Middle English Dictionary Entry

colk n.
Quotations: Show all Hide all

Entry Info

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1.
(a) The core (of an apple); the heart (of an onion); sparen neither appel ne ~, to do all one can, go as quickly as possible; (b) the center or bottom (of the heart).
2.
(a) ?A bolt of some kind; ?a calk; (b) charcoal (i.e. the unburned 'core' of wood); cp. MnE coke.

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1325 Gloss.Bibbesw.(Trin-C O.2.21:Rothwell) 213 : De manger pommes pur ceo ke l'eyment..La pepinere [glossed:] þe kolk [Cmb Gg.1.1: kore; vrr. kyrnel, the scorce] engetez.
  • Note: Quot. antedates word.
    Note: New form: Also..kolk.
    Note: Quot. belongs to sense 1.(a).
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.--all notes per MLL