Middle English Dictionary Entry
tōde n.
Entry Info
| Forms | tōde n. Also tod, tote, tade, tad(de & (in names) tadda-, ta-, tede-, tide-, thade-, ade-, ead-, thoed & (error) stode; pl. todes, etc. & todus, toden, (early) tad(d)en & (errors) tatdys, oades. |
| Etymology | OE tād(e, prob. shortened forms of tādige. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A toad;—also coll.; ?also, a frog; (b) the toad as a malevolent, loathsome creature of hell, a creature of torment; also, a symbol of the devil; (c) fig. a sinful person; (d) as a pejorative epithet for a person; (e) ~ chese, todes hat, a mushroom; ~ hole, a toadhole; ~ stole, q.v.; (f) alch. a name for the ashen or leaden substance to which metals were reduced in the process of transmutation; ~ of the erthe; (g) in surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem.2.174].
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)53 : Þes riche men..liggeð þer uppon alse þe tadde deð in þere eorðe.
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)544/7 : [Ru]beta: tadde.
- c1300 Body & S.(5) (LdMisc 108)p.59 : Ȝwan he hadde reden þat rode, Opon þe sadil þer he was set, He was kast doun as a tode, And hellehoundes..broiden out þo peces brode.
- a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Cmb Gg.1.1)531 : Crapaud [glossed:] tode.
- a1350 Of Rybaudȝ (Hrl 2253)10 : Þe shuppare þat huem shupte, to shome he huem shadde, to fles ant to fleye, to tyke ant to tadde.
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)81/1539 : Snakes and euetes and oades [read: toades] fale..Þat prouede euer wiþ here venim To sle Beues.
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)739 : Crapoude, rayne, et serpent: Tode, frogge, and nedder.
- c1375 SLeg.Patr.(Eg 1993)274 : Eddren furi vpen hem sete and toden [vr. crapoudes] grete al so.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)8.183 : A womman þat hadde a fende wiþ inne her drank þerof, and caste up tweye blake taddes.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.636 : Swiche scorneres faren lyk the foule tode that may nat endure to smelle the soote sauour of the vyne whanne it florissheth.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)1155/10 : Ofte in gardynes is ruwe ysette þat is venyme and enemy to taddes and to oþere venymous wormes.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)77.50 : He..sent in am hundeflegh and it ete þa, Tade [L ranam], and [it] forspilt þam swa.
- (c1410) York MGame (Vsp B.12)34 : Somtyme þe wolfes bycommen woode and þan whan þei biten a man wiþ gret peyn shal he be hool for her bityng is wonder venemous for þe toodes þat þei han ete.
- a1425 Christ.Belief (LoC 4)6/201 : Þaie spitted i myddes hise faire face als þai wolde do on an eddre or on a thoed..
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)105 : Crowken, as todes, or frosshes: Coaxo.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)1258 : The serpent clepyd draconia..yff thei ther-with schuld fyght, With the uenym of a stode [read: tode] or off arany, They sone yt sle.
- a1450(?a1390) Mirk Fest.Suppl.(Cld A.2)293/11 : Þe stene barste al to pesus, and a grete tote was in þe stene bothom; Þan alle heldon vp hure handus to God, þonkyng hym þat sauid hym..from poysynnyng.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)84/271 : Þer is anothir ȝitt That sodenly sewes vs ful sore, For tadys and frosshis we may not flitte.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)182/573 : A pryncipall medecyne for lepre: Take a busshell of good barlych in the monyth of march and halue a busshell of todes and seþe heme togedir.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)13 : The Kyng..remembred hymselfe..a sweyvyn slepyng, and semyd to hym varaly that a cruell serpent and an horribill tode assailid hym furiously yn his kynges-chambur.
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)103a/a : Caste al aboute wiþinne þe wounde þe poudre of a tode brent or ellis blac poudre.
