Middle English Dictionary Entry
trecheri(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | trecheri(e n. Also trechori(e, trechorrie, trechuri, treccheri(e, treccheriȝe, trecchri, trehcherie, tretcherie, tretchori, tri(c)cheri(e, tri(c)chori, tricheriȝe, trichcherie & trēcherie & (?errors) tretherie, tretherye. |
| Etymology | OF tricherie, trecherie, AF treicherie, trischerie; the forms tretherie, tretherye may belong to ME traitǒuri(e n. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Faithlessness to a sworn oath or sacred obligation; also, traitorousness; (b) guilefulness, duplicity, dishonesty; also, trickery; (c) hypocrisy, dissimulation, insincerity; (d) a specific sin, sometimes one of the deadly sins: malicious duplicity; also person.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)73/77 : Alas þe muchele tricherie þat þo was, and ȝeot is, þat brouȝte þo Enguelond al-to grounde i-wis!
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2988 : Nu haue ye herd..hwou he woren with wronge ledde In here youþe, with trecherie, With tresoun, and with felounye.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1454 : He was euere oure kinge next, & atte laste he adrou His swerd, ar me were iwar, & oure king aslou. Þer was tricherie [B: tricheriȝe] inou vor no mon ne mai bet do Gile anoþer þan þulke þat he truste mest to.
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)210 : A chef steward..proued wiþ niþe & ond For to haue brouȝt hem boþe to schond Wiþ gile & trecherie.
- c1350(a1333) Shoreham Poems (Add 17376)60/1677 : Her may treuþyng be ondo Þorwe fal[s]nesse of partye, And for de-faute of witnessyng, Wyþ wrang and trycherye.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.828 : Now lest thurgh which ypocrisie ordeigned was the tricherie Wherof this ladi was deceived.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)18882 : It most nu nede þe writte be fulfild..þe haligast said thoru daui O iudas and his trecheri [Göt: trechori].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)1.196 : Thei ben acombred wiþ coueitise..þat is no treuthe of þe trinite but treccherye [A vr. tretherye] of helle.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)187 : For traysoun, and trichcherye, and tyrauntyre boþe..Man may mysse þe myrþe þat much is to prayse.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)1.12 : Of tryuþe & of tricherye [vr. trichery], of tresoun and of gyle, Al ich saw slepynge.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.2879 : Menoun..gan to speke To Achilles for his hiȝe tresoun: 'O þou traitour! O þou scorpioun! O þou serpent, ful of trecherie!'
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)1609 : He made to hir ful mekyl boste, And said of al he lufed hir moste; Al was treson and trechery, And þat he sal ful dere haby.
- a1450-1509 Rich.(Brunner)6013 : Þorwȝ hys tresoun and trehcherye, And þorwȝ þe waytyng off a spye, Kyng R. he dede gret schame, þat turnyd al Yngelond to grame.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.64 : Vse hire [Fortune] most tho[u] wiþ hire variance..And if þou grised of hire treccherie, Than cast hire of.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)1.253 : Periurie is..cause of alle vnryȝtfulnessis, cause of gyle and of tretherie [?read: trecherie; vr. treson] & of gret dispitys þat ben don boþin to God & to man.
- a1500 ME Verse in Anglia 92p.74 : Trewþe ys turnyd in-to trecherye, chast loue in-to lecherye.
b
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)108/10 : Ȝef me ȝemeð wurse ei þing ileanet oðer bitaht to witene þen he wene þe ah hit, Nis hit oðer triccherie oðer ȝemeles of slawðe?
- a1300(c1250) Floris (Vit D.3)85 : Deþ..vol of enuie & vol of alle tricherie [vr: trecho rye], Mid traisun þou me hast mi lef binome.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)72/64 : Willame Bastard, þat was þo Eorl in Noremaundie, Þouȝte to winne Enguelond þoruȝ strencþe and tricherie.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)334/368 : Symon Magus-is tricherie op-on him-sulf it gan i-wiende.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)764 : Hare counsayl hi nome þer: ffor to holde ffaste Ihesus wiþ tricherye and to slee him atte laste.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Prov.12.20 : Trecherie in þe herte of men thenkinge euelis.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.780 : That oother marchandise that men haunten with fraude and trecherie and deceite with lesynges and false othes is cursed and dampnable.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.2078 : This Achelons was a Geant, A soubtil man, a deceivant, Which thurgh magique and sorcerie Couthe al the world of tricherie.
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)27845 : Þe iiij synne is couatise..of þis comis..alkin taking wrangewisly & alle halding wiþ trecchry.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.3634 : Hector seide þat of trecherie, Only of sleiȝt and of false tresoun Her axynge was..First to burie Grekis þat wer dede.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)2 Cor.12.16 : I dysceyuede ȝou with treccherye.
- (?a1430) Hoccl.MG (Hnt HM 111)48 : Our fo, the feend, thurgh his sotiltee..in awayt lyth for to cacche me, Me ouercome with his treecherie.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.606 : Vertues alle in hym wer set aside: Slouh to been armyd, hatid cheualrie, Most coueitous, deynous, ful of pride, His deedis froward, ful of trecherie.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)501 : Tretcherye: Dolus, fraus, dolositas, subdolositas.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)13.570 : Therfore it is seid ful trewelye That In trewe herte was neuere trecherye.
- a1450 SLeg.MPChr.(StJ-C B.6)142 : 'Lo,' he [Jesus] seyde, 'here comyth a man [Nathanael] withouttyn ony treccheryȝe.'
- c1475 Guy(1) (Cai 107/176)11012 : This gentyll Gye..All falshed and trechory Euer-more..wold dystroye.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)231/34 : Thay whyche bene ill mesurid of body bene dysposyd to trechury and othyr ill tecchis.
