Middle English Dictionary Entry
thirst n.
Entry Info
| Forms | thirst n. Also thirste, thurst(e, thorst(e, therst(e, þherste, durste, derst, first(e, furst, ferst, vurste & thrist(e, thrust(e, threst(e, thrast, trust, friste, (N) threist & (errors) thyeste, thyst, þurft, rust. |
| Etymology | OE þurst & þyrst; also cp. ON: cp. OI þorsti. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The sensation of thirst, desire to drink;—also pl.; also fig.; in ~, on thirst(es, afflicted with thirst, in a state of thirst; (b) lack of something to drink; also, deliberate abstinence from drink [some quots. may belong in (a) and vice versa]; (c) a general scarcity of water, drought.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B)91/7 : Wyð þat man ne maeȝe waeterseoces mannes þurst ȝecelan, nim þisse wyrte leaf.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)47/23 : Ȝif þu wylt þe werinyssa aweȝ don of þan mann, þann þat yfel hyne ȝeþreadne hæfð, of ðe þurft [read: þurst] aweȝ adon Nim hwyt cudu and gyngyfere, [etc.].
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)128/23 : Ne bið þær þurst, ne hungor, ne wop.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)95/24 : Ic ham ðes forȝeltes Adames anlicnesse, þurh hwam ic am on muchele aruednesses, on hungre and on ðurstes, on wacches and on swinkes.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Roy 17.A.27)119/1045 : Þe ȝet nes nawt þes kinges þurst wið al þis blod ikelet ah het Katerine swiðe cumen biuoren him.
- a1225 PMor.(Dgb 4)st.70 : Lihtliche mai ful wombe speke of hungre and of þurste.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3102 : We habbeð ihaued moni burst, moni hunger, & moni þurst.
- ?a1300(a1250) Harrow.H.(Dgb 86)34 : Suþþen haui þoled and west Boþe chele, hounger and þurst.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1229 : Wið swinc and hete hem wex on ðrist, Ðe water sleckede ðe childes list.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)129/2791 : Beues hadde þanne swich þrast, Him þouȝte his herte to-brast; Þanne seȝ he a water him be side.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)73/22 : Þer þou sselt yzy..honger and þorst.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)103.12 : Þe wilde asses shul abiden in her þrest [vr. fryste].
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Esd.9.20 : Water þou ȝeue to þem in thrist.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.175 : He was overcome wiþ travaille of þe gravel, wiþ rust [vrr. þrust, þirste; L vi sitis], and wiþ hete of þe sonne.
- c1390 Mirror St.Edm.(2) (Vrn)686 : Hunger ne ferst nor no dissese..we shul not doute.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.100 : O hateful harm condicion of pouerte With thurst, with cold, with hunger so confoundid.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)18.366 : Loue is my drynke..I fauȝte so..May no drynke me moiste ne my thruste [C vr. furst] slake.
- c1400 Femina (Trin-C B.14.40)46 : Ieo croy que est pur grant ceiff..Y leue hyt be for gret derst.
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.73v : For hoshede & drye cowhe, for gret huge hete on þe spirituals, for huge þrest as it fallyth ouer al þyng in acuys, souereyn helpe & remedy is aqua cucurbite, & is called by anoþer name aqua phisica, water of gowrde, water of phisic.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4722 : It is like hele and hool sekenesse; A trust [F soif] drowned and dronknesse, And helth full of Maladie.
- c1425 Mirror LM&W (Hrl 45)225/22 : Vpon þis welle resteþ the herte þat haþ gret þrust to þe loue of God.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.6166 : Content with..watir..To staunche..thi thrustis sore.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)176/28 : Ȝef it be sothen in water and drounkyn, it wele distroye manys thryst [vr. fyrste].
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)4116 : And watur myght he non come by..þen prayd he god in hy..vochsaue to sleke his threyst.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)128a : A Thryste: Sitis, Siticula.
- a1500 *Lanfranc CP (Wel 397)23b/20 : This water þat is best and comfortith þe stomake and defendith fumosites to go to the hede and it streynith not and it staunchth threst.
b
- a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)57/35 : Gyf we ne drincað, we byð mid þurste awæhte.
