Middle English Dictionary Entry
tuft n.
Entry Info
| Forms | tuft n. Also tufte, toft(e, (in place names) tuffe, tof(fe, toffa & (errors) tust(e, trest; pl. tuftes, etc. & tiftis. |
| Etymology | Origin uncertain: perh. from OF tofe, toffe, touffe, tuffe; for excrescent t following f cp. ME draft (var. of draf n.), grafte n. (from graffe n.), saftly (var. of sauflī adv.). Also cp. OF toffet (FEW 17.346b), AF tuffete tuft & OE þūf tuft, þūft thicket. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. thufe adj.
1.
(a) A bunch or gathering of hairs, feathers, twigs, etc. attached at the base, a clump; ~ of roddes (twigges), a stand of young shoots, an osier bed; (b) an ornamental tassel or knob; a crest on a helmet; ?also, a military standard [quot. a1460]; (c) ?error for coste n.; (d) in place names [see Smith PNElem.2.188].
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.83 : Oþere þere beeþ þat haueþ no mouth, and lyueþ by odour and smelles, and beþ i-cloþed in mosse and hery tuftes þat groweþ out of treen.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.555 : Vpon the cop right of his nose he hade A werte and ther on stood a tuft [vrr. toft, tofte, tust] of herys, Reed as the bristles of a sowes erys.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)505 : Tuste [read: Tufte; Win: Trest], or croppe: Coma.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)458/7 : The said abbesse and couent..graunted..to the said Iohn iij acris of arable lond..with the mansion, tyftis of roddis, thorptis or croftis, and medis.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)458/28 : Aftir the decesse of the seid Iohn, all the forsaid lond with the mansion, tyftis of twyggis, thorptis, medis..and all other thyngis longyng to the said lond shold holy turne ayene to them and to there successours.
- a1475 Godstow Reg.(Rwl B.408)679/23 : Of the yifte of Robert Euersy, his tofte of Roddys (in Latyne, virgultum) without Gloucestre at the kyngesham.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)16/105b : Dumos: busshes or tufftis.
- c1500 I muste go (Hnt EL 1160)12 : My bed schall be under þe grenwod tre, a tufft off brakes vnder my hed.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.725 : Þer men seie many crestis clere, And many tuft of gold & siluer schene, Meynt with feþris rede, white, & grene.
- (1455) Acc.St.Ewen in BGAS 15149 : Item, a nother coope of dyuers workes of yelowe and braunche with a tuft of blue and grene silke be hynd.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1270 : Vocal is oon [signal], and that is mannys voys, Semyvocal is trompe & clarioun..the thridde macth no noys, And mute it hight or dombe, as is dragoun Or thegil or thimage or the penoun, Baner, pensel, pleasaunce or tufte [L tufae] or creste Or lyuereys on shildir, arm, or breste.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4936 : I yeve and beqwethe to the seid Dame Margarete a peyre of bedys..of colour aftir marbil with a knoppe, othir wyse callyd a tufft, of blak sylke, and ther in a litil nowche of gold, with smal perle and stoonys.
c
- a1500 Mandev.(3) (Rwl D.99)474 : Vpon his left honde sittith his firste wif, a grees lower thenne is his borde; and hir borde is of iasper, ant the toftis [BodeMus: coostis; L lateribus] of golde sette with precious stones.
d
- (1286) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)268 : Tuffelonde.
- (1310) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)183 : La Toffe.
- (1330) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)268 : Toffalonde.
- (1333) EPNSoc.8 (Dev.)183 : Toff.