- a1500 Nicod.(4) (Hrl 149)44 : Jewes fulle of trecherye, and wyth hem Judas Skaryothe, the falce awmonere of Jhesu Cryst, came to Pylate.
c
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Gen.34.13 : Þe sonnes of Iacob answerden to Sychym & to þe fader of hym in tretchory waxyng cruel for þe stupre of þe syster.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4520 : Allas, ye lordes, many a fals flatour Is in youre court and many a losengeour..Beth war, ye lordes, of hir trecherye [vr. treccherie].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.4586 : Juno tho hadde in compainie A Maiden full of tricherie, For sche was evere in on acord With Jupiter..To gete him othre loves newe.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)3064 : Wyþ pryde are swych men ateynte; Flourshed wurdys, and oþerwhyle louely..ful of pryde and trechery.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)1.2079 : Wommen..Enclose her lustis by swyche sotilte, Vnder bowndis of al honeste Of hir entent, þoruȝ þe trecherie With al þe surplus vnder be y-wrye.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)2537 : Though thou bithenke thee neuer so well, Thou shalt foryete yit somdell But if thou dele with trecherie.
- (1440) Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)25 : Wele I wote ȝoure hertis be so clere, So ful of charite withouten trechery, ȝe wil not put on me no vyleny But I deserue it.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Grail (Corp-C 80)47.88 : The devel was Closed In his herte..So that the peple Cowde not Aspye his Falsnesse nethir his trechorrye.
d
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)105/16 : Þe Vox of ȝisceunge haueð þeose hwelpes: Triccherie & gile, Þeofðe, Reaflac, wite & herrure strengðe..Muche gile is i vox.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)807 : Pride, wratþe, and glotonie..Couaitise and trecherie..Swiche þinges he bad hir flen.
- c1330(?c1300) Spec.Guy (Auch)110 : Þanne is hit god, þat þu shone..Pride, wraþþe, and enuie, Fals iugement and tricherie.
- 1372 Wat is more (Adv 18.7.21)p.2 : Wat is more red þan coueytise and treccherie?
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Giezi (Phys-E)p.133 : Foles fele loues the fende Quen thai fra sin to sin wende, Fra glotouny to licherie, Fra couaitis to tricherie.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)862 : But at this weddyng..was Cerberus..And herebus..His wiff also..And her doghtren..Drede and fraude and fals trecherie.
2.
(a) The act of treason, faithlessness, or deception; a treacherous deed, a betrayal; also, an evil trick; also, a treacherous plot; don ~; (b) a falsehood; also, a traitorous utterance [quot. a1400]; speken (seien) ~.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Kenelm (LdMisc 108)105 : Askebert he was i-cleoped —a strong trichour, alas, For noman ne may to oþur sonere tricherie do Þane þilke þat is him euere neiȝ.
- c1300 SLeg.Nich.(LdMisc 108)230 : Luþere felawes comen..And seiden heo hadden þe Aumperoure i-don gret tricherie.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)443 : He [Godard] þouthe a ful strong trechery, A trayson, and a felony Of þe children forto make.
- a1325 SLeg.Becket (Corp-C 145)911 : Þou ert is traitour..ne dest him nou onur ac tricherie.
- a1325 SLeg.Pilate (Corp-C 145)89 : Þo He[re]des isey þe tricherye & þe luþere valshede, He huld hym bitrayed þoru felonye.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Job 15.35 : He conceyuede sorewen & bar wickedenesse, & his wombe beforn makeþ redi treccheries.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.874 : Jupiter..in avouterie..wroghte many a tricherie.
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)4392 : Þan fell þat wijf to feloni, And sone scho soght a tricchori [Frf: treccheri].
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)3870 : But þere he dud a tricchery Whenne he had rachel wede; lya he stale to his bedde.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.4472 : O cruel Mars..Þi wrath..causest men to be..Wounder sleiȝty and Engynyous..assentynge to al cursidnes—To awaitynge, deth, and robberie, To mordre also, and to trecherie, Wiþ-oute remors of any conscience, So venymous is þin influence!
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)37/21 : Ananie &..sapher his wife..salde þaire lande in þe tyme of þa apostils; þai halde a partie of þe price, and a-noþir partie broht by-fore þa apostils; and sain petir was parcaiuid of þe tricherie, and askid þam why þai made propirte of þat þai hauid done in comun.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.4.116 : Also Opilion and Gaudencius han accused me, al be it so that the justise regal hadde whilom demed hem bothe to gon into exil for hir trecheries and frawdes withouten nombre.
- ?a1425 Orch.Syon (Hrl 3432)384/22 : Forsake ȝoure vnriȝtwiisnes..whiche ȝe vse for to do þefte & trecherie [vr. traytourye] to ȝoure neiȝboris.
- c1440 Chaucer CT.NP.(Cmb Ii.3.26)B.3973 : Trecherye [Heng: of a treiadie Right now ȝe herde..hit is a payne..to here of heuynesse].
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3439 : Sen I wan in-to þe werld my witt has bene aye, Quen treid was a trechory, þe tulkis to be hedid.
- a1500 Wars Alex.(Dub 213)3192 : Þees tratours on þat trichory trouthez han stroken.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Job 13.7 : Hereþ þanne my correcciouns, & to þe dom of my lippis takeþ heede to; wheþer god nedeþ ȝoure lesing, þat for hym ȝee speken treccheries?
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Ps.33.14 : Forfende þi tunge fro euel & þi lippis þat þei speke not trecherie.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)7832 : Who so leiþ hond in felony On kyng & seiþ him tricchery..He deȝe if he be take.
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)176/5 : He þat wolle loue lif and se goode daies, constreyne he his tonge fro yuel, and his lippes þat þei speke no trecherie.