- c1175(?OE) HRood (Bod 343)4/3 : Þa ifunden heo þer þrittiȝ welsprunges, þare bitternes wæs swa swið þet noðer ne mon ne nyten þes wateres biten ne mihten..þeo fyrd..wæs swiðlice mid þurste iðrest swa þet heo clypoden..to him & cwædon þet heo mid alle forwurðon mosten.
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1615 : Pinenn þær þi bodiȝ a Wiþþ..þrisst & hunngerr.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)113/2 : Iþe desert..he lette ham þolien..hunger, þurst & muche swinc.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)9456 : He weoren ibirsted mid hungere & mid þurste [Otho: þorste].
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)977 : An angel cam ðor hire bi, Wiste hire drogen sori for ðrist.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2810 : We..buþ feynt & pal for hungre & for þerst.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Judg.15.18 : Lo for þrist [WB(2) vr. thyst] I die.
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)5.209 : He..auowide to faste; for any hungir or þrist [vrr. Furst, þherste].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)20.19 : He dronke at eche diche ar he for thurste [C: þerste] deyde.
- ?c1430(c1383) Wycl.Leaven Pharisees (Corp-C 296)14 : Þei..ȝeuen lordis..swete drynkys..and suffren here owene breþeren..to perische for þrist and myschef.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)200/26 : A pure man..prayed þaim to giff hym it, or els he monde dye for threste.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)5.33 : His men allemoste dedde for thruste [Trev.: for defaute of drynke], God ȝafe theym water from hevyn.
- c1450(a1400) Libeaus (Clg A.2)1343 : Greet schame hyt wold be For durste [Lamb: thurste] a knyȝt to sle, And no mare profyt.
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Is.32.2 : A man shal ben as þat is hid fro þe wynd & couereþ hymself, fro tempest as ryueres of watris in þrist.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Jer.2.6 : Wher is þe lord..þat ladde vs ouer..bi þe lond of þrist [L per terram sitis] & ymage of deþ.
- a1450(a1400) Athelston (Cai 175/96)490 : I schal brynge vpon þy lond Hungyr and þyrst.
- a1456 Marmaduke SSecr.(Ashm 59)219/28 : And whane any famyne, necessite, or indigent derth or scarcesite fortuneþe or falleþe in þyne empyres..or regyouns..gret hungre or thrust or pouerte emperissheþe, destroieþe, or makeþe hem destroied.
2.
Strong desire; also, with inf.: a desire (to do sth.); ~ of coveitise (havinge, worldli aboundaunce), avaricious desire; ~ of right (right-wisnesse, vertu, etc.), desire for righteousness (virtue, etc.), spiritual desire.
Associated quotations
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)5682 : Þe feorþe seollþe iss þatt tu beo Forrþrisst..æffterr rihhtwisnesse..tiss þrisst iss a I Cristess þewwess herrte.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)96/30 : Yblissed þo þet habbeþ honger and þorst of riȝt.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)169/17 : Yblessed byeþ þo þet habbeþ honger and þorst of riȝtuolnesse.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.269 : He brende for first [vr. vurste] in greet covetise [Higd.(2): which infecte with avarice].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.237 : Thanne..I beginne To take of love a newe thorst.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.m.2.21 : What brydles myghte withholden to any certeyn ende the disordene covetise of men, whan evere the rather that it fletith in large yiftes, the more ay brenneth in hem the thurst of havynge?
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)126/9-10 : He disposeþ hym to haue þe þirst [by] þe appetyte of soule, þe which þirst is noþing ellis but þe þirst of vertu, and of my worschip.
- c1429 Mirror Salv.(Beeleigh)221 : Thi thrust to shedde mans blode was neuer wery.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)396 : Thow vserere loke vp & be-holde..Thi gredi thruste [vr. thyeste] so sore the dothe constreyne.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)3.3729 : Her thrust of worldli habundaunce..abraideth euer in oon, Drownid in drynkyng & deeme ther part is non.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.1866 : Gold nor tresour..Staunche myht his thrust of couetise.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)288/17 : Þis ground of hardynesse is vij fote depe..Nobylnesse of herte..Hungyr & thrust of ryȝtwysnesse.
- a1500(1439) Lydg.Sts.AA (Lnsd 699)2706 : Yit of fals malis thei had a froward thurst, In ther corages lik furious folk & wood, Ageyn nature for to sheede blood.
- a1500 Let.Alex.(Wor F.172)106 : Fil to vs a grete and hevy thurst to labour [L siti laborare].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. thirst.