Middle English Dictionary Entry
confessǒur n.
Entry Info
| Forms | confessǒur n. |
| Etymology | L & OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
One who avows Christianity in the face of persecution and torture, but escapes a martyr's death; holi ~.
Associated quotations
- a1225(?OE) Vsp.A.Hom.(Vsp A.22)239 : Þer he sit mid his derewrþe ȝefered..mid his apostlen..mid martiren, mi[d] hali confessoren, mid halie meiden.
- a1225(c1200) Vices & V.(1) (Stw 34)35/1 : Alle ðe hali confessores and ðe hali uirgines.
- c1225(?c1200) SWard (Bod 34)30/286 : Ich beheolt þe cunfessurs [vrr. cumfessurs, confessurs] hird þe liueden i god lif & haliche deiden.
- c1300 SLeg.(LdMisc 108)420/74 : Þe confessours þat hadden holie churche to lere.
- c1300 SLeg.Becket (LdMisc 108)2302 : Of patriarks..of apostles..Of Martirs..of confessours..of virgines.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(LdMisc 108)1 : Seint Eadmund þe confessour þat lythþ at pounteneye.
- c1350 Ayenb.App.(Arun 57)267/23 : Þe blyssede heape of confessours..and techeres þet holy cherche mid hare techinge wereden.
- 1389 Nrf.Gild Ret.45 : On candelle of..waxe brennend..in þe honour of god almyghty and of þe holy confessour seynt Antony.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)326b/b : Ioye of martires schal passe þe ioye of confessours.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)20867 : Petre was..Of godd sun first confessur.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)3826 : Pardon..es gaderd..of marterdom of martires, Of penance and travail of confessours.
- ?a1425 Mandev.(2) (Eg 1982)87/25 : A man amanges vs wald think it a grete wirschepe, if þer ware in his kyn canonized a haly martir or a confessour.
- (1447-8) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1p.lxiii : The fondacion..of the seid collage to be called and named the Quenes collage of Sainte Margarete and Saint Bernard, or ellis of Sainte Margarete virgine and martir and saint Bernard confessour.
- c1450 Capgr.Rome (Bod 423)15 : On þis hill stant a cherch of seynt boneface þe martyr, in whech lith eke seynt alexe þe counfessour.
- a1500(a1450) St.Robt.Knares.(Eg 3143)1165 : Hayle, Saint Robert, a confessoure Þate suetely serued oure Sauioure.
2.
A priest who hears confessions, prescribes penance, and grants absolution; also, such a priest serving as spiritual advisor.
Associated quotations
- (1340) Ayenb.(Arun 57)172/17 : He ssel zeche zuych ane confessour þet conne bynde and onbynde.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)3.36 : Þenne com þer a Confessour I-Copet as a Frere..And seide ful softely..'I schal asoyle þe my-self for a summe of whete.'
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.972 : Whan they falle agayn in hir olde folies, outher they forleten hir olde confessours al outrely or elles they departen hir shrift in dyuerse places.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Pars.(Manly-Rickert)I.991 : Thanne sholde nat the synnere sitte as hye as his confessour, but knele biforn hym or at his feet.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Sum.(Manly-Rickert)D.2164 : Wher as ther woned a man of greet honour To whom that he was alwey confessour.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6858 : Where fyndest thou a swynker of labour Have me unto his confessour?
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.79 : Þus riche men of þe world moten have freris to þer confessouris.
- (1438) Will Dixton in BGAS 11158 : Item to John Trebell, my confessour, xx marks to syng for me ij yere.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)12/33 : Y durste neuer tell it to my confessour.
- (1454) Proc.Privy C.6.223 : j chapelain, confessor for þe Housholde.
- a1475(a1456) Shirley Death Jas.(Add 5467)19 : I besech the that, for the salvacion of my soule, ye woll let me have a confessore.
- (a1464) Capgr.Chron.(Cmb Gg.4.12)95 : Theodorus..mad a book whech is cleped 'Penitencial', where confessoures may lerne what penauns thei schal gyve.
- c1425(a1400) Wycl.Conf.(Dub 245)334 : A frere þat is a confessour to kyng or to a duke.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)40/28 : He made hys confessour bete hym wyth a ȝarde.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)25 : A White Frere, that was the kynges confessore.