Middle English Dictionary Entry
tī̆raunt n.
Entry Info
| Forms | tī̆raunt n. Also tiraunte, tirant, tirand(e, tiraun, tiran(ne, tiront, tirraunt(e, tirrand, ter(r)aunt(e, terant, ter(r)and & (?errors) tarand, treaunt; pl. tirauntes, etc. & tirauntus, tirraundes & (?errors) tyrranitis, (in rime with manne, pl. of man) tyranne & (errors) tirnauntis, tyrasen, terrowyntis, triuantis, tryuauntis, trynauntis. |
| Etymology | OF tiran, tirant, AF tir(r)aunt, tiraund n.; for forms in -n(ne also cp. L tyrannus. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A ruler who wields absolute power, despot; also, a member of the higher nobility; also as a mocking epithet for Christ [quot. a1450].
Associated quotations
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Wisd.12.14 : Ne..king ne tyraunt..shul enserchen of þese þat þou hast destroȝed.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Dan.1.3 : The kyng saith to Aphanet..that he shulde brynge yn of the sonys..of the kyngus bloode, and the children of tyrauntis, or strong men, in whom was no wem.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)4385 : They han..ychosyn hem a newe gouernour, An olde Tyraunt þat callyd was Creon, Ful acceptable to hem euerichon, And crownyd hym..to ben her kyng.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)583 : The honourable kyngys Come at his commandmente..They turne in by Thebay, terauntez fulle hugge, The flour of þe faire folke, of Amazonnes landes.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)250 : This errour was kept as a lawe, and ymagis weren worschipid bi lordschip of tyrannys.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)333/381 : All þin vntrew techyngis þus taste I, þou tarand [?read: terand]..Nowe be-cause he oure kyng gon hym call, We will kyndely hym croune with a brere..Hayll! lord with-out lande..Hayll! kyng, hayll!
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1294 : Ser Balaan..Ane of þe terands [Dub: tiraundez] of Tyre, atyres him belyue.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5484 : Aires furth ser Alexander & with his arte closis Of terands of þir tartaryns twa & twenti kyngs.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)345/32 : He gaff hym..a noble swerde that..sir Gringamours fadir wan uppon an hethyn tyrraunte.
2.
(a) A cruel, unjust, or violent ruler;—also used of Antichrist; king ~; wikked (fals, etc.) ~; (b) a ruler who seizes power by force, usurper; (c) a religious persecutor or oppressor.
Associated quotations
a
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7689 : To hom þat wolde is wille do, debonere he was & milde, & to hom þat wiþsede, strong tirant [vr. tyraund] & wilde.
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.11 : He makeþ hym so hardy þat he ne douteþ deuel ne tiraunt [vr. terraunte] aȝein þe wille of god.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3727 : Where is this false tiraunt [vr. terant], this Neroun?
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)1 Pet.2.18 : Seruauntes, be ȝe suget in al drede to lordis, not onely to goode and mylde, but also to tirauntes [vr. tryuauntis].
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.961 : He wolde doon..his myght Vpon the tiraunt [vrr. treaunt, tyrant] Creon hem to wreke.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.1889 : Whan he was hotest in his ire..Cirus the king tirant sche..only with hire goodly lok..made..debonaire and meke.
- c1400 PPl.B (Trin-C B.15.17)20.60 : Antecrist cam þanne..And al þe Couent forþ cam to welcome þat tyraunt.
- c1400 Wycl.LAChurch (Dub 244)p.xxxii : Defaute of prestis among Goddis folk bryngiþ in tirnauntis [read: tiruauntis].
- a1425 Dial.Reason & A.(Cmb Ii.6.39)23/35 : Plato was taken of þefes..mad þral, & lowtede to þe biddyngges of a wicked tyraunt.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.97 : Boþe ypocrites and trynauntis [?read: tyruauntis] shal be distryed.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.m.4.13 : Wharto..drede ye tirauntz [vr. tyrauntus] that ben wode and felenous withouten ony strengthe?
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)489 : Terawnte: Tirannus.
- (c1443) Pecock Rule (Mrg M 519)337 : If he kepe þese pointis.. þanne he is a verry prince, and if he do..þe contrarie, þanne he is a tiran.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5321 : As any terand for tene he with his tethe gnaistes.
- ?c1450(?a1400) Wycl.Clergy HP (Lamb 551)371 : Saynt poule..techiþ cristen men to obey to hem..all-þouȝ þai ben tirawntes.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)111 : Nembroth be myght for his owne glorie made..the first realme, and subdued it..bi tyrannye..he..oppressyd the peple..and therfore he was a tirraunt.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)128b : A Tyrrand: Tirannus.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)153/15 : Whan thay..Sawe this wodnys, and longyr thay myght not hit Suffyre, thay assaylid the Tirande [Nero].
- a1500(?a1425) Chester Pl.Antichr.(Pen 399)512/594 : Ennoke and Helye..have tayntyd tho tyrant [Antichrist].
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.223 : Bitwix a titlelees tiraunt And an outlawe..ther is no difference.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.51 : A bastard no kyngdom suld hald Bot if þat he it wan with suerd or with lance Of tirant or of Sarazin.
- ?1457 *Hardyng Chron.A (Lnsd 204)25b [B p.58] : Euery tirant [B: tyranne] than was a Conqueroure.
- c1475 Body Pol.(Cmb Kk.1.5)83/35 : We haue spoken..of twoo..poyntes..vpon whiche the naturall prynce and not the tyraunt ought to be foundid upon the feete of his gouernaunce.
c
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)750 : Ore louerd helpe nouþe seint thomas..A-mong so manie tyraunz for-to come.
