Middle English Dictionary Entry
cō̆fre n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cō̆fre n. Also coffre, coffer, cophir & coofer, coufer. |
| Etymology | OF cofre, coffre. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A trunk, chest, or case of any size for storing or carrying valuables of any kind (e.g. armor, clothes, books, documents, jewelry, relics, spices); also, wardrobe, shrine; (b) trussing ~, a trunk; Flaundres ~, Flemish chest; London ~; Pruse ~; long ~; stonding ~; (c) comin ~, tresour ~, a strongbox or safe of an organization (such as a guild or town).
Associated quotations
a
- a1275 Louerd asse þu ard (Trin-C B.14.39)210 : Cofren & forcers wel sone heo vnwunden.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)2154 : Heo nomen..Chartres and oþur priue writes þat in is coffres weren i-do.
- (1322) Doc.in HMC Var.Col.7334 : ij cofferis pro armuris imponendis.
- a1350 Ichot a burde in a (Hrl 2253)39 : He is..ase..canel in cofre, wiþ gyngyure ant sedewale ant þe gylofre.
- c1390 Castle Love(1) (Vrn)992 : Þe catel..is in his cofre biloke so fast.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Th.(Manly-Rickert)B.1955 : Notemuge to putte in ale..Or for to leye in cofre.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2079 : Thei with hem toke A gret tresor of gold in cophres To Rome.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)215b/a : Wormode..saueþ bookes and cloþis fro fretynge of myes..if it is y do þer wiþ in hucches oþer cofferes.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)14.246 : Pouerte hath but pokes to putten in his godis, Þere auarice hath almaries and yren-bounde coffres.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)259 : Your perle..Þat is in cofer so comly clente.
- (1404) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100394 : Item j par de coffers pro vestimentis cariandis.
- (1415) Will in Bdf.HRS 228 : A cofre to put yn wax, y bounde wt yren.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)5.113 : I..þe tresour in his cofres souȝt.
- (1432) Rec.St.Mary at Hill26 : A lytill cofir with relekys.
- (1444) Will York in Sur.Soc.30106 : To my doghter Issabell my coufer with all my array.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)35b : Cofrus and couerynges for scheldes, for habergouns, for bowes & arewes.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)4035 : Sen at we Ioy nouthire gemmes ne Iuwels in cofirs.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)86/9 : Coffyrs and trunkes.
- (1456) Acc.St.Margaret Southwark in BMag.32493 : Payed to the carpenter for coffers makyng, ledgys, and nayles that went therto, xij d.
- (1466) LRed Bk.Bristol2.235 : A Torche in the Coofer..a Masse-booke, a Chalyce.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)17602 : Thys hand kan brake Cofer and cheste.
- (1475) RParl.6.140a : A Coffer lokken and seled, with Evidence concernyng the Land of the said John.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)610 : Knyghtes and squyres..sadeled theire horse and trussed coufres.
b
- (1425) EEWills65/4 : Þe goodis that be in a paire of trussing cofres.
- (1430) Will York in Sur.Soc.3012 : Duas cistas de pruse, Anglice pruse coferys.
- (1442) Invent.Gild in PSAL ser.2.5122 : Item alia parva cista vocata Flaundrez Cofer, ferro ligata..una longa Cofer vocata Trussyng Cofer.
- (1446) Will York in Sur.Soc.45102 : De iiij London coffyrs ij s.
- (1463) Paston (Gairdner)4.70 : I can not..fynd your wyght boke; it is not in the trussyng cofyr, ner in the sprucheste nothyr.
- (1463) Will Bury in Camd.4923 : A stondyng coffre and a long coffre.
- (1472-3) RParl.6.38a : iii London Coffers, within the same conteyned iiii stondyng Cuppes..dyvers evidences and muniments.
c
- (1433) RParl.4.479a : That the comyn Seel of the seid Town be kept in the comyn cofre.
- (1467) Ordin.Wor.376 : The charter of the seid cite..shullen be putt in the comyn cofor.
- (a1450) Code Laws in Willmore Hist.Walsall169 : It is ordeyned for the more suertye and saufgard of the tresure of the said Gilde, that therbe iiii keyes of the tresour coffer.
2.
(a) A treasure chest or money box; (b) pl. a treasury.
Associated quotations
a
- ?a1300 Jacob & J.(Bod 652)163 : Cofre he lette vnlouke & gold casten out anon.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)1889 : Ich habbe a luytel Coffre..þare beoth Inne ȝeot Eiȝte hundret pound.
- c1330 7 Sages(1) (Auch)109/2274 : Bere hit hom in to þi coffer.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.298 : Al be that he was a philosophre, Yet hadde he but litel gold in cofre.
- c1390 Treat.Mass (Vrn)516 : Þi peny..wol..þi catel also encrese Of seluer in þi Cofre.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.33 : Thus whanne he hath his cofre loken, It schal noght after ben unstoken Bot whanne him list to have a syhte Of gold.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2321 : Office in court and gold in cofre Is nou..the philosophre Which hath the worschipe in the halle.
