Middle English Dictionary Entry
chest(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | chest(e n. Also chist(e, kist(e & (early) cest, cist. |
| Etymology | OE cest, cist (from L), L cista (as in Gower), & ON kista (as in N & NM texts). |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A trunk, chest, casket, box, etc., (for storing or safekeeping); a strongbox (for valuables, documents, money); the Ark (of the Covenant); (b) common ~, public chest or treasury; (c) ~ holt, wood for making chests; ~ lid; ~ wright, maker of chests.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175(?OE) Bod.Hom.(Bod 343)134/16 : Hwæt fræmeð þe þat þin cyst stonde ful of gode?
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)546/30 : Loculus: cheste.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)222 : Ne micte men finde [his will]..in arke, ne in chiste.
- (c1300) Havelok (LdMisc 108)2018 : In arke or in kiste.
- (1387) Will in Bk.Lond.E.209/19 : Y bequethe Bartilmewe neue the bed of tree, with the cheste atte the foot.
- (1391) Acc.Exped.Der.in Camd.n.s.5223/30 : Pro factura unius kist pro speciebus imponendis.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.83 : Fy on the bagges in the kiste! I hadde ynogh, if I hire kiste.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2306 : O kiste Of fin gold and of fin perrie..he felde full.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.309 : Why hidestow, with sorwe, The keyes of thy cheste awey fro me?
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.317 : I trowe thow woldest loke me in thy chiste.
- (a1399) Oath Bk.Colchester6 : Chystys on Boundyn.
- (1400) Will York in Sur.Soc.4257 : Unam flaundres kyst.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)12.116 : Archa dei in þe olde lawe leuites it kepten; Hadde neuere lewed man leue to leggen honde on þat chest [vr. kyste].
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)159 : Þer watz busy, ouer-borde bale to kest..Her kysttes & her coferes.
- (1415) Will in Bdf.HRS 226 : A chest of estriche bordis.
- (1419-20) Will in Bk.Lond.E.219/1 : Thes beth the godes that y..leve in a chyste in the hous of Roberd leget.
- (1419-20) Will in Bk.Lond.E.220/31 : Y beqwethe to Rychard Gery vj s..to be payd of that he fyndeth in the forseyd Cheste.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6826 : I gadre and threste The gret tresour into my cheste, That lyth with me so faste bounde.
- (1432) Will York in Sur.Soc.3022 : To Alice Page j litell kyste..to Richard Drynge j lange kyste.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)77/32 : Sche toke owt þe ymage owt of hir chist & sett it in worshepful wyfys lappys.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)2302 : Closed in kystys clene.
- (1441) Visit.Alnwick9 : That..the commune seale and all the munymentes of your place be surely keppede in a chyste vndere two lokkes of diuerse forme.
- (1444) Will York in Sur.Soc.30100 : j prese kiste..cum j warre kiste habentem ij stages.
- a1400 Siege Jerus.(1) (LdMisc 656)477 : Cayphas of þe kyst kyppid a rolle.
- c1450(c1353) Winner & W.(Add 31042)255 : What scholde worthe of that wele?..Let be thy cramynge of thi kystes!
- c1475(a1400) Amadace (Tay 9)p.45 : Kistes and cofurs..fulle of gold.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)1043 : Clere gold of þaire kist.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)181/19 : He selid it & layd it in a kyste besyde a certan money.
- (1473) Paston5.199 : Myn instrumentes..whyche are in the chyst in my chambre at Norwyche.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)69b : A Kyste: Cista..vbi Arke.
b
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)57 : Eche baylyff..shulde of the yere ȝelde the same rolle to the common chist of the toun, and there to be weel and trewely kept as in tresour.
c
- (1296) Newcastle Galley in Archaeol.Ael.4.2166 : In lx bordis que vocantur Kyst Holte.
- (1332) in Fransson Surn.165 : Will. le kystewrycthe.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)247/8 : Þe childe..lifte vp þe kiste lid.
2.
Coffin, sarcophagus; also, tomb, grave.
Associated quotations
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)15057 : Nimeð mine likamæ & leggeð an chæsten [Otho: cheste].
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)27858 : He wurchen lette..ane cheste longe..lette leggen þer inne Luces of Rome.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)32203 : His ban beoð iloken faste i guldene cheste.
- ?a1300 Maximian (Dgb 86)203 : Ich wolde ich were on rest, Wel lowe leiid in a chest.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)2454 : Þe holie bones heo bere, And leiden þe Cheste al þare-with In a noble schrine þere.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (Hrl 2277)2470 : Binyȝte..Hi nome up this holi bones and in a chiste hem broȝte.
- ?c1335 Swet ihc hend (Hrl 913)p.83 : Þi bodi deþ sal qwench; Þe pouer chest ssal be þi nest.
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)1162 : Hii birede..wiþ him in is cheste þat swerd þat was so briȝt.