- a1500 Bod.EMisc.Lapid.(BodEMisc e.558)36/369 : The crepaude is found in the forehede of the Toode aftyr she is vij yeere olde.
b
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)12/104 : Þe laðe helle wurmes, tadden, & froggen..freoteð ham ut te ehnen & te nease gristles.
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)111/6 : Al þet he rukeleð & gedereð to gederes & et halt of ei þing þet nis bute esken mare þen hit neodeð schal in helle wurðen him tadden [Cai: taden] & neddren.
- c1330(?c1300) St.Patr.Purg.(1) (Auch)p.103 : On sum sede todes blake, euetes, neddren and þe snake, þat frete hem bac and side.
- c1390 11 Pains(3) (Vrn)253/60 : In þat flod say he þere Mony deueles..Todus, Neddres, Snakes, mony mo.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)23227 : Þe thrid pine es hard to drei, O wormes þat sal neuer dei, Fell dragons and tades bath.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)6900 : Tades swa hydus was never here sene..sal..þam ay gnaw and byte.
- a1425 MChristi (Arun 286)53/726 : Þere [purgatory] is plente of alle þat may peyne body and soule..edders and tatdys [read: taddys] ever gnas[t]yng and fretyng þe soules þat ben þere.
- a1450(?1409) Vision Staunton (Roy 17.B.43)63 : Y saw þe iagges þat men were clothed ynne turne al to addres, to dragons and to todes and many other orrible bestes, sowkyng hem and bityng hem.
- ?a1475 LDirige(2) (Dc 322)225 : Where synful soules tumble and raue..Toodes of [?read: on] hem doth crowde and crepe.
- a1500(?a1450) GRom.(Hrl 7333)19 : Þenne comith a toode, scil. þe deuell, and entrith into þe nest, scil. þe herte of þe synner.
c
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)51 : Þer wunieð fower cunnes wurmes inne..þer wunieð in-ne faȝe neddren and beoreð atter under heore tunge, Blake tadden and habbeð atter uppon heore heorte.
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)53 : Nu leofemen..witeð eow þet ȝe ne beo noht þe foaȝe neddre ne þe blake tadde ne þe ȝolewe frogge.
d
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)186/60 : Þo gradden þe tormentores: 'We ne schullen neuere ouer-come þis tade.'
e
- (1435) Close R.Hen.VI359 : Todeholes.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)349 : Muscheron, toodys hatte: Boletus, fungus.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)495 : Todyshatte: Tuber.
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)585/22 : Fungea..i. boletus..a taddechese.
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)618/4 : Tubera..taddechese.
f
- a1500(1471) *Ripley CAlch.(Ashm 1486)432 : Some men call it ye crowe byll, Some men call it ye aschys of hermes tree, And thus yey name it..the tode of ye erthe, wyche etyth hys fyll.
- 1652(?1471) Ripley Epis.Edw.IV in Ashmole TC (AshmTC)p.116 : Both Body and Spirit also both Oyle and Water..Which also called is when he hath once bene Dedd And is revived our Marchasite..Our Toade, our Basiliske.
g
- (1200) EPNSoc.24 (Oxf.)406 : Tademertun.
- (c1225) EPNSoc.24 (Oxf.)406 : Thademertona.
- (1242-3) EPNSoc.24 (Oxf.)406 : Tidemerton.
- (1268) EPNSoc.24 (Oxf.)406 : Tedemerton.
- (1285) EPNSoc.24 (Oxf.)406 : Eadmertone.
- (1285) EPNSoc.24 (Oxf.)406 : Tamertone.
- (1295) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames211 : Todhurst.
- (1301-7) Pat.R.Edw.I19 : Adam Tadebely.
- (1330) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)208 : Tadecote.
- (1331) in Löfvenberg ME Local Surnames211 : Ric. atte Todhurst.
- (1333) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)208 : Taddacote.
- (1394) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)208 : Adecote.
- (1428) EPNSoc.24 (Oxf.)406 : Tadmarton.