Middle English Dictionary Entry
veǧetāble adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | veǧetāble adj. Also vegitable; pl. vegetablez, vegitables. |
| Etymology | OF vegetable & L vegetābilis. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Capable of life or growth; growing, vigorous [last quot. could also be construed as (b)]; also, life-giving, animating; vertu ~;
(b) of material substance neither animal nor mineral, of the plant kingdom [occas. difficult to distinguish from (a)]; ~ ston, one of the three varieties of philosophers’ stone.
Associated quotations
a
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.5686 : He [Hector] was…Comparysownyd…To a sowle þat were vegetable, Þe whiche…Mynystreth lyf in herbe…and tre.
- a1456(a1449) Lydg.Mum.Bishopswood (Ashm 59)9 : Flourra…Haþe Veere dovne sent…Making þe vertue þat dured in þe roote, Called of clerkes þe vertue vegytable, For to trascende…In-to þe crope.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)1.73 : Sythe the elemente of fyre occupyethe alle the mydelle place betwene the cercle of the aier and of the moone…hit may be concludede Paradise not to be there, sythe noo thynge vegetable [L vegetabile] may haue lyfe þer.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.213 : The body scholde be afterwarde obtemperate to the sawle with owte fiȝhte of rebellion, vegetable with owte defawte of strenghte.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)67/20 : It is full necessary…for the tretis suyng, in the which we shall declare…of indyvyduis of certeyn vegetable plantis [Lambeth: planetis vegetablez].
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.674 : Zephirus…is so comfortable For to norysche þinges vegetable.
- c1450 Lydg.SSecr.Ctn.(Sln 2464)2313 : Knowe…That in beeste nor thyng vegitable No thyng may be vnyuersally But yif it be founde naturally In mannys nature.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)161/29 : Watrys be profytabyl to euiry lyuyng thyng, noȝt only to bestys but also to alle vegetabyl thynge.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)65/6 : Take the stone animal, vegetable, and mynerall.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)72/23,31-2 : Than componed be of tham, the length of tyme, vniuersell speces of componed bodies that ben originall (o[r] mynerall), vegetable [Lambeth: vegitables], and anymal…Vegetabill composicion is nobler than originall, animal more nobler than vegetable.