- c1330 Þe siker soþe (Auch)76 : [Death] has..ouer him y-knett his knott, Vnder his clay kist.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.307 : Þe chiste þat he was i-putte inne.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1230 : He hire tolde hou in a kiste The See hire threw upon the lond, And what tresor with hire he fond.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.WB.(Manly-Rickert)D.502 : He is now in his graue and in his cheste.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)21018 : Siþen was his bodi tan And laid in kist o marbil stan.
- a1425 NHom.(3) Leg.Suppl.Hrl.(Hrl 4196)32/384 : A reall towmb he made al-so And þorein set he kistes two: In þat one to rest ful really Þe relikes of saynt Steuyn body [etc.].
- ?a1425(?a1350) SLeg.Guth.(Jul D.9)245 : Þat he were iwounde in þe schete and in þe cheste laie.
- a1450 St.Etheldr.(Fst B.3)441 : Let make a litulle chest of tre, And put ȝe my body þere-with-inne.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)206 : In hire hond she heeld a sithe and she bar a cheste of tree.
- c1475(a1449) Lydg.KEng.(1) (Hrl 372)133 : xix yeer..He bar his crown..At Feuersham lith buried in a chest.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.B.288 : Whan she was dede and nailed in a cheste And hir obsequyes doo.
3.
Of a person, the body, the chest, the heart: repository or abode (of the soul, grief, secrets, etc.).
Associated quotations
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)5.1368 : Whos wo ther may no wit discryve..chiste of every care.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4357 : Þat is þe carions kistis þat couers þe saule.
- c1450(?a1405) Lydg.CBK (Frf 16)227 : The brest is chest of dule and drerynesse.
- c1450(?a1422) *Lydg.LOL (Dur-U Cosin V.2.16)2.417 : Myne herte vnclene..My breste..cheste of wrecchednesse.
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)38/15 : If the cheste of the herte [L archa cordis] be replenyschede wyth gude wylle.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)1.332 : While þy counceill is within thy breste, It is sure as within a castell walle; And whan it is out fro thy cheste, Then art þou to þy counceill thrall.
4.
Miscell. senses: (a) an open box or vessel; a wicker basket; also, a torture box [first quot.]; (b) Noah's Ark; the 'ark' (of the babe Moses); (c) a pyx; (d) a casing; a compartment or division; (e) ?a yoke; (f) fig.?a protective enclosure; ?a casket.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1160 Peterb.Chron.(LdMisc 636)an.1137 : Sume hi diden in crucethus, ðat is in an cæste þat was scort & nareu & un dep, & dide scærpe stanes þer inne & þrengde þe man þær inne.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)330b/b : Cista is a litil hucche..and haþ þe name of ryndes oþer splyntres..of þe whiche it is y-woue.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)4.672 : In chistis smale or coffynys hem [figs] do.
- a1450 Pore of spirit (Dgb 102)158 : Ȝoure prechyng shal be candel liȝt, Nouȝt vnder worldly buschel hyd..Nouȝt vnder a chiste, vnder a lyd.
- c1450(?c1425) St.Kath.Sienna (Dc 114)194/3 : God shewyd many myracles, oþere-while multipliynge brede in þe chiste.
b
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)5617 : In this kist þe barn sco did. Quen it spird was wit þe lid..Sco laid it on þe water.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)346 : Now Noe..Hatz þou closed þy kyst wyth clay alle aboute?
- 1607(?a1425) Chester Pl.(Hrl 2124)56/206 : But thou wilt let them in thy chist..get thee a new wife.
c
- a1500 Mayer Nominale (Mayer)720/38 : Hoc ostia: a cyst.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)236b/a : Notes been dyuersliche y schape for som is round..and some hauen chistes in þe syde..as it fareþ in grete frensche notes.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)14b/b : The brest or þe thorax is þe arke or þe chest [L archa] of spirituale membrez.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)197 : Ley hys leg in a chest y mad þerfore..mak..a playster, & ley to þe leg, & splente hyt ageyn.
e
- a1400 Cursor (Frf 14)21284 : Þer ar gode axiltres twa..baþ wise & quar is þat ledere, & soft hit is þe chest [Vsp: yok] to bere.
f
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)271 : Your perle..Þat is in cofer so comly clente As in þis gardyn..Now þurȝ kynde of þe kyste þat hyt con close To a perle of prys hit is put in pref.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1475(1392) *MS Wel.564 (Wel 564)45a/a : In þe secunde doctrine of þis chapitre schal treten of Ossium, þat is to seie, þe cheste or þe purs of þe cod or ballokis..it is compouned of two parties, þat is, of þe vttere and of þe ynnere. The vttere is compouned of þe skyn and þe lacertous longitudinel & transuersell..The ynnere part of þis cod is of þe substaunce of siphac.
Note: New sense.
Note: Gloss: "The scrotum and internal membraneous covering of the testes."
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. chest.