Middle English Dictionary Entry
vestement n.
Entry Info
| Forms | vestement n. Also vest(i)ment(e, festement, westemente, westment(e & (error) vestent; pl. vestementes, etc. & vestementus, vestemens, vestimens, vestumentes & (errors) vestmytes, festemety. |
| Etymology | OF vestement, vestemente, vestiment, AF vestment, pl. OF vestemens, vestimens, AF westementz; also cp. L vestīmentum. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
A garment, esp. one with symbolic connotations;—freq. pl.; also fig. [quot. a1475]; coll. raiment, clothing; also, grave clothes [quot. ?a1450]; ~ roial, roial ~, a royal robe of state;—also coll.
Associated quotations
- a1325 SLeg.Patr.(Corp-C 145)160 : Þer com in atte on ende Twelf men in wiȝt vestemens [Ld: cloþes] swuþe fair.
- a1350(a1325) SLeg.Cec.(Ashm 43)56 : Hor, wiþ wite vestemens, a suyþe uair writ he ber.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2948 : Somme caste hir sheeld and somme hir spere And of hir vestimentz whiche that they were…Into the fyr.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sq.(Manly-Rickert)F.59 : Cambyuskan…In roial vestyment [vr. vesture] sit on his deys.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)3701 : Þe odor o þi uestement, It smelles als of piement.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Heb.1.11 : Heuyns or erþe schal waxe oolde as þe vestyment and þou schalt chaunge þem as cloþyng.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)509 : Vestment [Win: Vestymente]: Vestimentum.
- ?a1450 MLChrist (Add 39996)3225 : When he was risen quyke & gon, Þe apostles…Fellen in ful grete diswere What þai myght trowe & saye To fynde his vestyment & he away.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)3465 : In-to trees ek I brynge Ther lusty blosmys whyte & rede, And in ther braunchys ek I sprede A-brood myn fresshe vestymentys.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)107 : ‘Here is the crowne and the vestementis rioall’…And ther-with thei risen vp, and toke hym by-twene their armes, and ledde hym to the vestymentis rioall.
- a1500 Nicod.(4) (Hrl 149)69 : Herode…let clothe hym yn a whyte vestement, and sent hym a-geyn vn-to Pylat.
2.
(a) A liturgical vestment; coll. or pl. liturgical vestments, a set of vestments; religious garb; also, ?used as a generalizing term for church drapery, liturgical hangings, etc. [quot. a1400, 1st]; also, non-Christian priestly or ceremonial vestments; chirche vestementes;
(b) in oath: sweren bi the ~ bok and belle;
(c) ~ chesible, a chasuble; ~ makere, one who makes and repairs vestments and other liturgical drapery; ?also as surname.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)214/15 : Nawt…ne wite ȝe in ower hus of oðer monne þinges…ne þe chirch uestemenz ne þe calices.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)952 : His chesible he gan of weue; Alle is oþer uestimenz on him he let bi-leue.
- c1330 Otuel (Auch)396 : Þe masse was iseid, & þe uestement doun ileid.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)41/2 : Sacrilege is…huanne me brecþ oþer stelþ oþer draȝþ uoulliche…þe yblissede uestemens.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)4 Kings 10.22 : Bryngeþ forþ þe vestymentis to alle þe seruauntis of baal.
- (1389) Lond.Gild Ret.in Bk.Lond.E.(PRO C 47/var.)50/90 : No brother schal be resceyued but vpon þe day of our assemble, at al þe companyes assent…And to þis breþerhede þey haue a vestement, a chalys, & a massebok.
- c1390(?c1350) Jos.Arim.(Vrn)294 : Þen com on…gabriel…And oþer two after him wiþ crois and wiþ Mitre, And oþure bouwynde after wiþ vestimens sone.
