Middle English Dictionary Entry
wā̆terī adj.
Entry Info
Forms | wā̆terī adj. Also waterei, waterẹ̄, watir(r)i, watri, wat(t)rie, watt(e)ri, wattiri, (early SWM) weattrie & (?error) watrree. |
Etymology | From wā̆ter n. & OE wæterig. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Characterized by abundant precipitation, rainy;
(b) full of water vapor; humid;
(c) consisting of naturally occurring water or water vapor; ~ moisture (shoures);
(d) possessing the essential nature or characteristics of water as an element; also, associated with the element water; of color: like water in luster, translucence, paleness, etc.; also, as noun: that which has the essential characteristics of water, aqueous things [quot. a1398, 2nd]; ~ tokninges, astrol. the zodiacal signs associated with water.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)125b/a : Decembre is a wattry [L pluuiosus] moneþ.
- c1500 Progn.Weather (Dgb 88)295 : Wynter shal be with much rayne…somer and harvest shal be watrye.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)136b/b : Þe reyne bowe þat is clepid þe heuenly bowe is a wattry [L aquosa] cloude I-þurled wiþ sonne bemes into alle þe bodyes þerof.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)308a/a : Þerfore white is y-gendred of ayre þat is somdel watry [L vaporoso].
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)18.410 : Is no weder warmer þan after watery cloudes.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)304b/b : Aristotel…seiþ þat white colour is y-gendred of ayre in þe whiche is som watry moisture.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)6.45 : Hir habit was of manyfold colours…Hir gold allaied like sonne in wattri shours Meynt with liht greene.
- a1500(1439) Lydg.Sts.AA (Lnsd 699)2612 : The firy fervent sonne, With his gret heete…Hath ravisshid…The watry mostour of this gret ryver.
d
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.239 : Þe bowe haþ tweie coloures: þe vtter is watery [L caeruleum, id est, aqueum]…þe ynnere is fury.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)23b/b : Of þe wittes þe siȝt is most sotil, for þe kinde þerof is fury…þenne moost sotil is þe smellinge, for þe kynde þerof is smoky, & þanne þe taast, for þe kinde þerof is watirry.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)29a/a : Hete…dissolueþ & turneþ what is erþy & turneþ into watery, And watery into aiery and aiery into fury.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)107a/a : Heuen is clepid wattyry and cristallyne by cause of ablenes to meovinge & of clernes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)198b/a : Cristalle is a bright stoon and clere wiþ watry colour.
- c1440 *Astron.Cal.[OD col.] (Ashm 391) : Þis signe is stedfaste, septentrional…flewmatik, and watri in kinde.
- (1449) Metham AC (Gar 141)287 : O hye Saturne…Be the progeny deyfyid off thee…be ther namys them thus to applye: As Jouys, fyry; Juno, aery; Neptunus, wattry; Pluto, erthy.
- a1450(1408) Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)185/16 : When þe mone…schyneþ watery, pale colour, he tokeneþ gret reyn.
- c1450(?c1408) Lydg.RS (Frf 16)6277 : Doulz semblant…had grave…A reyne bowe amyd hys sheelde, Of colour rede and watry grene.
- c1484(a1475) Caritate SSecr.(Tak 38)176/9 : Ouircomyng in plauntis is a wattry natur, and in myneral stonys is an erthly natur.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)86/6 : If þou wille late þe blood…loke þat þe mone be noght yn þe tokenynges of þe Bull or of ffishes…also in þe Conniunctioun, whenne þe mone ys yn þe watery tokenynges.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)76 : Cristall is a briȝt stone & colerd with watery coler.
2.
(a) Moist because of proximity to a body of water, or a well watered by precipitation, irrigation, etc.; also, marshy, swampy; ?adjacent to a water source [last quot.];
(b) native to the water, inhabiting or growing in water; as noun: aquatic creatures [1st quot.];
(c) ?dripping with water so as to smell of the sea, perennially water-soaked;
(d) filled with water; also, of a vessel: ?designated to hold water;
(e) comparable to water (in contrast to wine), waterlike;—used fig.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Jer.31.12 : Þe soule of hem shal ben as a watri gardyn.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.157 : Marius fliȝ and tornede in to maryse and into watery places.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)44a : Mayden here in watry valeys…hathe levis lyke verne.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)147/4 : Consolida Maior is an herbe men clepe dayessye…and it growith in watere placis.
- a1500(a1450) Ashmole SSecr.(Ashm 396)62/31 : Bestes of that natures, wele fed and yonge, brought forth in watery and moist shadowed pasture, ben best.
- a1500 Let.Alex.(Wor F.172)351 : The next castels we setten to watery placis.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Bod 959)Wisd.19.18 : Feeldi wijlde thingis in to watri [WB(2): beestis of watir] ben turned.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)159a/a : Fische lickeþ þe erþe and watery herbes and so geteþ hem mete and norisshing.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)297a/b : Some frogges beþ watry froges and some ben of mores & of marreys.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)6a/b : Aquaticus: watri [Hrl 1738: wattery; Pep: wattrye].
