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)46/3 : Þe tonge is..ordeyned principali for þe taste.
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)42/6 : Þe bittir leef..semeþ swete to hem & sauery þat haue lorn here taast.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.127 : Hony is þe swetter for to fele To hym þat haþ som bitter þing in taaste.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)5311 : The vertu Off Touch & tast, smellyng & syht, Hadde..lost hys myght; The force off heryng stylle a-bood.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)2102 : Many thingis be of goode smylle, which to taste be fownde ful ylle.
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)537 : Þanne haue y tynt all my tast, touche, and assaie!
d
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)354 : Appetite of taast is a token of neede or of profijt to ete.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)2059 : Sapour shuld be moch better Iuge Then colour or odour..were not taste a perilous thing while oure stone is in worching, For it is hurtyng to helth and lyfe, It is so gretely penetratyfe.
e
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)269/3432 : He eyt..myes; gud tast he had þareto & to nathynge ellys, bod appetyt to ryght not.
- c1500(1446) Morstede Surgery (Hrl 1736)113 : The pacyent may..have good taste and apetyte to mete.
f
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)1.228 : Tauerners 'a tast for nouht' tolden þe same.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.60 : Sche of custom can ȝeuen hem a tast..of egre wyn.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3097 : Whenne he has a good tast, And eeten weel a good repast..Sone he schal be ffresch and hayl.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)357 : Whan we..liste to drinke, We turnen tid to flod..Þereof we taken a tast.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)235/20 : The secound condicion of þe tauerner is to ȝeue men a tast of is wyne to stere hem to by þer-of.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)235/21 : Mans flesh ȝeues men a tast of þe wyne of lechery by vnclene kyssynges.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)17114 : Þei saw þer wellys wex all dry; Þei fand no tast in town ne feld.
- ?a1475 Noble Bk.Cook.(Hlk 674)p.51 : Let it haue a taist of venyger.
g
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)12.131 : Kynde witte cometh of alkynnes siȝtes, Of bryddes and of bestes, of tastes of treuthe, and of deceytes.
- ?a1430 ?Hoccl.Poems PS Compl.Virg.(Hnt HM 111)214 : For now the taast I feele & the streynynge Of deeth; by thy deeth feele I deeth me stynge.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)4.2933 : Euery creature Tarageth the stok of his natyuite..ech frut of his tree..Folweth sum tech or tast of the lynage.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)1053 : Þou gret fere haast Of pouert..Thow haast þer-in caght so deep a taast Þat of al ioye þou art voide.
- c1450 Dives & P.(Lchf 35)1.50 : A lytyl taast of heuen blisse turnyth al erthely ioy to byttyrnesse.
- c1460 Tree & Fruits HG (McC 132)67/13 : This pees of consciens..is..a tast of þat Joy..wich is..in heuen.
- a1475 Ihu that alle this (Hnt HM 142)83 : Off al þi peynys gif us a taste [rime: faste] Þat þei may be oure goostly food.
2.
(a) The sense of touch; the ability to feel or perceive; (b) the act of touching or an instance of it, a touch; also, hostile contact, opposition [quot. c1450(a1425)].
Associated quotations
a
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)542 : Þis..wynd him gis his aand, Þe erth þe tast, to fele and faand.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)208/29 : The taste is a commyn witte..but hit Shewyth hym most by the handys..by that witte we knowen hote, colde, dry, moyste, and othyr Suche thynges.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.7144 : Whan I beclippe hire on the wast..I stele a tast..and so winne I therby A lusti touch.
- ?a1430 ?Hoccl.Poems PS Compl.Virg.(Hnt HM 111)158 : Tho bodyes dede..by taast of swich dewynge, Hem oghte clothe ageyn.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)13672 : Ioas..gafe þem all the thressour..Aȝaell went hom agayn with tressour all with outyn taste.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)42 : At the taast [F au taster] and at the sighte, at the smellinge and at the savouringe, bred and wyn it may seeme thee.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)64 : She tastede him..neuere turnede he him towardes hire ne to hire taste assentede.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)7760 : Vp-on thyn hondys thow shalt haue..glouys..A-geyn the lust off fals touchyng, Tast [F tastemens], or any dyshonest thyng To ffele or touche.
3.
(a) The sense of smell; (b) an odor, a scent, smell.
Associated quotations
a
- a1475 Sidrak & B.in Centaurus 12 (Lnsd 793)227/5608 : Þei stinken..grevously To any manis taast.
b
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)148/37 : Vse precyus vnguentys..þe qwyche be delytesum of tast [Abbrev.: sweete smellyng; L odoriferis].
- ?a1500 *Chauliac(5) (Peterh 118)72b/a : Þat blode..haþe boþe a swete savore and a swete taste [*Ch.(1): odour; L odorem].
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1668 : Aumbur..smellis full swete, With taste for to touche the tabull aboute.
4.
The discriminative faculty, perception; also, an artistic sensibility.
Associated quotations
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)11327 : Symeon..had his tast Toched o þe hali gast.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)18889 : Þe salmes seiþ bi good taast [Vsp: þe haligast] His wonynge shulde be wilde & waast.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)8193 : Þai salle knaw þe wytt of þe son and taste, And þe gudenes of þe Haly-gaste.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)1568 : Detractours..shal make perturbaunce..Affermyng..that I enclyne The werk to a taste not knowyng the musys.
5.
(a) The fact or condition of liking or preferring something; an inclination, appreciation, a partiality; with inf.: an inclination (to do sth.); (b) heed, attention; taken ~ to.
Associated quotations
a
- c1400 Bk.Mother (LdMisc 210)14/5 : How swete to my tast, Lord, ben þi speches.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)113/5 : Proude folk..haue lore here tast of God þorw lustes and likinges, in pompe and pride and in wordli þinges mainteninge maumetrie in hemself.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)160 : Thow of love hast lost thy tast..As sek man hath of swete and bytternesse.
- c1450 Capgr.St.Kath.(Arun 396)3.1294 : Calcedony..is vertuous eke to ȝeue men a tast ffor to kepe her body boþe clene & chast.
b
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)1640 : Mankynd, take kepe of Chastyte..to me take taste.
6.
An attempt, a trial, test.
Associated quotations
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)5484 : Ded Cassibalan..had lost his tast.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)5400 : He wende haue taken þe toun in hast, Bot he failled of his ast [read: tast].
- a1500(?c1450) Florence (Cmb Ff.2.38)852 : Slo þem down..Loke now that taste [rime: laste, faste].
7.
In surname.
Associated quotations
- (1315) Nickname in LuSE 55122 : Rob. Lipestast's.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(c)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. instrument of taste.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(c)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. limb of taste.