Middle English Dictionary Entry
valve n.
Entry Info
| Forms | valve n. Also valwe. |
| Etymology | L valva leaf of a door, valvae a folding door. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A door or leaf of a folding door; ?also, a doorway or passageway [last quot.];
(b) anat. the female urethral opening; also, the vagina or vulva.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.449 : Þey brende þe valves of þe temple.
- (a1402) Trev.Dial.MC (Hrl 1900)27/11 : Ezechias brake þe values of þe temple…& toke þe plates of golde þat he hym silf had do þere.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)508 : Valwe: valva vel valve.
- ?a1475 PParv.(Win)504 : Valwe: Caua, -ue, uel value, -arum.
b
- c1450(c1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy [OD col.] (Glo 19)No.1, Bk.1, ch.4, fol.10v : & soo out by the valve, i. by the ȝate of here body [glossed: vulva est ventris valva].
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)98/1029 : Mykyll of þare corrupcions…descendys…to þe matryce, þarefore to purge…þam owt be þat membre & sa out be þe valve of þe wamb, id est, be þe priva membris.
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)455/1776 : Superfluite of þe 1[st] digestion is uryn-makynge be þe ȝerd or be valve.
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)482/2416 : If scho fele…ak in hire valve efter a bath, let hyre tak trifer…[þ]at scho put sum þareof in hyre valve.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. valve.