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)139/10 : Þer are iij specis of þis herbe: on þat is stony, anoþer þat is hery, þe thrydde watery.
c
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)2.2272 : He thouhte also that it dede hym good To haue aboute hym…Boistous bocheris, al bespreynt with blood, And watry fissheris abood euer in his siht, Ther kootis poudrid with scales siluer-briht…ther odour…Was to his corage best preseruatiff.
d
- c1440 Chaucer CT.CY.(Eg 2726)G.1234 : Watery [Elsm: Fro the fir he took vp his mateere…And in the water vessel he it caste].
- a1450(1408) Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)162/19 : Watery diches ben grete letters to mynoures.
e
- c1400 Bk.Mother (Bod 416)89/18 : Bi þis, modur, þou maist knowe where Crist be at þi wedlac or þe deuel: bi turnynge wateri loue of wordli þinges to gostli loue, þat is wyn, makinge glad and murie God and angelis.
3.
(a) Thinned or diluted by water or other liquid so as to be fluid, thin, watery; also, undesirably reduced in strength or concentration by the diluting effects of water; also fig. of the heart [1st quot.]; of sunbeams: ?dimmed by passage through water;—used in fig. context; ~ humour (moisture, superfluite), excessive natural moisture, usu. in the body;
(b) containing excessive moisture, unmatured, unwholesome;
(c) physiol. characterized by a morbid accumulation or exudation of fluid; producing a discharge, running; also, exuding rheum or tears, runny, watering; also, tearful in response to sorrow [quots. 1447 & last]; ~ moisture, fluid secreted by the eye;
(d) ?slimy, unpleasantly moist; ?error for attri adj.
Associated quotations
a
- c1230(?a1200) Ancr.(Corp-C 402)191/22 : Þe heorte…wes weattri, smechles, ne ne felde na sauur of godd.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)55b/a : Þe herte somtyme quakeþ and þat comeþ of watiry moisture.
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)116/1451 : Kynd diversys þe uryn becaus of colre, as whyt wyne makys þe uryn schyre & watery.
- ?a1425 Chauliac(3) (Htrn 95)64/16 : Þe reynes ben partikels for to clensen þe blode…of waterye superfluite.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)59/19 : Raw fruytez gendreþ watry blode.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.7 : This vines…Not wattery but thicke humoures wepe.
- ?a1450 Macer (Stockh Med.10.91)68 : Seth garlyk with centuary and ȝif it hem þat han þe dropsie, for it drieþ vp þe watery humourz.
- c1450(?a1422) Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)4.4 : Phebus chare neyeth to aquarye, His watry beamez to-fore feverer, Whan that his light was pale and no-thyng clere.
- a1475 Hrl.Diseases Hawk A (Hrl 2340)29 : A hawke schall take þer of & þt wyll amend hir mute…Yf it be watery, þt is a syngne of stoppyng.
- c1475 *Mondeville (Wel 564)153a/b : It is for to eschewe watri wynes…& al maner violent wiyn.
- c1475 WBk.Phil.& Astron.(Cmb Ll.4.14)12 : Men also moste of fflemne…ben in complexion fflemnatik, and here blood is pale and waterey and a partie þynne.
- a1500 Diseases Women(3) (Yale-M 47)43/281 : Þe blode ys watrree and þynne and scha hathe yvyll defyinge boþe in hire stomakes and yn hire wombe.
b
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)4.3382 : Þat first was raw in fruitis & in flouris, And watrie eke be plente of humours, He drieth vp and ripeth.
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Wel 225)274/3542 : To þam þat havys þe stane or are disposed to þe stane are noyous…all syk thyngys þat lettys digestioun, as rayn water, snaw water, & watry fruet.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)113/33 : Leue he alle moyste and watry metes.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.195 : Olyuys grete out of that lond wol reke With drasty, wattry fruyt.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)221b/a : Plinius…seiþ þat amonge þe grees is many maner kynde of oynouns and of al, his smyl makeþ yhen watery.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)359/20 : The x co is of watri dropesies.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)50/29 : Þe watry placez I enoynted with ane oyntement…And þan þat place put away from it al dry skynnez.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)75/26 : Of apostemes…some ben sanguine, some colrik…some watry and wyndy.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)253/13 : Þe watry moisture was ȝette oute anone.
- ?c1425 Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)500/22 : Bremstone…curen þe watri struttynge oute.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)5983 : Wyth wattry yhe The shypmen he preyid & yaf hem yiftys also.
- a1450 Treat.Horses (Sln 2584)89/57 : His pisse schal be rede & þicke, his eyȝen-webbe blod-schote & wateri.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)282 : Symple Condicyons of a persone þat is not taught y wille ye eschew…Glowtynge ne twynkelynge with youre yȝe ne to heuy of chere, watery wynkynge ne droppynge but of sight clere.
- 1486 ?Berners Bk.St.Albans (Blades 1881)leaf b ii/a : An hauke that is broght vp vnder a Bussard or a Puttocke…hath wateri Eyghen.
- a1500(1439) Lydg.Sts.AA (Lnsd 699)3463 : Pitous moodris ther sobbyng can nat lete, Whoos wattry eyen with wepyng wer made rede.
d
- a1400(c1300) NHom.(1) Gosp.(Phys-E)p.138 : Catel drawes man til helle, Thar wattri wormes er ful felle.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 1.(c) & 3.(a) & 3.(c)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. watery moisture.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 3.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. watery humour.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 3.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. watery superfluity.