Middle English Dictionary Entry

blā̆k adj.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Forms blā̆k adj. Also blac, blakke.
Etymology OE blæc; in sense 6 confused with blāc.

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) Of a black color, black; (b) ~ and blo, black and livid, black and blue [see blo adj.]; ~ or whit, black or white, of any color or kind; ~ as col (blacche, croue, inde, molde, pich, slo), blakker than pich (sable), etc.; (c) her. sable; (d) armed in black, clothed in black, bound in black; (e) fig. the color of sin, sorrow, etc.; ~ berd, the Devil; ~ is his eie, he is guilty.
Show 63 Quotations
2.
(a) Inclining to blackness, dark; discolored; of eyes: dark brown; (b) of persons: swarthy, dark, brunette; also, black-haired; ~ and broun, of all complexions or sorts; (c) of colors: dark, deep; ?also, mixed with black.
Show 25 Quotations
3.
(a) Without light, dark, dim, gloomy, murky; (b) fig. fierce, terrible, wicked.
Show 21 Quotations
4.
In cpds. and combs.: (a) ~ faced, having a dark complexion; ~ freres, the Dominican friars [see also frere]; also, one of their friaries; ~ monk (nonne), a Benedictine monk (nun); ~ smith, a smith who works in iron; (b) ~ mondai, Easter Monday; ~ order, the Benedictines; ~ rent, a type of blackmail levied by Irish chieftains; (c) ~ moneie, coins of copper or brass; ~ pich, natural asphalt; ~ poding, a kind of pudding, ?blood pudding; ~ sop, a dark-colored soap; ~ ston, a kind of dark stone, ?ragstone; also, a surname; ~ sugre, brown sugar; (d) ~ berie, a black berry; esp., the fruit of the common English blackberry or bramble (Rubus fruticosus); ~ berie crop, a bramble shoot; ~ brid, the English blackbird (Turdus merula); ~ mint, ?peppermint (Mentha piperita); ~ peper, black pepper; ~ popi, a variety of red poppy with black seeds; ~ thorn, the shrub blackthorn (Prunus spinosa); also, a place name; (e) med. ~ colre (galle), black bile, the humor melancholy; ~ emplastre (entret, plastre), a black plaster containing lead oxides, oil, etc.; ~ jaunes, jaundice with deep discoloration; ~ morphe, morphew with dark lesions; (f) ~ bil, a kind of weapon, probably a halberd of 'black' (i.e. unpolished) steel.
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5.
(a) An element in surnames; (b) an element in place names [see Smith PNElem. 1.37].
Show 27 Quotations
6.
Confused with blok; ?also bleik, blo: (a) pale, livid; (b) white; (c) clear, limpid.
Show 11 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • c1483(?a1450) OT in Caxton Gold.Leg.(Caxton)40ba : Affryke is the south part and..therin ben blew and black men.
    • Note: Tweak sense 2.(b) 'of dark complexion'. Perhaps distinguishing the 'blue' men of North Africa from the 'black' men of sub-Saharan Africa?
  • a1500 Rwl.C.506 Artist.Recipes (Rwl C.506) 177/32 : To make fine turnesole, take belberyes þat is to sey hortes, or blacberyes or mulberes, and lynne cloþe, [etc.].
    • Note: Additional quot. for sense 4.(d).
  • c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5397 : Sory foules..weren blake-feþered on þe wombe, An rouȝ on þe rigge als a lombe..Griselich was her flok.
  • c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5409 : Bestes ferlich..yhote Deutyrauns..ben..Blake-heueded after a palfray, Ac in þe foreheuede, Hij haue þre hornes.
  • a1450 Hoccl.Dial.(SeldSup 53)756 : Thou hast of hem [women] so largely said That thei ben blak [Dur-U: swart] wrooth and ful yuel apaid.
    • Note: New compounds and new sense.
    Note: With adverbial force in some participial and adjectival compounds: ~ fethered (heded), having black feathers (a black head); ~ wroth, extremely angry.
  • (c1350) Chron.Lanercost261 : Reddidit etiam eis partem crucis Christi, quam vocant Scotti blakerode.
  • (1383) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100426 : Item, una crux nigra que vocatur Blak rode of Scotland.
  • (1359-60) Sacrist R.Ely 2194 : In stipend. Roberti Burwelle facientis Garguyles et ymagines pro sources ad le blakerode..iij s. iiij d. ad mensam propriam.
  • (1359-60) Sacrist R.Ely 2194 : Item solut. eidem pro ij keyes factis pro ij Aunglis iuxta le blakerode.
    • Note: Editor's glossary (for Sacrist R. Ely 2): "[A] rood coloured black at the west of the Ritual Choir, repaired when the Parish altar removed into new Church."
    Note: New compound and glosses: ~ rode, a black cross; also, specif., a reliquary supposed to contain a fragment of Christ's cross [quots. c1350 & 1383].
    Note: These quots. belong to sense 4.
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--all notes per MLL

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 4.), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. black plaster.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 4.(e)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. black emplaster.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 4.(e)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. black entrete.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

Note: Med., etc. (sense 4.(e)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. black gall.

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