Middle English Dictionary Entry
blasten v.
Entry Info
| Forms | blasten v. |
| Etymology | OE blǣstan |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Of the wind: to blow at or blast (sb.).
Associated quotations
- a1450(c1400) Wor.Serm.(Wor F.10)479 : Þe sowþrenwynd schakis hym o þe to side, þe norþynwynd blastis hym of þe toþer.
2.
(a) To breathe violently or in bursts; puff, pant, gasp; ~ breth; (b) of the devil, a dragon: to exhale or breathe fire; ~ fir; comen ~, come breathing fire; (c) to affect (sb.) with baleful breath, blight; become blighted.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Chris.(LdMisc 108)97 : Vnneþe he stod atþe laste..at eche stape he grunte and blaste.
- c1300 SLeg.Marg.(Hrl 2277)213 : We [devils] gonne blowe & blaste, & briȝt fur..out of þe vrþe caste.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)5339 : Dragouns..Þat grisely whistleden and blasten, And of her mouþe fyre out casten.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)57a : Somme [signals] ben made wiþ manis voys crieng..somme wiþ manis mouþ or breeþ blastynge in Instrumentis..as blowing of trompes.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.228 : Thise grete kynges..With blastyng wod[n]esse of þaire hertes [L rabie cordis anhelos] hy.
b
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)372/181 : Fuyrie speldene al stinkende out of is mouth he blaste, And fuyr of brumston at his nose.
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)392 : Þare comen blaste op of þe putte deuelene a gret rouȝte.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)582 : Þe feondes comen blaste, For-to leden to helle þat sori gost.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)596 : Amorewe, anon so þat it was day þe feondes comen blaste. Grysliche heo ȝollen ant weopen.
- c1300 SLeg.Jas.(LdMisc 108)176 : Swiþe ferliche he blaste fuyr.
- c1300 SLeg.Dunstan (Hrl 2277)81 : Þe deuel he hente bi þe nose..He tuengde and schok hire bi þe nose þat þe fur out blaste.
c
- a1500(?a1450) Treat.Garden.(Trin-C O.9.38)136 : To lete hym [parsley] grow to hye hit ys grete foly, For he wul then blest and wanchy.
- a1500 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 19674)171/8 fn. : For a man that is euel blastedde with a wikked Spirit.
3.
To blow or sound a trumpet.
Associated quotations
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)1866 : He..tok his blake trumpe faste And gan to puffen and to blaste.