Middle English Dictionary Entry
croue n.
Entry Info
| Forms | croue n. Also crow, crōwe, crāwe, craw. Pl. crō̆wes, crā̆wes, (early) crōwen. |
| Etymology | OE crāwa, crāwe, crāwan, corresp. to OHG crāwa, crāia. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) The carrion crow Corvus corone; also, the rook Corvus frugilegus; (b) the raven Corvus corax.
Associated quotations
a
- c1275(?c1250) Owl & N.(Clg A.9)1131 : Rok ne crowe Ne dar þar neuer cumen.
- c1300 SLeg.Edm.Abp.(LdMisc 108)196 : Blake foule huy seiȝe Ase it crowene and rokes weren.
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.155 : Kites and crowis, reuenes and oules.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)4.457 : Ravons, crowes [L cornices], and chouȝhes.
- c1390 PPl.A(1) (Vrn)7.129 : Treuþe schal techen ow..to sowen and to setten..Gaste Crowen from his Corn.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Mcp.(Manly-Rickert)H.308 : For this cas ben alle crowes blake.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)146a/b : The crowe is a bridde of longe lyf..sche takeþ hede of spyenges and waytynges, and techiþ and wissiþ weyes, & warneþ what schall bifalle.
- a1425 Roy.17.C.17 Nominale (Roy 17.C.17)641 : Cornix: crawe.
- c1430(c1380) Chaucer PF (Benson-Robinson)363 : The raven wys, the crowe with vois of care.
- c1450 Scrope Othea (Lngl 253)56 : The crowe mette þe ravyn.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)523/15 : He saw all þe felde full of crawis & crakis.
- (1472) Paston (Gairdner)5.166 : I sye the pye and herd it spek; and, be God, it is not worthe a crowe..it wer shame to kep it in a cage.
- c1475(c1399) Mum & S.(1) (Cmb Ll.4.14)2.178 : Thus hawkyd þis egle and houed aboue, Þat..Ther nas kyte ne krowe þat kareyne hantid, Þat he ne with his lynage ne louyd full sone.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)104/9 : Man ys..auerous as hounde, hard and fell as a krowe.
- a1500 Lord what is (RwlPoet 36)61 : Neþer for the kyte nor for the crowe Encombyr not þyn owne neste.
- a1500 PFulham (Jas 43)144 : A gentyll byrd takyn can no defense..but pyes and crowys can skratte and byte.
- a1500 Today in (Hrl 1002)p.164 : The rooke, the revyn, and the crow.
b
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Prov.30.17 : The eȝe that scorneth the fader..pecken hym out crowis [L corvi] of the stremes.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Luke 12.24 : Biholde ȝe crowis [L corvos], for thei sowen not, nether repen..and God fedith hem.
- a1400 Lanfranc (Ashm 1396)156/6 : ij smale boonys..to þe lijknes of þe bele of a crowe [L corui].
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Gen.8.7 : Noe..sente out a crow [L corvum].
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)105 : Crowe, byrde: Corvus.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)43/246 : This crowe on sum careyn is fall for to ete.
2.
Cpds. & phrs.: (a) croue-brid, brid of ~, a young crow or raven; ~ coroune, the skull or head of a crow [as a charm]; croues nest, a crow's nest; (b) alch. croues bile, hed of the ~, the ashen or leaden color of the substance to which metals were reduced in the process of transmutation; (c) croues fet, the wrinkles (under the eyes); (d) croue(s fot, ~ fet, any of the various species of the genus Ranunculus (buttercup); (e) ~ garlek, ~ lek, crow garlic Allium vineale; wild hyacinth Hyacinthus; (f) ~ silver, some kind of manorial rent [?for keeping crows and rooks from the grain]; (g) ~ sope, soapwort Saponaria officinalis; lesse ~ sope, rock soapwort Saponaria ocymoides; also, acrid stonecrop Sedum acre.
Associated quotations
a
- c1330(?a1300) Arth.& M.(Auch)9174 : Heueden, fet & armes þer Lay strewed eueri wher..In crowes nest so doþe þe sticke.
- c1350 MPPsalter (Add 17376)146.10 : Our Lord..ȝeueþ to meres her mete & to crowebriddes [L pullis corvorum] clepand hym.
- (a1382) WBible(1) (Dc 369(1))Ps.146.9 : To briddis of crowes.
- a1400 NVPsalter (Vsp D.7)146.10 : To Crawebriddes.
- a1425 PPl.C (Lond-U V.88)16.162 : [Myȝte neuere pouerte..Tene þe eny tyme and þow..bere hit]..In þe corner of a cart-whel wiþ a crowe croune.
b
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)46b : Ther thou hast one token trew whiche furst in blacknes to the muste shewe; The hed of the crowe that token call we, And some men call it the crowes bill.
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)63b : The spottid panther with ye lyon grene, ye crowes bill blew as led; These shall apere afore ye whit gray & fals cytrine.
c
- a1425(c1385) Chaucer TC (Benson-Robinson)2.403 : So longe mote ye lyve..Til crowes feet be growen under youre ye.
d
- a1400 Alphita (SeldArch B.35)11 : Apium emoroidarum, pes corui idem..crowefet.
- a1400 Alphita (SeldArch B.35)141 : Pes corui uel pes coruinus..angl. crowfot.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)105 : Crowefote [Win: Crowysfote], herbe: Amarusca, vel amarusca emeroydarum, pes corvi.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)131/15 : Apium amoridarum..crowesfoot..growyȝt in medewys and in wattery grounde.
- a1500 Hrl.2378 Recipes (Hrl 2378)119/7 : For to make..gratia dei: Take bugle, pigle..crowfoot.
e
- c1225(OE) Wor.Aelfric Gloss.(Wor F.174)545 : Hermodactula tidolosa: crowelec.
