Middle English Dictionary Entry
bristel n.
Entry Info
| Forms | bristel n. Also brustel, brostel, brestel. Pl. bristles, etc. |
| Etymology | Cp. OE byrst bristle; prob. formed in OE. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A bristle or stiff hair (esp. of a boar); a quill of a hedgehog; ~ her; (b) a prick; ~ prik; (c) a shoemaker's needle made of bristle.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?c1300) Bevis (Auch)36/748 : A wilde bor þat was..His brostles were gret & long.
- c1330(?c1300) Guy(1) (Auch)3680 : Þou sest Mahoun ne Apolin Be nouȝt worþ þe brestel of a swin.
- c1330 KTars (Auch)52/797 : Nouȝt worþ þe brostle [vr. brustel] of a swin.
- c1330 Roland & V.(Auch)480 : His nose was a fot & more, His browe as brestles wore.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.217 : Wolle, heer, bristles, feþeres.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.556 : A tuft of herys, Reed as the bristles of a sowes erys.
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.188ra : Þe lond irchown .. þe skin of him with his brusteles brend is good for þe ollopice.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1824 : He kisseth hire ful ofte, With thilke bristles of his berd vnsofte.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)147a/b : [Houndes flyes]..cleueþ faste..in wolle, heer, bristlys of beestys.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)265b/a : Whanne þey beeþ in loue..þay..rentiþ þe brusteles & whettiþ þe tuskes.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)285a/b : The elephant..haþ fewe here & no brustel.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1546 : A Gypon..wroght of the bristels of a wylde boor.
- a1425-a1500(?c1350) Libeaus (Kaluza)1340 : Bristelles of a sowe.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)130b/a : Be þer put yn..a here or a bristille with a subtyl nedil.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)1095 : As a brawne, with brustils full large.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)13594 : Venus swyn, with brustlys hoore, Drowh hym forth.
- c1450(a1375) Octav.(2) (Clg A.2)932 : Hys browys as brystelys of a swyn.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)421 : A sowe..hadde so grete bristelis on her bakke that it trayled on the grounde.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)119/102 : She is browyd lyke a brystyll, with a sowre loten chere.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)p.74 : A brestell here of an asse.
b
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)260b/a : Mantichora..styngeþ with brustel prikkes.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6611 : Þe delphyn..rereþ vp his bristel grymme, And his wombe for-rant.
c
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)418 : Bristul thredud passith the stede.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)296a/a : We clepen þe brustels of swyne setas in latyn, and sowters clepen hem brustels and sowen þer wiþ.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.148 : As bristil bryngiþ in þe þreed, and knyttiþ not þe leþer wiþinne.
- c1450 Jacob's W.(Sal 103)241/20 : As brystell bryngeth in a threed of a cordewanere in-to a scho.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1225 Wor.Gloss.(Corp-C 178)701/446 : Burstles [OE Danihel..nam pic and rysel..mid byrstum gemengde..and seað hi swiðe, and sealde þam dracan].
Note: New form: Pl. (early) burstles.
Note: Quot. antedates word.
Note: Quot. belongs to sense (a).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section are incomplete and need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--notes per MLL