Middle English Dictionary Entry
calce n.
Entry Info
| Forms | calce n. Also cals, calx. |
| Etymology | L calx & OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Lime; (b) calcium oxide, quicklime; (c) ~ vif (vive), quicklime; ~ mort, slaked lime; (d) a calcinate; esp., calcined gold or silver; (e) ~ smaragdus, an inferior kind of emerald.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)197b/b : Lyme hatte cals [L calx] and is a stoon y-brent. By medlyng þer of wiþ sond and wiþ water, cement is y-made.
b
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)141a/b : A sharp medicyne made wiþ calce [*Ch.(2): quyklyme] & sope or arsenic dissolued with som liquour.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)166b/a : Calx [*Ch.(2): Quyk lyme], þat his acuite i. charpnez be remoued & be made more desiccatyue, is wasshen in a basyn with colde water.
c
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.43r : Dragaunce .. with acet & calx vif, it sleth cancre.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)33/13 : I put aboue..of calce viue & sape.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)48/30 : Recipe..sulphur, calx viue, blak sape.
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)63a/b : Abbucasis putteþ þerto þre parties of calx vyf i. vnquenched lyme [L calcis viue].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)182b/b : Take of calx vif [*Ch.(1): calcis viue i. quik lyme] wasched seuen tymes in colde water til þat it leue his scharpenesse.
- a1550 *Norton OAlch.(BodeMus 63)1059 : In calceviue, sondyuere, and vitriall.
- 1652(?a1500) Take erthe in Ashmole TC (AshmTC)271 : Calx vive and Calx mort, his Brother, I suspende them both.
d
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)7/20,22 : Take þe calx of fyn gold..and putte it in a siluer spone..& þanne caste þe cals of the gold in þe brennynge watir.
- a1475 Bk.Quint.(Sln 73)9/7,11 : In þe corusible ȝe schal fynde þe gold calcyned and reducid into erþe..And in þis same maner ȝe may worche wiþ siluir. Thanne take þe calx of þese two bodies..And whanne ȝe wole dissolue ony of þese calces.
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)45a : When bodies to powder be brent, Drye as ashes..Of sich calx then will we none..we make calx vnctuous, both whit & Redd.
e
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)205b/b : Ther is a maner Smaragdus þat goþ out of kynde þough he be grene, for he is somdel vnhighted by veynes of bras and is y-cleped calce Smaragdus [L calco smaragd'].
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)103 : Oþer smaragdus..ben vnworchiped by veynes of brase, & þe ben called calce smaragdus.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1400 Trin-C O.9.39 Recipes (Trin-C O.9.39) 46/18 : Sette hit in hote hors donge þat be made with a bedde of donge first, and þanne abouen þat with anoþer bedde of calx vif.
Note: Antedates sense (c).