Middle English Dictionary Entry
cisǒurs n. (plural)
Entry Info
| Forms | cisǒurs n. (plural) Also sisours, sesours. |
| Etymology | OF cisoires; ME sg. cisour occurs only in glossaries. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A pair of scissors or shears; paire (of) ~; (b) candle snuffer(s.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)28b/b : Forpex: a cysour. Focipula [read: Forcipula]: a lytel cysoure.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)1a/a : Instrumentz of yren: Som bene for to kutte, as sheres or cisours, rasoures & launcetez.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)128b/b : Þan wiþ sisours be it kut.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)78 : Cysowre: Forpex.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)690 : Withoute rasour or sisoures.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)187/11 : He..tuke a payr of sisurs and began to clypp hym before.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)2916-8 : Getith a peir sisours, sherith my berd a-noon!..Some went to with sesours, som with a knyfe.
- c1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Tbr A.7)18929 : In hir hand sche heelde also A peyre cysours scharpe I-grownde.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)24b : A pare of cisurs: forpex, forpecula.
b
- a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)830 : Þo snof..dose a-way With close sesours..Þe sesours ben schort and rownde y-close, With plate of irne vp-on bose.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1450 Dur-CRO.Bk.Hawking (Dur-CRO Roll D/X/76/7)22/4 : Sclyt þer þe sore is, and þu sal finde þer-in..þe maner of a mawe of a pygyoun, and gedir it owte all hole, and tak a payr of sesurs and cut away sumwhate on euery syde of þe wound for to mak it grow fayre.
- a1486 Sln.Bk.Hawking (Sln 3488)141 : Then take a paire of Sesurys, and clippe awey a litul on euery side of the wounde..Take a lynnen clothe and wipe awey the blode, and annoynte the wounde with saus of bawme .iiij. daies.
- a1500 Add.37075 Gloss (Add 37075)8/19b : Forpex: peyre of sysers.
Note: New forms: Also..sisers, sesur(i)s.
Note: These quots. belong to sense (a).
Note: These quots. have been taken back to books.
Note: ?Additional etymological information: (AND) [AN cisur, vars. cisurs, sisurs.]; (Lewis-Short) [L cīsōrium].
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section is incomplete and needs revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. Provisional revised form section (including supplement forms: Also cisurs, sisour(e)s, sisurs, sisers, sesours, sesur(i)s & (sg.) cisour(e.--notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. scissors (pl.).