Middle English Dictionary Entry
clippen v.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | clippen v.(2) Also cleppen, klippen. Ppl. i)clipped, clepped, iclopped. |
| Etymology | ON; cp. OI klippa. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) To cut off (sth.); ~ out; (b) to cut off (the hair, the beard); ~ awei; (c) to shear (wool, a fleece); ~ awei; (d) fig. to remove (sin); cut off (a straggler); ~ awei, ~ of.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.5690 : Out he clippeth also faste Hire tunge with a peire scheres.
b
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3257,3261 : She made to clippe or shere his heer away ..But er his heer was clipped [vrr. clepped, yclipped] or yshaue.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)131/2 : Þe heeris of þe heed schulen be remeued..clippe hem first with scheris.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.PP (GoughETop 4)125/33 : On Scher Þursday a man schall dodde his hed and klippe his berd.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)147/16 : Þe Emperour made to clyppe away þe heris of Ionys hed.
c
- c1350 Cmb.Ee.4.20.Nominale (Cmb Ee.4.20)114 : F. de berbit tounde leyne: W. of schepe clippith wulle.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)4.311 : The proprete of a goode sheparde is to clippe aweye the fleece of wolle, and not to sle the schepe.
d
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4248 : Þatt uss birrþ clippenn all aweȝȝ Þe flæshess fule wille.
- (a1460) Vegetius(2) (Pmb-C 243)1410 : To fer aforn, and sole, a foo may bete; He may be clipped of, that goth behinde.
2.
(a) To cut the hair off (sb.), give (sb.) a haircut; cut or trim (hair, head); cut hair; (b) to shear (sheep); (c) to clip or mutilate (a coin); (d) to shape or engrave (dies used in minting money); (e) to circumcise; (f) in ?prov. expression eiþer milk eiþer clip, 'one thing or the other'.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Cor.11.5 : Ȝif sche be maad ballid, pollid, or clippid [L decalvetur].
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mil.(Manly-Rickert)A.3326 : Wel koude he laten blood and clippe and shaue.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Lev.19.27 : Nether ȝe schulen clippe [L attondebitis] the heer in round, nether ȝe schulen schaue the beerd.
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)1 Cor.11.6 : If þe womman be not veylid, be sche clippyd [L tondeatur].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)82 : Clyppyn: Tondeo.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)187/11 : He..tuke a payr of sisurs and began to clypp hym before.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)2012 : Thogh ye now..Ben yclypyd & yshaue Vp-on your hedys euerychon.
- c1425(?c1400) Wycl.Apol.(Dub 245)95 : God forbediþ to clep þe hed in to round, or to schaf þe berd.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)147/18 : When he was so clypped, all men loghen hym to scorne.
b
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)1189 : Þe shep onfoþ Meocliȝ þatt mann itt clippeþþ.
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Is.53.7 : He schal be doumb as a lomb bifore hym that clippith it.
- (1425) RParl.4.292b : Many diverses personnes leeden oute of the Royaume..grete nombre of Shepe wolled into Flaundres..and there doos cleppe thayme..any Shepe, wolled or clipped.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.1164 : Heer most be..toolis forto gelde, and clippe [BodAdd: clype] and shere.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)3399 : Gedeon was..purueyd in a preue stede To clepe his schepe.
c
- ?1403 Doc.in HMC Rep.5 App.306a : Al tha that fals mony makes..Also all tha that gode mony clippes, thaim to avantage.
- a1450(1410) This holy tyme make (Dgb 102)49 : That clippen money, þey haue þe curs ffoure tymes in þe ȝere.
- a1450 Form Excom.(1) (Cld A.2)65 : Also alle þat falsen þe kyngus money or clypputh hit.
- a1475 Rev.St.Bridget (Gar 145)112/13 : I did as doth a chaunger of money, which clippeth or kitteth the moneye.
- a1500 PFulham (Jas 43)243 : No luschbowrns but money of fyne asaye; Ne noblys, nor grottes, ne no coigne yclyppyd.
d
- (1469) Indent.Edw.IV in Archaeol.15172 : Gravers for to grave the irennes..the same clipper of the irennes aforeseid shall not clippe elleswhere but oonly in on hous withyn the Towre.
e
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)4106 : Þatt wass sett..Amang Judisskenn þeode To clippenn swa þe cnapess shapp.
f
- c1400 Wycl.CGosp.John (Yk-M 14.D.2:Hudson)78/176 : It was seid þries to Petre, 'Feede þou my scheep'; it was not seid ones, eiþer mylke eiþer clippe, for in þre maneris we owen to feede Cristis scheep.
3.
To cut up (sth.), chop in pieces.
Associated quotations
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)66a : Take a fatte hen and stofe hir with þis [Polipody], small y-cloppid, and lett that boille well.
- c1450 Med.Bk.(2) (Add 33996)92 : Take floures of roose..and clippe hem wyþ a peyre sheris on smale peces.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.100ra (3.12) : Whiche sekenesse is causede þorogh scharphede and exces of vnkynde hete in the lendes and þerabouten, dissoluand & wastand þe substance of hem, & clippend and chippand awaie þe smale partis of hem.
Note: ?New sense. Editor's gloss: clippend, v. pr. ppl. 'causing small particles in the body to waste away'.