- ?a1400(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.2 (Petyt 511)p.297 : Þe tresore with him he nam, sperd it in his coffris.
- c1400(?c1384) Wycl.50 HFriars (Bod 647)397 : Somme [friars]..taken fre annuel rentis of lordis cooferis.
- (a1447) Let.in Ellis Orig.Let.ser.1.18 : That ze wlle goo..to the Coffre that my monoye is inne, and take out ij M. and ccc marc.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)430 : His cofre and eke his purs ben penylees.
- a1475(1450) Scrope DSP (Bod 943)188/14 : Thou haste grete quantite of gold of the whiche thou haste sent me a cofre fulle.
- c1475(a1400) Amadace (Tay 9)p.29 : He lafte no more in his cofurs to spende, But euyn xl powunde.
- a1500(?a1410) Lydg.CB (Lnsd 699)161 : Al the gold that is shett in thi coofre.
- a1500(1413) *Pilgr.Soul (Eg 615)3.4.51a : I saughe the bages of gold..alle went..in to youre owne coferes.
b
- (1429) Will Braybroke in Ess.AST 5301 : I wol that Sr. John Middleton..have..xl s. yerely of my cofres.
- (a1446) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1p.lviii : In such maner that shal in no wyse anyntyse nor munysch your tresur nor your coffures.
- (1448) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1401 : Item of monee to be receyued of the kings cofres.
- (a1475) Fortescue Gov.E.(LdMisc 593)124 : Þat the kynge make such rewardes with money owt off his cofers.
- (c1475) Doc.in Bk.Brome (Brm)149 : xx s. of starlynges of ȝerly pensyne..to be payed..of my coffres.
3.
Applied to a variety of containers or receptacles: (a) a coffin or casket; (b) a cradle or basket; (c) the Ark; (d) the pericardium; (e) the womb.
Associated quotations
a
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)338/503 : With-Inne þe churche huy founden ane cofre of seluer and of golde, And þarinne seint clementes bodi.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.1113 : Whanne he sih..This cofre mad and wel enclowed, The dede bodi was..leid therinne.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)177 : The cofre unto carayne.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)3710 : Thei..Schul rysyn þann in-to euer-lastyng rest; Ther schal not hold hem cophre ne chest.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)209/31 : Thanne was he..putte in a coffre of golde and brought vnto the citee of Alysaundre.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)106.426 (v.2:p.151) : Hir body they buried with humble entent myddis hir sustris, in a cophir of tree.
b
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Cl.(Manly-Rickert)E.585 : He..Sholde this child softe wynde and wrappe..And carie it in a cofre or in a lappe.
- a1400 Cursor (Trin-C R.3.8)5614 : His modir dud him [Moses] for to hide..A cofur of ȝerdes dud she be wrouȝt.
c
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)310 : Make to þe a mancioun..A cofer closed of tres, clanlych planed.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)339 : Wyth alle þe fode þat may be founde, frette þy cofer.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)55a/a : A boute þe herte is a maner cloþinge þat hatte schryne and þe cofer [L capsula] of þe herte.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)55b/a : Somtyme þe herte is I greued be som posteme þat infectiþ þe cofir þerof.
e
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)8.96 : With litel malis fillith they the cofre [L gloss.: ventrem], And toward southwynd getith they femalis.
4.
Fig. uses: (a) a place of concealment; kepen in ~, keep (sth.) in confidence; (b) a treasure house.
Associated quotations
a
- a1450 St.Kath.(3) (Richardson 44)46 : A noble man..þat coude kepe þe counsayl of his frend in þe cofre of moost stable silence.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)137 : These fals ymages of ȝour goddis, whech ar not elles but cophres for deueles to dwell in.
b
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)11.192 : For alle are we crystes creatures and of his coffres riche.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)12.111 : Crystendome..Whiche is þe coffre of crystes tresore, and clerkes kepe þe keyes.
- (?a1430) Hoccl.BV(2) (Hnt HM 744)129 : Modir of mercy..Of al bountee thow verray cofre!
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (a1474) Paston (EETS)2.361 : Item, ij cofforys stvffet, ij s.
Note: New spelling: Also..coffor.
Note: Belongs to sense 1.(a).--per MJW
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- a1484 Barrel Gauge(1) (Trin-C R.14.52)662/1225 : Iff thow wilt of craft to make a yerd visory or gawgyng yerd everywher of londis, take þe cofre. And of that latitude take the diametre, and that, as often as thow maist into oo side of the yerde thow signe marke or oilet, thow do [so] oft.
- a1484 Barrel Gauge(1) (Trin-C R.14.52)663/1247 : Note the ascence of water whiche [is] in the cofre with a litil stike or straw, and this signe afterwarde shal be the first longitude.
Note: Editor's note: "cofre: A cylindrical container (Vis.: capsulam figure columpnare) used as a standard measure of volume."
Note: New sense.
Note: Word also appears at ll.1245,1246
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. coffer.