Middle English Dictionary Entry
clǒud n.
Entry Info
| Forms | clǒud n. Also clud, clod(e, cloyd. Pl. clouden(S), cloudes. |
| Etymology | OE clūd rock, hill; the meaning 'cloud' appears first c1300 in S texts. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A lofty hill or cliff; ~ of ston, a cliff; (b) a lump or mass of earth, the ground; cloudes of clay; (c) in names: see Smith PNElem. 1.101.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)2656 : Ȝho [Mary] ras hire upp & for anan Upp inntill heȝhe cludess.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)8699 : Swiðe wes þe hul bi-clused mid cludes of stane.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)21752 : In ælc of þan æit-londe is a clude [Otho: chlud] hæh and strong, þer næstieð arnes.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)21849 : Scottes leie ȝeond clude, moni þusend dede.
- c1275(?a1200) Lay.Brut (Clg A.9)21939 : Þa Scottes..ut of cluden [Otho: cloudes] to þan scipen comen.
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1001 : Þat lond nis god..ac wildernisse hit is & weste; Knarres & cludes..Snou & haȝel hom is genge.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)22695 : Þe cludes [Frf: cloudis; Trin-C: clodes] to þe se sal rin For to hid þam þar-in.
b
- a1350 Lenten ys come (Hrl 2253)31 : Wormes woweþ vnder cloude.
- c1330 St.Greg.(Auch)59/198 : He was in erþe y brouȝt And leyd vnder cloudes cold.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3081 : Þis werd wald he leue..seke to þe cloudes [vr. clodes].
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)374/27 : Ha aa! cleue a-sundyr, ȝe clowdys of clay!
c
- (1199) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.10238 : Wimarc' de la Clude.
- (1327) Sub.R.Som.in Som.RS 389 : Robertus le Cloudhayward.
- (1327) Sub.R.Som.in Som.RS 3137 : Robertus atte Cloude.
- (1332) Sub.R.War.in Dugd.Soc.62* : William de la Cloude.
2.
(a) An accumulation of clouds, mist, or fog; a cloud; (b) the sky or heavens; -- sg. or pl.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1379 : Ouer-cast heo [the sun] is with þis cloudene, þat heo ne ȝifth lijȝt non.
- c1300 SLeg.Brendan (LdMisc 108)36 : We comen ate laste In suyþe þuyster stude, and clouden us ouer-caste.
- c1300 SLeg.Mich.(LdMisc 108)503 : Ase ȝe I-seoth þe liȝtingue out of þe cloudene i-wende.
- a1325(c1280) SLeg.Pass.(Pep 2344)490 : Hi shulleþ seo þanne aliȝte One mannes sone in þe cloudes of heuene.
- a1350 Body & S.(4) (Hrl 2253)224 : Ligge we shule þroute, In forstes ant in snowes, in shures & in cloude.
- c1330(?a1300) Guy(2) (Auch)p.520 : Þan seiȝe he an ermine com of his mouþe, Als swift als winde þat bloweþ on clouþe.
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)108/6 : Þe zonne..wasteþ þe cloudes and þe hore urostes bi þe morȝen.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Hos.6.4 : Ȝour mercy as a morew cloude and as dewe erly passynge forth.
- c1390 Marie Mayden (Vrn)86 : At his steiȝynge, þei stod to stare How cleer in Clouden he cloumben is.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.3211 : Whan that thi liht is faded..Under the cloudes derke and stille, Thanne hath this thing most of his wille.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.274 : Moist and..drye..Which of the Sonne bothe tuo Ben drawe and haled upon hy, And maken cloudes in the Sky.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1039 : Out of the North they sihe a cloude..The welkne was al overcast, The derk nyht the Sonne hath under.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)114b/a : Ȝif þe sonne is..I hid vndir a clowde, it bodiþ a reyny day.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)136a/a : A Cloude is..I made in þe eyre..of many vapoures..I þickened togedres by cooldnesse of place.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)20894 : Symonmagus..wend to fli out ouer þe cloud [vrr. cloude, clud].
- a1400 Cursor (Göt Theol 107)2872 : Þar standis euer wonderli A cloud [Vsp: cloyd] þar fra vp to þe sky.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)471 : & sayez vnte zeferus þat he syfle warme, Þat þer quikken no cloude bifore þe cler sunne.
- ?a1425(?a1350) SLeg.Guth.(Jul D.9)122 : Hi bere him..in þe luft an hey, In clouden darc and suarte.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)8/13 : Þe mount Caucase þat passez þe clowdes.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)9/8 : It semes wele þat þase hilles passez þe clowdes to the pure aere.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)31/18 : Þe sunne..sumtyme..is hyd vndyr a clowde, þat men may not se it.
- c1440 PLAlex.(Thrn)77/1 : Oute of þe clude þat hange abown þam, þer fell..grete fyrebrandez.
- a1450 St.Editha (Fst B.3)4550 : Þe meyst turde [!] in to a bryȝt cloude..Þat iche mone myȝt se alle þe see abouȝt.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)3955 : Aftir mysty cloudis þere comyth a cler sonne.
- a1500(c1340) Rolle Psalter (UC 64)147.5 : Kloude [L nebulam] as aske he strewis.
b
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)4740 : Þe folk schirsten so heiȝe & loude, Þat it schilled in to þe cloude.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ecclus.35.20 : The lowe preȝyng..vnto the cloudis [WB(2): clowdis] shal neȝhe.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)776 : Bulcifal nayȝeþ so loude Þat it shrilleþ in to þe cloude.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)134/9 : Þe fendis chirche in þise daies preesen aboue clowdis Crist & hise hooli seyntis.
