Middle English Dictionary Entry
bǒurde n.
Entry Info
| Forms | bǒurde n. Also bord(e, burde, b(o)urte. |
| Etymology | OF borde, bourde. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) An amusing story, anecdote, or exemplum; also, a boastful or bawdy story; (b) a joke, jest, witty remark; turnen to ~, to turn (sth.) into a joke.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?c1300) Amis (Auch)1955 : Listen to me þe best bourd..þou herdest, seþþen þou were born.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)58 : Efterward byeþ þe bourdes and þe trufles, uol of uelþe and leazinges.
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)8667 : Y shal telle a lytyl wyȝt..And þe borde ys gode to here.
- c1410 Chaucer CT.WB.(Hrl 7334)D.680 : In which book eeke þer was..Ouydes art and bourdes many oon.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)56a/b : Ridiculum: a bourd, a storie.
- ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)19928 : With harp in hand, welfast he harpes; ffele burdes and wordes for soȝ he carpes.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.OFools (LdMisc 683)62 : He also that..Bosteth with bordas, and at a bront wil ffle.
- a1500(?c1378) Wycl.OPastor.(Ryl Eng 86)446 : Þis staat is not couenable to telle iapis ne bourdis to men.
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)214 : With talis he made þe Kyng to dwell..The Kyng list of his bourdis lere.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.143 : What he myȝte nouȝt denye, he wolde torne hit to bourde and lawȝhynge.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.243 : William..amended þat hap wiþ a bourde [L risu].
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.4799 : Thei hire sihe of glad semblant, Al full of merthes and of bordes.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1954 : Þay maden as mery as any men moȝten, With laȝyng of ladies, with lotez of bordes.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4941 : Al-be-it þat he of port was sad, Ȝit al his speche ful of bourdis was.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)107/24 : Minstralles..singez him sanges, or saise him gestez, or tellez iapez or bourdez [Tit: desportes; OF reueryes].
- ?1457 Hardyng Chron.A (Lnsd 204)p.748 : Of gentyll bourdes and knyghtly daliaunce, He hath no make.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1304 : It was nat al bord That his ffadir seyde.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.Rhyme WA (Hrl 2251)67 : To be forsworn, they hold it but a bord [rime: court].
2.
(a) Game, sport, amusement, entertainment, fun; ~ on bed, intercourse; god ~, good entertainment, great sport; haven ~, to take pleasure (in sth.), be amused or diverted; maken ~ of, turn (sth.) into a game or amusement, make sport of, joke about; sen ~, see something entertaining; taken ~ for, be entertained by (sth.), make fun of; (b) a masque, mumming.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330 Orfeo (Auch)445 : Þe King herkneþ..Gode bourde he hadde of his gle.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.741 : Thei felle at dissencioun, In manere as it were a borde [rime: worde].
- a1400 Wycl.MPl.(Add 24202)43 : We shulden not maken oure pleye and bourde of tho myraclis.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)9.187 : For in vntyme trewli, bitwene man & womman Ne shulde no bourde [vr. berd] on bedde be, but if þei bothe were clene.
- a1425(?c1350) Ywain (Glb E.9)1912 : Þan might men bourd se, How sir Ywayne..Folowd þam.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)1593 : Now es vertow turned to vyce, And play and bourd untyll malice.
- (1434) Misyn ML (Corp-O 236)121/16 : Þa ordan vs a likand borde, if we in þame haue delyte.
- (c1449) Pecock Repr.(Cmb Kk.4.26)156 : Men mowe lawȝe and take bourde for her symplenes..as of folis.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)263/245 : Itt is no burde to bete bestis þat are bune.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)1213 : Þow woldest borde haue To se hym dronke.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)171 : Good bourde þerof we schull make.
- a1500(?a1400) KEdw.& S.(Cmb Ff.5.48)612 : Ȝe shall haue gode bourd.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)40/13 : All men logh and maden gret joye and borde þerof.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)115/482 : It is a good bowrde for to drynk of a gowrde; It holdys a mett potell.
- a1500 Octav.(1) (Cmb Ff.2.38)898 : Hyt ys gode bowrde to telle, How they to the erthe felle.
b
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)4659 : Þey forsake..here crystendam..þat make swyche pleyys to any man As myracles [OF miracles] and [vr. or] bourdys [OF ius que nus nomames einz;? read: momans], Or tournamentys [OF Burdiz ou turneinens].
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)4743 : Knyghtes, squiers, made bourdys, & hem desgysede in pourpre & bys.
3.
Joking, jesting, levity, frivolity; bi ~, in (a) ~, o ~, as a joke, in a jesting manner, facetiously; taken in ~, take (sth.) as a joke, treat (sth.) lightly; turnen to ~, tend to frivolity.
Associated quotations
- a1375(1335-1361) WPal.(KC 13)1705 : Sche went..& bliue in a bourde borwed boiȝes cloþes.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.81 : That I spak, I seyde it in my bourde [vr. but in borde].
- a1400 Wycl.MPl.(Add 24202)43 : An erthely servaunt dar not taken in pley and in bourde that that her erthely lord takith in ernest.
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)1409 : Þe beuerage watz broȝt forth in bourde at þat tyme.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)1434 : Ther schulde no man in ernest ne in borde Of here mouthes ones here a worde.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)7586 : 'Drynk hail,' he seyþ..Kyssyng hym in bourde & scof.
- c1450(c1350) Alex.& D.(Bod 264)469 : Whan we tenden any tale þat turneþ to bourde..We sesen of solas.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)462 : Þus to bre hire o bourde, he breuys þire wordis.
- a1450(a1425) Mirk IPP (Cld A.2:Peacock)588 : But what and on in hys bordes Caste on water and say þe wordes, Is þe chylde I-folowed or no?..I say nay.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)141/20 : Sho tuke not þis wurde in bowrte.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)159/16 : He had tempyd þis bisshopp with þis womman & in a burte to giff hur a knokk on þe bakk.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1834 : My gentil hoost hath pleyd with me in borde And I-wonne a wager.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)81/17 : Ȝif eny..smyte hem be chaunce or bourde and noȝt in way of hatredyn.
4.
(a) A prank, trick; (b) an amusing incident or adventure; (c) a marvelous event, a wonder.
Associated quotations
a
- c1410(c1350) Gamelyn (Hrl 7334)858 : Herkneþ of a bourde þat Gamelyn dede: He leet fetre þe iustice [etc.].
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)1165 : Whan hit was broȝt vp abrode & þe bourd aspyed..ledes hem slowen.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)127/332 : A good bowrde haue I spied..here shall we hym hyde to thay be gone.
b
- c1330 Le Freine (Auch)9 : Sum beþe of wer and sum of wo..And sum of bourdes and ribaudy.
- c1500 Corneus (Ashm 61)4 : Off a bowrd i wyll ȝou schew..That fell some tyme in Ynglond.
c
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)188/86 : Swilk burdis be-forne was neuere sene..So selcouth thyng was neuere sene.