Middle English Dictionary Entry
cīren v.
Entry Info
| Forms | cīren v. Also siren & ceren, seren. |
| Etymology | OF cirer, toille cirée; cp. also L ppl. cērāta. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To impregnate with wax or a sealing compound, waterproof; (b) sired, impregnated or waterproofed (cloth, etc.).
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)65/9 : For to sery leþeres for broken lemes.
b
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.CY.(Manly-Rickert)G.807 : Cered [vrr. ceride, sered] poketz.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)318a/a : Wex is somdel vnctuous & soukeþ in moysture, and nought suffreþ it to perisshe and passe by þe holes of cered clothe.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)165a/a : Wiþ in a cercle made of a webbe ycered [*Ch.(2): sirede] or waxed [L cerata].
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)124a/b : A grete quantite of syrede cloth make with blak picche, wiþ rosyn, [etc.].
- (1438-9) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100408 : Seridclath pro vestimentis.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(1) (Med-L 136)270/878 : Anoþr serid cloth for the gout.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)84/26 : Do it in boistys cyred or in good vesselles.
- ?c1450 Stockh.PRecipes (Stockh 10.90)120/8 : Take þe wax, and þi rosyn, and þin turmentyn, and sette hem on þe fyir, tyl þat þai ben moltyn; and þanne take all þin oylys, and cast þer-to..þanne dyppe þer-inne þi cloth or þe clowte þat þou wylt hawyn ceryd.
- (1452) Will York in Sur.Soc.45137 : j sered-clothe ad cooperiendum eundum currum.
- (1460-65) Acc.St.Andrew Hubbard in BMag.31397 : Payde for..Bokeram, thredyn lacys, and for Seryd Clothe.
- a1500 Platearius CInstans (Cmb Ee.1.13)5/21 : Put wax þerto and make a cerid kloth [L: cerotum] & ley to þe sore.
2.
To wrap (a corpse) in an impregnated winding sheet.
Associated quotations
- c1450(c1425) Brut-1419 (Cmb Kk.1.12)360/17 : Whanne King Henry wist..þat he was ded, he lete sere hym yn þe best maner þat he myȝte.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)281/20 : Than wolde I have bawmed hit [corpse] and sered hit, and so to have kepte hit my lyve dayes.
- ?a1500(a1471) Brut-1461(2) (Lyell 34)21 : He leet close and sere him in lynne clothe, alle saue the visage.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1500 Add.34111 Pigment.Recipes (Add 34111) 299/6 : Forto make a sered cloþe in þre maners.
Note: Postdates sense 1.(b).