- c1440 Treat.Prayer (Thrn)295 : With a meke herte heghand one heghte, clymbande to þe clouddes.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3873 : Was neuer kyng vnder cloude his knightes more louet Ne gretter of giftes.
3.
Fig. uses: (a) something that casts a shadow, obscures, or darkens (vision, the mind, virtue, hope, reputation, etc.); cloud of errour, ignorance; ~ of sinne; ~ of sorwe; etc.; ~ of unknouing, self-effacement in mystical union; (b) cloud withouten water, something that is ineffective.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1382 : Alle þe churchene of Engelonde deorke beoth ech-on..ase þe cloudene hire ouercast.
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3956 : For whan men trusteth hire [Fortune], thanne wol she faille, And couere hire brighte face with a clowde.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)4/14 : Derkness of synne & cloudis of þe fendis temptaciouns vanischen awey.
- ?a1425(a1415) Wycl.Lantern (Hrl 2324)81/21 : As þe cloude in þe dai, so marriþ he [the devil] mannes wittis.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.60 : Now be myn help..Whyche am beset with cloudis dym and dirk Of ygnoraunce.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.265 : To hyde trouthe falsely vnder cloude.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.3059 : His inward loke was with a cloude shent.
- a1450(?c1421) Lydg.ST (Arun 119)1761 : God seeþ euery thyng Right as it is, for ther may be no cloude To-forn his sight.
- a1425(a1349) Rolle MPass.(2) (Upps C.494)43/2 : Oon of þi woundis, swete Ihesu, was and is I nowȝ to do a way þe cloudis of alle synful men.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.781 : Evere..strif Ther is in love, som cloude is over that sonne.
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)4.200 : Cloude of errour lat hem nat discerne What best is.
- a1425(?a1400) Cloud (Hrl 674)1 : Here bygynniþ a book of contemplacyon, þe whiche is clepyd þe clowde of vnknowyng, in þe whiche a soule is onyd wiþ God.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.2.29 : Eien..dirked by the cloude of mortel thynges.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.pr.3.2 : The cloudes of sorwe.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)5.pr.2.41 : The cloude of ignoraunce.
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)1.2789 : A cloude off smal trespace Made hir lord at hir to disdeyne.
- c1450 Dice(1) (Frf 16)133 : Hide so youre doublenesse vnder clowde.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)364/256 : In dyueris contreys we [Peter and Paul] prechid of youre sone and his blis; Diueris clowdys eche of vs was sodeynely curyng.
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)2.A.96 : His grace was couered vndre a synfull cloude.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)78/1 : The clowde of desperacion.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Roy 1.B.6)Jude 2.12 : Thes ben..cloudes with outen watir, that ben born aboute of wijndis.
- c1425(a1400) Wycl.Pseudo-F.(Dub 245)307 : Jude seyþ..þat þise men ben cloudis wiþ-oute watir, þat ben boren aboute wiþ wyndis.
4.
Miscel. uses: (a) the smoke (of incense); (b) a gathering (of saints); (c) cloudy appearance (of eyes affected by cataract); (d) ~ of helle, darkness or abyss of hell.
Associated quotations
a
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Lev.16.13 : The swete smellynge spices putt vp on the fier, the clowde [WB(2): cloude] of hem and the breeth couer Goddis answeryng place.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Heb.12.1 : So greet a cloud of witnessis [L nubem testium].
- a1425(a1400) Paul.Epist.(Corp-C 32)Heb.12.1 : So grett a cloude of witnesse..þat is so grett a multitude of seyntus þat fleen as cloudys and scheeldyn fro þe swellynge of tribulacyoun.
c
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)203a/b : Optalius..blendeþ oþer mennes yhen þat beþ aboute wiþ a maner cloude, and smyteþ hem wiþ a maner blyndnes.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)130b/b : Sebel..is a pannicle fallyng in þe eie..apperyng as a fumose cloude.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)132a/b : It is sene or semeþ within þe pupille i. apple & a watry cloude.
- a1500 Peterb.Lapid.(Peterb 33)116 : Þer is a syknes þat blyndeþ menis yen with a maner of clowde.
d
- c1450 Spec.Chr.(2) (Hrl 6580)54/5 : The gastful cloude of helle schal be vndurneth, the iuge excitede to wreth schal be a-boue.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.26rb (2.2) : Item, blak vryn..mykel in quantite, wiþ a blak cloude houand in þe myddes of þe vryn in an acue, [etc.].
- ?c1400(1379) Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (Roy 17.D.1)f.26rb (2.2) : Vnderstonde be blak vryn..not only swych vryn os is verreily blake or elles blakisshe, but also þat vryn þat haþ in him a blak skye, a swarte cloude þat makeþ al þe vryn to seme blak or blakisshe.
- a1425 Daniel *Treat.Uroscopy (BodeMus 187:Harvey)f.78v (3.20) : Vryn of a woman with childe in þe 1 monyth & in þe 2 & in þe 3 is with meny smale skyes & cloudys & wiþ a white & clere ypostasi.
Note: New sense. Editor's gloss: 'a cloudy suspension in a urine sample'.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. cloud.