- a1400 Mirfeld Sinonoma (Pmb-O 2)10 : Allium agreste i. crawegarlek.
- a1400 Mirfeld Sinonoma (Pmb-O 2)38 : Allium agreste..an. crowelek.
- ?a1425 Alphita (Sln 284)177 : Scordam i. alium agreste..anglice, wildelek uel crauwelek.
- a1500 Agnus Castus (LdMisc 553)202/17 : Saturion minor..crowlek or harebelle..haþ a blew flour y-shape os þei hit were a belle.
f
- (1298-1300) Cust.Rent in OSSLH 2107 fn. : Et de vij s. v d. de quodam certo redditu quod vocatur Crawesiluer per annum ad terminum S. Michaelis.
g
- a1325 MS Sln.420 in Hunt Plant Names (Sln 420)186 : [Nimphea Aquatica:] crousop.
- ?a1350 Sln.5 Herb.Gloss.in Hunt Plant Names (Sln 5)58 : [Burit:] gallice saponarie, anglice crousope.
- (?a1390) Daniel *Herbal (Add 27329)f.73vb : The leues ny round, mikil, & schap in leues [lik] to crosope.
- a1400 MS Add.15236 in Hunt Plant Names (Add 15236)58, 229 : [Burit:] saponarie, crauwesope; [Saponaria:] sovonere, crousope.
- a1400 Alphita (SeldArch B.35)23 : Borax uel..saponaria idem, angl. crowesoppe.
- c1465(?1373) *Lelamour Macer (Sln 5)21b : Crowesope þe lasse.
- ?a1450 Agnus Castus (Stockh 10.90)204/15-21 : Saponaria..crowsope..haȝt lewys lyke sawge..it haȝt a boystous flour, sumdel wad of colour, and it growith in wattry placys; and þer are twey specys. Saponaria minor..or lesse crowsope..haȝt a flour of purpyl colour..and it growyȝt in watyr.
- c1450 Trin-C.LEDict.(Trin-C O.5.4)576/12 : Crassula minor: Crawsope.
- a1500(?a1400) MS Sln.282 in Hunt Plant Names (Sln 282)69, 229 : [Carduus Fullonis:] savvenere, crousope ..; [Saponaria:] savener, crowsope, netebroun.
- a1500 MS Sln.3545 in Hunt Plant Names (Sln 3545)229 : [Saponaria:] anglice crowsope or brownewort.
- ?a1500 Henslow Recipes (Henslow)53/10 : Crousope..angus castus and ouþer herbys þat beþ sanatyf.
3.
In sayings and asseverations: as blak (swart) as ~; saien that whit is the ~; bite me the ~, may the carrion crow feed on my corpse!; haven a ~ to pullen, to have an unpleasant matter to settle.
Associated quotations
- c1325(c1300) Glo.Chron.A (Clg A.11)10049 : He vel of is palefrey & brec is fot..So suart so eni crowe amorwe is fot was.
- (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn.(Manly-Rickert)A.2692 : As blak he lay as any cole or crowe, So was the blood yronnen in his face.
- (c1422) Hoccl.Dial.(Dur-U Cosin V.3.9)810 : Al-though yee for your fo me deeme & trowe, But I your freend be, byte me the crowe!
- c1475(c1450) Idley Instr.(Cmb Ee.4.37)1.439 : Though he seie with the þat white is þe crowe..Yet resteth the olde malice in his bitter galle.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)18/311 : Na, na, abide, we haue a craw to pull..what! wenys thou to skape so?
4.
As a surname or an element in surnames.
Associated quotations
- (1188) in Pipe R.Soc.3864 : Nicholaus Crowe de Fresfeld.
- (1238) Close R.Hen.III120 : Thomas Crowe.
- (1256) Assize R.Nhb.in Sur.Soc.88125 : Gilb. Crawe.
- (1275) Hundred R.Tower 2286 : Joh. Crawenest.
- (1296) Pat.R.Edw.I194 : John Crawepolle.
- (1297) Pleas Edw.I in BRS 19191 : Robertum Crowebryd.
- (1320) Plea R.Edw.II in WSAS 1033 : Wm. Croucok.
- (1327) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10197 : Joh. Crouherd.
5.
A metal lever, a crowbar.
Associated quotations
- (1256) in Salzman Building in Engl.333 : Crawes.
- (1278-80) in 2nd.Rep.Records Irel. [OD col.]53 : In ferro..empto & pro crowys.
- (1343-4) in Hope Windsor C.122 : Quoddam instrumentum ferri vocatum Crowe.
- (1346) *Acc.Exch.K.R.470/17.m.2 [OD col.] : j beme pro balaunce, j Crouwe de ferro.
- (1360) Doc.Finchale in Sur.Soc.6p.lii : ij mallei ferrei, ij gavelocks, j crauw.
- (1362) Invent.Jarrow in Sur.Soc.2944 : ij parva hamerys..j crawe.
- (1425) in Salzman Building in Engl.331 : For the quarell ij grete hokkes of iren..ij gauelokes and j crawe of iren, vij wegges of iren.
- (1453) Invent.Norwich in Nrf.Archaeol.12218 : ij magna crowys de ferro hyspanie.
- a1500(c1386) St.Erk.(Hrl 2250)71 : Wyȝt werkemen..Putten prises þerto..Kaghtene by þe corners with crowes of yrne.
- ?a1500(?1458) Off alle Werkys (Inscr)p.42 : Than crafti men for the querry made crowes of yre.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Add crauwe- to the form section. (See quot. ?a1425 in sense 2.(e).)
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--notes per MLL