Middle English Dictionary Entry
tomb(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | tomb(e n. Also toumb(e, toume, tumb(e, tumba, thombe, (?errors) toumebe, tompe; pl. tombes, etc. & tomis, thoumbes. |
| Etymology | OF tombe, AF tumbe, toumbe; also cp. L tumba, ML tomba. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A structure for the interment of a corpse; a tomb, sepulcher; a mausoleum [a few quots. may belong to (c)]; ~ wonder, a miraculous tomb; (b) a grave; a burial mound; (c) a coffin or sarcophagus; (d) a burial monument, memorial; also, a grave stone, grave marker; (e) mistransl. of L tumultus, perh. understood as tumulus; (f) ?in surname.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 Lay.Brut (Otho C.13)3031 : Hii makede one tumbe of golde and of gimes; þane kinge hii dude þar-ine.
- c1300 SLeg.Lucy (Hrl 2277)33 : Þurf tuochinge of seint Agace tumbe þu worst hol anon.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)4594 : Þere at uore þe heye weued amydde þe quer ywis As is bones liggeþ is toumbe wel vair is.
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)249 : Ibiried he was, in toumbe he lay Til hit com þe þridde day.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Par.35.24 : He is dead & biried in þe costeuous toumbe [WB(2): sepulcre; L mausoleo] of his fadris.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.183 : Damasus..wroot vers uppon tombes þat he fonde of holy seyntes.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pri.(Manly-Rickert)B.1871 : In a tombe [vr. toumebe] of marbilstones cleere Enclosen they this litel body swete.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3665 : Thei maden lowe A tumbe riche..Of marbre and ek of jaspre stones.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.518 : In a tombe [vrr. thombe, tompe] is al the faire aboue And vnder is the corps.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)8736 : Þey shul be leyde yn toumbe of stone, And hys ymage ful feyre depeynte.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)17313 : Qwy Blame ȝe me..for I aman in graf diȝt, In a toumb [Ld: tomb] þat was my nawen?
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.2232 : In Venus temple..He made his werkmen a toumbe for to myne, In marbil gray and metal rychely.
- a1425(c1300) Assump.Virg.(1) (Add 10036)134/844, 135/848 : Þe tumbe þei vndede; No þing þer Inne þei ne founde But a manere floure at þe grounde..Hit was in þe tumbe [vr. tumba] ystekyd.
- a1425 HBk.GDei (Hnt HM 148)90/24 : Thoumbes of marbill and of stone sail all to-rise to lat out þos bodies þat in þaim wore loken.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)505 : Tvmbe, or grave for worschypffulle menne: Mausoleum.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)5593 : Þan bilds he þare a berynes..as it a schrine ware, A tombe as a tabernacle..In reuerence of þat riche stede.
- (1476) Paston (EETS)1.602 : A man fro the Priour of Bromholme..lete me have knowlage..that the tombe is not mad; And also he seythe that the clothe that lythe ouer the graue is all toryn and rotyn.
- a1500(c1400) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)57 : Quen tithynges token to þe toun of þe toumbe wonder, Mony hundrid hende men highide þider sone.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Par.34.4 : Vp on þe toumbis of hem þat weren wont to offryn, he scaterede þe releefis.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Job 15.28 : He shal dwellen in desolat citees & in desert housis þat ben broȝt in to toumbis.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)67b/b : Tumulus: a graue, a lytel hul, or a tumbe.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)12234 : By þe toumbe he sey on sittande, A womman.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)646 : He..saugh a tombe faste by that was newly made, and be-side that tombe satte an olde woman.
c
- c1300 SLeg.11000 Virg.(Hrl 2277)162 : Þo þis bodi him was bitake, tuelf monþ he let hit beo..in a chiste of treo..Þis monekes þo hi þis iseȝe adrad & sori were; To þe tumbe [Ld: cheste] hi wende þer heo was & nefonde hire noȝt þere.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.50.25 : He dyede..And..was leyd in towmbe [WB(2): beere; L loculo] in Egypte.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)14318 : He bad þe graf suld be vndon, Of þe tumb tak of þe lidd.
- c1450(1438) GLeg.St.Barth.(GiL116) (Eg 876)81/13 : Whanne the Paynimes of hym sawe that his sepulcre was gretly worshipped..thei had gret dispite, and putte hym in to a tumbe of lede, and caste hym in to the see.
- (1459-60) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 4101 : For the helyng of ij tomys of Isbell Symmys and alys Fischer, ij d.
d
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.5645 : Þis Iubiter was moste magnified..To whom þei made for a memorial A large tombe and a statue a-lofte.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)56.441 : Whanne Over hym his tombe was Mad, dropes of ful Red blood Owt It ȝald.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)72/6-8 : The kyng lette putte hom bothe in the erthe, and leyde the tombe uppon them, and wrote the namys of hem bothe on the tombe.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)129a : Towme [Monson: a Towmbe: piramis & cetera], vbi grave.
e
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)2 Kings 18.29 : Achymaas seide, 'I sawȝ a gret toumbe [WB(2): noise; L tumultum].'
f
- (1284-5) Feudal Aids 4274 : Willelmus de Tomb.