Middle English Dictionary Entry
bī̆-smār(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | bī̆-smār(e n. Also bisemār(e, bus(e)mār(e & bismēr(e. |
| Etymology | OE bīsmer, -or, dat. bīsmere, bīsmre (corresp. to OS, OHG bīsmer), akin to OE gāl-smǣre facetious & to ME smīlen smile. The type of ME bī̆smār(e (supported by clear rimes on the second syllable) is hard to account for; cp. the long vowel in OE smērdon derided & gāl-smǣre facetious. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Ridicule, mockery, derision, disdain, or an instance of it; on (a) or for ~, by way of mockery or ridicule, tauntingly, derisively; driven to ~, engage in mockery, make fun of, be amused, ridicule (sb.); laughen (tuken) to ~, ridicule or mock (sb.), make sport of; taken on ~, treat with ridicule, deride.
Associated quotations
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.Pentec.(Lamb 487)91/1 : Þa seiden þa iudeiscen men a bismer: 'þas men beoð mid miste fordrencte.'
- a1225(?OE) Lamb.Hom.(Lamb 487)121 : Þet folc..knewede to-foren him on bismer and hine greite and cleopede king on bismer.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)552 : Ha tukeð ure godes to balewe & to bismere.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)36a : Lahheð hire to bismere [Nero: bisemare; L eas deridet].
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)67a : Lahheð þe alde eape lude to bismere [Nero: bisemare; L derideatis veterem simiam] þurh treowe bileaue.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)148 : For ho wel wiste & was iwar þat ho song hire a-bisemar & noþeles ho ȝa[f] andsuare.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1311 : Þu askedest Ȝef ich were A bisemere [Jes-O: a bysemare] to preost ihoded.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)255/12 : Þis holie man..prechede faste a-non þat folk drof to busemare.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)1480 : More busmare hi him sede, as hi by-neoþe stode.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)7787 : Þe king phelip of france..drof him to busemare, as me ofte deþ þan olde.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)3634 : To Gij he seyd a bismer [rime: quarter]: 'Y-sestow, lord? bi Apolin, Þat was a strok of a Sarrazin!'
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)22 : Ac makeþ his bisemers and his scornes.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)58 : Þe bisemeres and þe scornes þet hi ziggeþ ope þe guode men.
- a1350(a1325) SLeg.Cec.(Ashm 43)152 : Idelmen sitteþ & drinkeþ; To busemar hi liȝeþ erþetilien þat aboute gode swynkeþ.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Rv.(Manly-Rickert)A.3965 : She was as digne as water in a dich, As ful of hoker and of bismare [rime: spare].
- a1400 Cato(3) (Frf 14)77 : Loke quat þou sais, atte þou be haldin na Iangelere ne driuin to bismere, if þou wille be curtais.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)649 : Neptanabus took on bysmare [vr. bysemare] Al þat þe kyng seide þare.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)653 : Þenne þe burde [Sarah] byhynde þe dor for busmar laȝed.
- c1425 Evang.(BodAdd C.38)1330 : Sone he him [Crist] droof by bysmere And of him þan made his game..& did him shame.
2.
Scorn, contempt; vilification; also, a taunt or insult; ~ word [OE bismær-word], an insult; for ~, for shame!; don ~, insult or disgrace (sb.), treat with contempt; bringen to ~, make (sth.) contemptible; driven to ~, disgrace (sb.); tuken to ~, treat (sb.) shamefully.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)3307 : For ure wel-dede Heo doð muchel bisemære [Otho: bismare]: ure men hi to-betet.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)4403 : To o-wreken þe uppon Beline þe þe bismar haued idon.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)5051 : Swa þu woldest..don þe seoluen bisemar [Otho: bismare].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)20322 : Ælc mon..mid bismare hine igratte.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)51/16 : To eche alle ðe scames and ðe bismeres ðe hie arrer him hadde idon un-ofearned.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)16/221 : For sone se cos kimeð forð..þenne spit leccherie, to scheome..meiðhad o þe nebbe. þe feorðe fulst to bismere & to merren meiðhad þet is unhende felunge.
- c1225(?c1200) HMaid.(Bod 34)28/455 : &..schent te..tukeð þe to bismere, as huler his hore.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1294 : Hwider is ower wit & ower wisdom iwent? Breokeð on, for bismere, & beginneð sum hwet!
- a1275(?c1150) Prov.Alf.(Trin-C B.14.39)586 : Sone þu best bus þe sot of bismare-word.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)266 : Þis king adde in is þoȝt gret bisemare of þis þinge. He ȝarkede is ost anon, him to gronde bringe.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)3055 : Ȝif ich it sede in busemare..Sone fram me he wolde wende.
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)1938 : Þai seyd he schuld nouȝt haue Bot strokes & bismare.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)1.179 : Ymages of false goddes..he brouȝt to..bysmere to hem þat byhelde hem.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.37 : And deyde wiþ soo greet bismere [L execratione] and despite.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)164b/a : [Mount Ebal]..was holden an hille of bysmere and despite.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)5.89 : Of chydynge and of chalangynge was his chief lyflode, With bakbitynge and bismer.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)19.289 : And bolde & abydynge bismeres [C 22.294: busemares] to suffre.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)214 : Mony one was þe busmare boden hom bitwene..quil hor wrathe lastyd.
- c1450(?a1400) Chestre Launfal (Clg A.2)923 : Þy barouns dryueþ þe to bysmare [rime: spare].
3.
(a) A shameful, miserable, or degraded condition, shame; an object of ridicule or contempt; o bisemare, for shame!; (b) a contemptible creature, a wretch.
Associated quotations
a
- a1225(OE) Lamb.Hom.VA (Lamb 487)107 : Hit bið lonsum bismen, ȝif al ure life bið unnet her.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)5.357 : He was..bismer [L ludibrio fuit] to kynges þat wonede nyh hym.
- c1390 Disp.GM & Devil (Vrn)368 : Ȝif þou forberest, O bisemare, He wol ȝiue þe two ful ȝare.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)7399 : He þat broght here to þat bysmere, For here foly he shal answere.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)37.7 : For mi lendes filled with bismers [L illusionibus] are, And hele in mi flesche es na mare.
- a1450(a1400) Medit.Pass.(2) (Add 11307)614 : Þe kyng is tornd to bysmare [rime: care].
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22029 : Anticrist..sal be born..of bismer [vrr. bisemer, bismare] brem and bald, And geten of a glotun scald.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)2108 : Nevere Fadyr haddest thow here, thou fowle fowndelyng, thou fals bismere.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)132/265 : Þis bolde bysmare wolde presume, Ageyn god to preve his myght.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)205/146 : Com forth, þou bysmare and brothel bolde!
- a1500 Methodius(3) (Stw 953)827 : He xall be born of a bysmere bolde, þe werst woman ony-where may wone.