- (a1398) Trev.Barth.(Add 27944:Seymour)231a/a : Wiþ þese xii, oþer xiiii colours vestimentes of prestis were yhight in þe olde testament.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)9337 : Ȝyf þou turnedest…Curteynes, or ouþer vestyment, Or any oþer vesselement Þat falleþ to holy cherches seruyse And vsest hem on ouþer wyse…þou synnest dedly.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)11084 : Þey fonde a bysshope…with…hole sendal And wyþ ouþer vestement alle.
- (1415) Doc.Conspir.Hen.V in D.K.R.43594 : A q[u]it westment…other smal westmentez.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)74/269 : Þe prest he doþ begyn His vestmentus to take on.
- (1443) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 829 : For wascheyng of a festement to howr parte, ij d.
- (1448-50) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)305 : Item, paye to Ser Edmund Navger for þe Wasshinge of his vestmente…Summa vij d.
- (1449) Acc.St.Mary Thame in BBOAJ 876 : It is in ys halle a hole sute of festemety [read: festementys].
- (1449) Will Brugco in Nichols Illust.132 : Item, I bequethe to the said chirch, ane hole sute of vestmytes [read: vestmyntes] of russet velvet.
- (1450) Lin.DDoc.38/11 : Item, ij Apparell of white for the ij Auters…ij vestumentes of the same seute.
- c1450 LFMass Bk.(Nwnh 900.4)12 : The prest…doth on his westemente.
- (c1450) Invent.Catherine in SANHS 7102 : Item, a per of vestiments of blake silke, but therto lakyth the amysse and the stole.
- (1454-5) Acc.St.Ewen in BGAS 15150 : Item, a payr of Whyte Vestymentes for lent, that is to sey, one whyte chesyple, awbe, amys, stool, and the phanol…a sewte of Vestmentes…with oone cope of Blewe velvett powdered with flowres of gold.
- (1466) Rec.St.Stephen in Archaeol.5044 : Item, j olde purpyll clothe of sylke þat was a lynyng for a vestent’ [?read: vestmente] sum tyme.
- (1474) Doc.Reynys in MP 14 (Tan 407)3 : A vestement of Red velvet…yt is [to] seyn A Cope, A Chesapyll and ij tonekyllys with Aubis, Amys, stolys, and parabys.
- (1475) Acc.All Sts.Tilney45 : Item, payd to Annes Noke for mendyng of westmente, ij d.
- a1500(c1410) Dives & P.(Htrn 270)2.233 : It is leful to stondyn to on witnesse…ȝif it be in doute ȝif a child be cristenyd…or vestiment halwyd.
- 1618(1440) Invent.Cumberworth in Peacock EChurch Furniture184 : Item, 3 Westmentes, one of white Worstede for lentyn & virgines.
b
- ?a1450 Poem Hawking (Yale 163)455 : The medicyns þu in the boke vp-seke…I swere by the vestment, boke, & belle, Thei arn the beste.
c
- (1394) in G.Otto Handwerkernamen87 : Vestmentmaker.
- (1405) Close R.Hen.IV496 : [John Est,] vestment makere.
- (1423-4) Acc.Met.Col.in Archaeol.J.666 : Item, solut’ Radulfo vestmentmakere pro 2 pectoral’ et 2 amitt’.
- (1446) Invent.Lytham in Chet.n.s.6029 : j vestiment chesabell whyt & j full old aube of ye same.
- (1448) Pet.Hen.VI in Archaeol.166 : Robt Coksale, Vestiment Maker.
- (1456) Acc.St.Margaret Southwark in BMag.32494 : Payed to the vestementmaker for the corporas, ij s. viij d.
- (1472) Acc.All Sts.Tilney41 : Item, solutum cuidam vestiment maker pro le canepy, v s.
- (1472) Mem.Ripon in Sur.Soc.81246 : Allocantur 8 s. soluti Willelmo Vestmentmaker pro reparacione vestimentorum in ecclesia collegiata.
- -?-(1394-5) Reg.Freemen York in Sur.Soc.9695 : Will. de Burton, vestmentmaker.