Middle English Dictionary Entry
bōren v.(1)
Entry Info
| Forms | bōren v.(1) Also borien. Ppl. i)bored, borin. |
| Etymology | OE borian |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To bore a hole, make a perforation; ~ hol; ~ thurgh, make a hole, bore through (sth.), pierce; ppl. borende, piercing, sharp; (b) to pierce (sth.), bore holes in; ~ thurgh, pierce (sth.) clear through; ppl. bored, pierced; of a pillow: ?decorated with some kind of perforated work; bored the fet, pierced feet; (c) to penetrate, break through (a line of battle); ~ into, get into (a place) by boring; (d) ~ out, to put out (the eyes) by piercing; (e) ~ forth, of a horse: to leap forward headlong, or thust the head forward.
Associated quotations
a
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)550 : Terebro: ic bore.
- c1225 Body & S.(2) (Wor F.174)4/44 : Heo brekeþ þine breoste ond borieþ þurh ofer al.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)1926 : Swa þet te pikes..borien þurh ant beoren forð feor on þet oðer half.
- ?a1350 Recipe Painting(1) in Archaeol.J.1 (Hrl 2253)65 : Tac a vessel of eorthe other of treo..seththe bore holes acros ithe iiij sides.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)66 : Þe tonge more keruinde þanne rasour..and more boryinde þanne zouteres eles.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)44 : Boryn or holyn: Perforo, penetro, cavo.
- c1450 Whanne marye was greet (Lamb 853)351 : A spere þoruȝ myn herte gan boore.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)156 : It is a spere..To bussh adown his enmy & þurh the Sholdir bore.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)16b : To Bore: Cabrare [Monson: cabiare], forare, terebrare.
b
- a1325(?c1300) NPass.(Cmb Gg.1.1)1327 : Þei borid hit with oute winne, Bores þei mad moni þer inne.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.397 : Nero made hym an hevene of an hondred foot hyȝe, i-bored and i-þrulled wiþ meny smale holes.
- c1390 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Vrn)120 : His Breste is bored wiþ deþes swarmes.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)454 : He..called hym Edippus..which is to seyn..'Bored the feete' as in that langage.
- c1425 Evang.(BodAdd C.38)1474 : Þei bigan first to bore þe tree.
- (1434) EEWills101/20 : ij goode pelewes, on large & another lasse and feire ybored.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)2.300 : The bareyn with a firbrond pyn socour. Dryue in the bored [L terebrata] roote.
- c1450(?a1400) LChart.Chr.B (Cmb Ii.4.9)225 : And with þe nayles they bored [vr. boredden] me.
- c1450 Treat.Fish.(Yale 171)16 : Take a feyr corke..boyr hyt þorow with a smale hoyt yrn.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)169 : Thei of Ynglond..took of hem to hundred and xxviii schippis. Thei bored and drenchid hem.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.397 : This Nero made to hym an heuyn..boorede þro with litelle hooles.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)2138 : A bote of tre they brought hym be-fforn, Full of holis it was boryn.
- a1500 Off alle wemen (Cmb Ff.5.48)38 : His handis he suffyrd for þi sake Thus to be boryd with nayle & speyre.
c
- c1390 Disp.Virg.& Cross (Vrn)242 : Þorwȝ stones..Men miȝte better ha crepet..þen bored in-to heuene blis.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)4666 : Cassibolan..bar þe breste on þem by-fore, & after hym þe Bretons gaf [Petyt: gan] bore.
d
- a1275 Louerd asse þu ard (Trin-C B.14.39)337 : Yborit werin ut þe heþen [read: eyen] of þe louerld S. blase.
e
- c1450 Diseases Horse (Yale 163)41 : The he wille bore forthe [Cmb Ll.1.18: lepe forwarde for fere; WdeW: sterte forward].
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: For sense (e), cp. OED bore v.1, sense 3.d. 'of a horse: to thrust the head straight forward,' found only in Bailey's Universal Etymological Dictionary of 1731. So M. Laing, p. 41.