- a1325 SLeg.(Corp-C 145)270/171 : Þis foule tirans þat þe [St. Paul] ledeþ, hi woleþ þe lite forbere; Þei þou beo uillich itormented, ȝute hi wolleþ þe more totere.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)230/34 : Sainte lucie zayde to þe tiront, 'Yef þou me beuelst aye mi wyl, my chasthede hit ssel by me y-dobbled.'
- c1350 Apoc.(1) in LuSE (Hrl 874)p.45 : By þis rede hors ben bitokned þise tyrauntz þat shadden þe blood of þe martirs.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21001 : Vnder a tirand hight egeas Bonden on a rod he [Andrew] was.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)95/17 : He pleinede to a tyraunt þat was clepude Pascasie and seide sche was Cristene.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)5526 : Martirs..sal accuse þe synful wyghtes, Als þe tirauntes þat þam pyned and sloghe.
- a1425 NHom.(3) Leg.Suppl.Hrl.(Hrl 4196)47/137 : Cursed terand, whore es þi mynde?
- a1450 PNoster R.Hermit (Westm-S 3)30/2 : Þe tiraunt..leet slee Goddis martir & did drawe ouȝt his herte.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)17889 : When þe terrand herd tell no thyng myȝt make þem tame, he was more fers and fell.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)6811 : Gloryous martyrs..suffrede al the vyolence..Off Tyrauntys Tyranye.
- a1500 Dives & P.(Hrl 149)1.205 : Terrowyntis [Htrn: Cristene men..myȝtyn ne dorstyn makyn swyche solempnyte for tyrantrye of þe heþene peple].
- a1500 Lydg.LOL (Adv 19.3.1)p.88 : Tyrranitis..of malice ageyne the feyth bewode..To make martyrs yeld up the breth.
3.
(a) Any person who uses power to oppress or terrorize; (b) a wicked, cruel, or violent person; a villain, ruffian, bully; also, the devil; (c) a cruel lover.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)6.209 : Þe abbotes..for grete richesse beeþ proude, and becomeþ tyrantz..and beeþ cruel.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)842 : Here es a teraunt besyde that tourmentez thi pople, A grett geaunte of Geen.
- c1450(a1400) Lavynham Treat.7 Dead.Sins (Hrl 211)9/26 : Rauayn is whan a man takyth an oþer mannys god a gayn his wil..In þis vice fallen alle tyrauntis & extorsioneris.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)197/21 : The beare..betokyns som tyraunte that turmentis thy peple.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)52/28 : Seynt Pole..was conuerted from a curset tyrand ynto Goddys seruant.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1978 : Antenor..Hade doute of the Duke..Lest the tyrand in his tene hade turnyt hym to sle.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.5646 : This tirant..Beraft hire..virginite.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)7493 : Alisaunder..Þou louest alle gentil-manne And abatest alle tyranne [LinI: tyrasen].
- c1400(a1376) PPl.A(1) (Trin-C R.3.14)2.161 : Þe king..comaundite a cunstable..To atache þis [vr. þes] tiraunt [vrr. tirraundes, terauntes, Tyrans; C: tyrauns].
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)943 : Passe fast Lest ȝe be taken in þe teche of tyrauntez.
- c1450(a1449) Lydg.SSecr.(Sln 2464)12 : God..conferme our kyng In al vertu..To punysshe tyrauntys & cherysshe hem that be meke.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)314/227 : Þou [Judas] art unknowen; Fals tiraunte, for þi traitoury Þu art wo[r]þi to be hanged.
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)104/24 : Sey to þat cruell terraunt þe feend..'what stondiþ þou here, þou wicked beeste?'
- c1450(c1415) Roy.Serm.(Roy 18.B.23)252/31 : Is [Saint Benedict's] liff was angelike, þe wiche withstode terraundes and devels with is holy worde.
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)1/8 : Þe wijsdom..of þis book..be kept..from al wickid peple and tyrauntis.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)225/13 : The Piteous man hath..wysdome, drede, and honeste, and the tyraunt or the cruell man, the contrary.
- a1500(c1477) Norton OAlch.(Add 10302)976 : Euer it happith..That Tiraunys be ful nye to a kinge.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)2194 : All þe Renkes of my rewme will þi red folowe..soche tyrandes to tame þat vs tene wirkes.
c
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1989 : Som tiraunt..wolde han lete hym steruen..rather than han graunted hym hir grace.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.1240 : Ye [Criseyde] han played tirant neigh to longe.
4.
In misc. phrases: (a) toth of tirauntes, a name given to a fabulous beast; (b) scole of a ~, ?a school established by a tyrant;—error through misconstruction of L Tyrannus as a common noun.
Associated quotations
a
- a1500 Let.Alex.(Wor F.172)236 : A newe kynde of beestis appierid, more than eliphauntis, armed in the forhede with iii hornes, whiche of the yndes is cald the toth of tirauntis [L dentityrannum].
b
- c1425 Bible SNT(1) (Cmb Dd.12.39)Deeds 19.9 : He..departed þo discipuls, disputande iche daye in þo scole of a tyraunte [L schola tyranni].
5.
As surname.
Associated quotations
- (1168) in Pipe R.Soc.12138 : Balduinus Tirant.
- (1176) in Pipe R.Soc.25147 : Iordanus le Tirant.
- (1204) Fine R.King John205 : Willielmus Le Tirant.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1425(?c1384) Wycl.Church (Bod 788)3.357 : It falliþ ofte bi þis lawe, þat a tryaunt and a fendis lyme is put bifore a lyme of Crist.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)1.97 : Ȝif God wil, boþe ypocritis and tryauntis shal be distryed. as þe Antipope wiþ his court, and þes newe religiouse.
Note: New spelling
Note: Sing. form triaunt = ?error. (Note: plural form trinauntis = error.)