Middle English Dictionary Entry
tǒuret n.
Entry Info
| Forms | tǒuret n. Also tourette, toret(te, turet(e, turret(te; pl. touretis, etc. & torrettes, tiretis, turret & (?error) trettis, (error) turestis. |
| Etymology | OF torete, torette, torret(e, touret(t)e, thourette, AF turette, turret. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A small tower forming part of a city wall, castle or castle wall, or other enclosure or defensive fortification; also in fig. context; also, a small tower attached to the upper part of a gate [quot. (c1470)]; touret(is and tour(es, toures and touretis; (b) ?a small tower attached to the upper part of a larger, free-standing tower;—used in fig. context; (c) a small tower used as a place of confinement, perh. at ground level or underground; (d) a free-standing small tower used as a dwelling or place of refuge; (e) a nondefensive turret forming part of a college; also, some sort of small turret, perh. decorative [last quot.]; also, a decorative pinnacle.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.398 : To a turet sir Gij is went & biheld þat firmament.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2441 : Gyoun þat on þe turet was þorw grace iherd hure crye.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.1909 : Theseus..estward hath..Doon make an auter..And northward in a touret on the wal..An oratorie riche for to see In worship of Dyane.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)10005 : Þe foure turrettes [Ld: turret; Göt: trettis] þere I set þat castel fro harme to let; þat are foure vertues principales.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)8901 : Alle þe walles war made of þat cete of preceyouse stanes and ryche perrée, And alle þe turrettes, of cristalle schene.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)4164 : Ful wel aboute it [wall] was batayled, And Rounde enviroun eke were sette Ful many a Riche and faire tourette.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)497 : Toret [Win: Torette], lytylle towre: Turricula.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)3997 : Þe Sarezynes, armyd, forþ lepe Vpon the walles þe toun to kepe, Stout in touret and in hurdys.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)312 : A cite vnder Syon sett was ful noble With many toret & tour [vr. torettys & towres] þat toun to defende.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1151 : Tyre..þe cite..was..stalworthly wallid And þai so hedously hiȝe it was a huge wondire, Tildid full of turestis [Dub: torrettes] & toures of defence.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)2261 : Mak bosumy and angulous the wal, And so sette out therof the fundament With touris and turrettis oueral.
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)88/5 : Vaspasian..enforcid hem to assaile the Iuwes at the wallis and the bretismentis, the toures and the tourettis and garetis of the cite.
- (c1470) Paston (EETS)1.436 : Item, a pese of lede that coverid on of the rounde torettes of the jnner gate.
- c1475 Court Sap.(Trin-C R.3.21)1487 : A comly Castell..passeth paradyse..Yche pynnacle, corner towre, and toret Wyth golde and perle and stonys curyosly Depeyntyd was.
- a1480(c1450) Barlaam (2) (Peterh 257)155/5695 : Iosaphat..sette þe sygne of Cristis passion, a cros, vpon euery torett of þe walles aboute þe cite.
- c1500 Orfeo (Ashm 61)33/362 : The oueryst werke a-boue þe walle [of castle] Gan schyne as doth þe crystalle; A hundreth tyretys he saw, full stout, So godly þei wer bateyled a-boute.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1560 : In the Sercle of the Cite were sex faire ȝates..With grete toures vmb-tilde & torettis aboute, Well wroght for the werre, wacches O lofte.
b
- c1450 Leeds Mir.Virg.(Leeds 501)221/30 : Hym thoght feer in the eest he saw a ryal towr..and he thowte þat the ouyr ende was euyn in heuyn..whan he was wythin..ther cam down from a turret aboue fowre yonge men of the age of xvi ȝeer.
c
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)329 : In a litel toret his brother lay isteke.
d
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)158/23 : Than was sir Gawayne ware in a valey by a turrette twelve fayre damesels.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)159/20 : Whan the twelve damesels sawe sir Marhaus, they fledde to the turret as they were wylde.
e
- (1447-8) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1369 : In the myddel of the west pane of the cloistre a strong toure square..in height cxx fete vnto the corbel table, and iiij smale tourettis ouer that, fined with pynacles.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)333 : Toured with torettes was þe tente þanne, Suþ britaged a-boute, briȝt to byholde.
- (c1470) Paston (EETS)1.436 : Item, a-nother pese of leed that coveryd a litell toret comyng oute on to the clokke lede ouer Sir James chambir.
2.
God's dwelling place, heaven.
Associated quotations
- ?a1475 LDirige(2) (Dc 322)619 : I hope to god that I shall gete, Of all diseases yet rekeuere, And se my lorde in hys turete.
3.
A structure borne on the back of a dromedary from which armed men do battle; ~ of tre.
Associated quotations
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)456 : Cameles closed in stele comen out þanne..Busked to batail & on bak hadde Echon a toret of tre with ten men of armes.
- c1470 Bible F.(Cleve-W q091.92-C468)80/13 : Thei had also..an c and xl camellis and upon eche of them a lytle turret in the which xx men harneiseid might fight.
4.
In generalizing uses: pl. all fortified places and dwellings; halle and bour and heigh ~, everything.
Associated quotations
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)18292 : Thei [Greeks] smot alle that for-set, Halle & boure & hye toret.
- c1475 Gregory's Chron.(Eg 1995)63 : A Syn Lukys eve or day, ther blewe a grete wynde owt of the northe est, and that wynde caste downe many howsys, styplys, turretys, and chyrchys, and treys.
5.
(a) A representation of a small tower; (b) pl. the petals of the fleur-de-lis.
Associated quotations
a
- (?1468) Doc.in Bentley Excerpta Hist.238 : Uppon the hygh table afore the astate was made a goodely towre wt iiij towrettis curysly wrought.
- a1500 Chartier Treat.Hope (Rwl A.338)69/22 : In the tothir hande she helde a turet of golde with a gossehawke theron.
b
- a1425(?a1400) Epistle DStirrings (Hrl 674)65/24 : In a coroun ben þre þinges: Gold is þe first; precious stones ben þe secound; and þe toretes of þe floure-de-lices reised up abouen þe heed, þoo ben þe þrid.