Middle English Dictionary Entry
buter(e n.
Entry Info
Forms | buter(e n. Also boter(e, bot(t)re, butter(e, but(t)re, (early) butera(n. |
Etymology | OE butere |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Butter; bred and ~, ~ and bred; (b) ingredient in medicines; cure for diseases, venom, etc.; ~ i-washed, washing ~, purified or refined butter; (c) ~ of Mai, Maies ~, unsalted butter made in May and preserved for medicinal use [see Mai-buter(e]; clene ~, pure or refined butter; fest ~, feast butter; fresh ~, neue ~, newly-churned butter; mersh ~, ?March butter [cp. ~ of Mai]; swete ~, ?unsalted butter; (d) ~ maker, a maker of butter; ~ man, a maker or seller of butter; ~ mark, ?a stamp for marking a sign or pattern on butter; ~ milk, buttermilk; ~ monger, a seller of butter; ~ shop, place where butter is sold.
Associated quotations
a
- 1131 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1131 : Þa scyrte ða flesc mete & se ceose & se butere.
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1137 : Þa was corn dære, and flec and cæse and butere.
- c1300 SLeg.Bridget(1) (LdMisc 108)12 : Þat Maide let gaderi..þe Milk ant þe chese, botere and al þat þarof cam.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)643 : Y shal þe fete Bred an chese, butere and milk.
- (1307) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.993 : In butir, 3 d.
- a1325(c1250) Gen.& Ex.(Corp-C 444)1014 : Flures bred And buttere, hem ðo sondes bed.
- 1381 Pegge Cook.Recipes (Dc 257)104 : Oyle the sewe wyth Boter.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Prov.30.33 : Who forsothe strongli thresteth tetes to drawen out mylc, threstith out buttere [L butyrum].
- (1393) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.52257/10 : Pro sagmine, butir, et sewet emptis per idem tempus.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)331b/b : Þe fryyng panne..is a manere panne in þe whiche þinges beþ y-fried wiþ chese, wiþ buttre, or wiþ oyle.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)2715 : Buttur and brede þai ete alsua.
- (1422) Plea & Mem.in Bk.Lond.E.128/222 : Whan eny thyng cometh of such vitaill, or Botir, or Chese.
- a1425 Ben.Rule(1) (Lnsd 378)26/15 : Þa þat serue o þe kichin sal miste, bi-fore þe mikil mete, bred, butter, þat tay may serue wid-vten gruching.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)193 : Of eche weye of chese, buttyr [OF bure], seld by the self, iiij d.
- (1439) RParl.5.24a : Al maner..Chese, buttur and Hony..shuld have recours to the seid place of Caleys.
- a1450-a1500(1436) Libel EP (Warner)290 : Wythoute Calise, in ther buttere [vr. boture] they cakked.
- a1475 Liber Cocorum (Sln 1986)49 : In dysshe hom hakke togeder þen With buttur.
- a1500 Bring us (BodPoet e.1)286 : Bryng vs in no butter, for therin ar many herys.
b
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.HApul.(Hrl 6258B:Berberich)111.85/4 : Cnuca þeos wyrt, & mid butera..ȝeliðeȝe.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)9/15 : Nim þanne eale and buteran and ecede and huniȝ, and meng togadere þa sealfe mid þare wulle.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)320a/b : Buttre draweþ al þe venyme to it self.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)165a/b : After þe falling of þe escare, be it procured wiþ butir ywasshed [*Ch.(2): wasching botter; L butyro lauto].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)186b/a : Butter is hote in þe firste degree and moyste by an hyer moysture. It matureþ & proprely bubones.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)100/6 : Take sauereye..þanne do buttyr þertoo.
- a1500(?c1440) Lydg.HGS (Lnsd 699)200 : The fyme of Gees..Tempred with oile & buttir doth gret boote.
c
- ?a1200(OE) Hrl.MQuad.(Hrl 6258B)24/3 : On ele oððer on clane butere.
- ?a1200(?OE) PDidax.(Hrl 6258b)37/11 : Nim niwe butera tweȝen dæles, and þane þriddan dæl nifes huniȝes.
- (?a1450) Doc.in Dugdale Monasticon 1444 : Then must sche purvey for fest butter of seynt Alburgh for xxxvij lades, and..for the fest butter at Ester and Whitsontide, lyk as sche dyd at seynt Alburghs tyde.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)127 : Do þer to aquart of good mayes butre, þat is claryfyed.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)217 : Tak anote schale, & ful hyt wyþ mersch butter, & ley hyt on þe nauel.
- c1450 Burg.Practica (Rwl D.251)233/6 : Frye hem yn freche butter.
- ?c1450 Iff a man (Stockh 10.90)302/272 : And þat hee ben gaderyd in somerys day And sothyn to-gedyr with botyr of may!
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)42/19 : Do þerto oyle of violet and fresche botir.
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)559 : Saltfysche, stokfische, merlynge, makerelle, buttur ye may with swete buttur of Claynos or els of hakenay.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)19/10 : Boyle hit in mayes boture and strayne hit þorwe a cloute.
d
- (1296-7) Acc.Cornw.in RHS ser.3.68187 : Et de 2 s. de domo que fuit Ricardi buttermon.
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 2151 : Thom. Butterman.
- (1303-4) Acc.Chester in LCRS 5974 : The Buterschoppes.
- (1306) Court R.Lond.241 : Margaret la Buttermonggere.
- (1327) in Fransson Surn.67 : Joh. Butterman.
- (1329) Pat.R.Edw.III405 : Geoffrey Buttermangger.
- (1469) Deed Norris in LCRS 9316 : [A messuage..called] le Buttershoppes.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)20b : A Buttir marke.
- a1500 Jhesu that arte jentylle (Chet 8009)p.198 : She toke ayen the butter-melke and put het in the cheyrne.
2.
(a) ~ of almaundes, a buttery substance made by boiling almond milk; (b) ?a fruit; ?adj. in comb. with fruit names.
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes in Nicolas PPExp.[OD col.](Arun 334)173 : Botyr of Almones. Take almonde mylk and let hit boyle.
- ?c1425 Arun.Cook.Recipes (Arun 334)447 : Botyr of Almondes. Take almonde mylke..wyn or vynegur.
b
- a1475 Russell Bk.Nurt.(Hrl 4011)668 : Frutes afore mete, to ete þem fastyngely, as buttur, plommes, damesyns, grapes, and chery.
3.
Element in personal names.
Associated quotations
- (1218) Justice in Eyre R.in Seld.Soc.53229 : Cristiana..petit versus Johannem Butermuth terciam partem i tofti.
- (1253) Close R.Hen.III309 : Galfridus Buterfot.
- (1327) in Ewen Surnames Brit.324 : Rob. Buttermouth.
- (1334) Pat.R.Edw.III64 : Hugh Buttersneke.