Middle English Dictionary Entry
tent(e n.(3)
Entry Info
| Forms | tent(e n.(3) Also teinte. |
| Etymology | OF tente a probe, roll of lint & ML tenta a probe, roll of soft material. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Med. A roll of some soft material, usu. linen or wax, sometimes medicated, placed in or near a wound to keep it open while it heals; a similar roll used as a suppository [quot. a1475]; also, a small bar of some material used to keep proud flesh from overgrowing an orifice; (b) surg. a speculum-like probe; also, fig. a penis.
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)46/12-13 : Putte a litil smal tent in þe eende of þe wounde þat is most lynynge, & þilke tent schal touche no senewe ne make noon akþe vndir þat, þat ilke wounde be weel dried.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)142/15 : Make two smale tentis [L tentas] of wex & putte on eiþir noseþrille aboue þe wounde.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)225/14 : Whanne it is al oute, þan þou schalt make him a tent & anoynte it in oile þat þe wounde close not togidere.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)86a/b : Þer be put in by þe hole a tent of þe rote of genciane.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)93b/b : Þat for apostemacioun þe hole of þe ȝerde be not closed, be þer put in it a tent of wex or of delicate cloþ.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)151a/b : Be it opned wiþ nailez or wiþ a Rasour & a canulate tent of tree or of lede anoynted wiþ butir or wiþ oile.
- ?a1425 *MS Htrn.95 (Htrn 95)97a/b : Fille alle þe wounde of þe flesche strongelie wiþ tentis of towe wette in hote oile of rose þat þe corners of þe fleische mowe be holden farre fro þe wounde of þe braine panne.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)48/8 : Þe quitour y-þristed out, I putte in tentes of larde to þe lengþe of a fynger.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)179/12 : Þe husbonde..fel down..hys heuyd vndyr hym greuowsly brokyn..in so meche þat he had in hys heuyd v teyntys many days whil hys heuyd was in holyng.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)489 : Tente, of a wownde or a soore: Tenta.
- ?a1450 Poem Hawking (Yale 163)400 : And yf hit happe her to be hurte..Lay on salue þer on that hurte Wyth tentys of lynet þat saues þat lesure.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)120/25 : Make þer-of a playstir and leye it vp-on his tuwell..and putte it vp in-to þe tuwel in þe maner of a tent.
- a1475 Gilb.Angl.(Wel 537)19/18 : A suppository for þe litarge: Take..and make þe tentis and shape hem aftir þe gretnes of þi litil fyngir, and put it in his fundement.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)61b/b : Make a sutil tent of flex wiþ an heed lijk a nayl..& anoynte it wiþ summe of þe mundificatiues aforn leggid.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)93a/a : Take as myche of a spounge as þou myȝt maken of a tente & wete it in molten pich and siþen wete it eftsones in vynegre and putte it in þe nose.
- a1500 Cmb.Diseases Hawk (Cmb Ll.1.18)43 : Take larde off bakoun off the fatte, and make a tente þeroff and putte hit þerinne and chaunge hit not.
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)21a/5 : Make þer als many steches as is nede sowyng..and leue in the nether ende an openyng by the whiche thow shalt put in a tent þat shall clence the wounde.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)58/17 : Ȝef þe wonde be dep y-smete..make a tent large of fat bacon and wynd hyre al a-boute with a smal flexin clout and put to þe ground of þe wounde, and let lygge 3 dayes.
- c1500(1446) Morstede Surgery (Hrl 1736)119 : Put a lytyll teynte In to the wound For to kepe yt oppune all day & all nyght.
b
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)26638 : Hit faris of shrift as dos of wound þat lange vnsoȝt is to þe grounde; a tent þe wers to hit will reche quen hit rotis for defaute of leche.
- a1425 May no man (CmbAdd 5943)12 : May no man slepe in ȝoure halle for rattys, madame..but ȝyf he haue a tent of xv enche wyt letheryn knappes.
- c1475 *Mondeville (Wel 564)157b/a : Þe surgian schal neuere assaie ne preue ne serche with no tent, namely puttynge yn þe tent to þe holownesse of þe brayn panne ouþir of þe brest.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. tent.