Middle English Dictionary Entry
cerūse n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cerūse n. Also seruse. |
| Etymology | OF, from L cērussa. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) White lead, a compound used in pigments and medicaments; (b) ?one of the components of white lead as distinguished from the whole.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.630 : Ther nas quyk siluer..Boras, ceruce, ne oille of tartre noon..That hym myghte helpen of his whelkes white.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)311a/a : Cerusa is y gendred..of vapour of strong vynegre schedde vpon þynne plates of leede..Cerusa hatte also þe flour of leed.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)244/1 : Rasis made collirium album in þis maner..Take ceruse waische x partis, sarcocolle greet iij partis.
- c1400 Daniel *Herbal (Arun 42)f.66v : Þanne tak it out of þe hol vessel. & þat is vere ceruse & it is called cerusa rotunda; in vulgar speche, 'ceruse rotounde [Add. 27329 (f.174rb): ceruse round].'
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.127rb : Medle it [rue] with ceruse, oile, & acet & þat is a migthy oynement to .. hele þe egre fu & scabbe & þe derte,.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)43a/a : Emplaster of ceruse.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)178b/a : Minium is þe rede of peyntours, made of seruse bi adustioun.
- c1425 Arderne Fistula (Sln 6)11/22 : Þe infusion of oile roset in which is ceruse distempred, or led brent, or litarge, or all þise if þai be hadde.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)40/84 : Medle the poudre of litarge and off ceruce with water of Rosis.
b
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)91 : Verlilium. Tak litarge..mastik..ceruse..or of blank plom.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)61/11 : For to make..playster of plombe..take whyte leed, and put þer-to, and pouder of seruce.
- (a1475) Recipe Painting(2) in Archaeol.J.1 (Sln 73)155 : On this manere thu myȝt make azure bis. Take and grynd faire poudre of whit leed, or of ceruse, on a marble ston.
- a1500 Hrl.2378 Recipes (Hrl 2378)79/2 : For to make vnguentum album. Take..of blank plum ii vnces, of ceruse half an vnce.
2.
A white pigment made of white lead or of tin dioxide.
Associated quotations
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)204b/a : Þe colour þat hatte..cerusa & is also y cleped flour of þe lede.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)206a/a : Merours beþ y tempered wiþ tyn and white colour þat hatte cerusa. Cerusa is y made of tyn as it is y made of leed.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)257a/b : Vynegre..freteþ metalles and gendreþ þerof dyuers colours, as Cerusa of leed.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)309b/b : Of leede is a white coloure y made þat hatte serusa.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?a1425 Cmb.Dd.6.29 Artist.Recipes (Cmb Dd.6.29) 71/22 : Ȝif þou wolt make fause grene, take .ij. partes of grene and the .iij. of serus.
- c1475 Yale-BA.Artist.Recipes (Yale-BA R486.M43 1450) 88/15 : To temper ceruse, grynde hit on a stone with water and gume.
- a1500 Dc.45 Artist.Recipes (Dc 45) 146/27 : Ȝif þu wilt make moniacle worke, take garlyke and stampe hyt, and take þe jus þerof, and a quantyte of surys, and temper hym togeder.
- a1500 Dc.45 Artist.Recipes (Dc 45) 147/4 : Anoþer maner of moniaclyng: take cole, and tempere hit with þe jus of garlyke, and suryse.
Note: New spellings = (suris, surise & serus).
Note: Clarke's gloss = 'a white pigment, often used indiscriminately to refer to lead white and tin white, but sometimes specified as referring to tin white as opposed to lead white'. He labels the above quots. 'unspecified'.