Middle English Dictionary Entry
cūbit(e n.
Entry Info
| Forms | cūbit(e n. Also cobite, cupide, kebet, kibite. Pl. cūbite(s. |
| Etymology | OE cubit & L cubitum. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) A measure of length [orig., the distance from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger]; usu., eighteen inches; ?also, a pace; (b) with uninflected pl.; (c) commune ~, eighteen inches; ~ of geometrie, geometrical ~, nine feet; ~ lengthe, a cubit's distance; pas ~, ?a pace.
Associated quotations
a
- (c1375) Chaucer CT.Mk.(Manly-Rickert)B.3350 : This proude kyng leet make a statue of gold Sixty cubites [vr. Cubetes] long and seuene in brede.
- ?a1425(?c1350) NHom.(3) Pass.(RwlPoet 175)2384 : And langer þan þai fand þe tre By a cubit [vr. cubet] þan it suld be.
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Mat.6.27 : Who of ȝou thenkinge may putte to to his stature oo cubite?
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)332a/a : Oure grete..deled..þilke actus and perches in pace [L gradus], cubites [L cubitos], & feete spannes and hande bredes.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)315 : Þre hundred of cupydez þou holde to þe lengþe.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.6786 : And xii cubites þe body was of lengþe.
- a1425(a1382) WBible(1) (Corp-O 4)Gen.6.15 : The lengthe of the ark shal be of thre hundrid cubytis, the brede of fifti cubitis.
- a1425(a1400) PConsc.(Glb E.9 & Hrl 4196)7684 : And þat ilka myle fully contene A thowsand pases or cubites sene.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)3.127 : The syons schal be sette a cubit long.
- 1447 Bokenham Sts.(Arun 327)6264 : On þis wyse was hyre stondyng, From þe erth fully two cobytys space.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.15 Tokens (Hrl 2255)8 : The First day the se shal ryse..Fourty kybitys.
- a1450(c1410) Lovel.Merlin (Corp-C 80)13899 : The tayl a Kebyt and an half was long.
- a1450 Yk.Pl.(Add 35290)51/201 : Fyftene cobittis of highte itt hase.
- c1450(a1425) MOTest.(SeldSup 52)303 : Thre hunderth cubbettes loke yt be lang.
- ?a1475(?a1425) Higd.(2) (Hrl 2261)2.237 : The water..was above the hieste hilles by xv cubites.
- a1500(?a1390) Mirk Fest.(GoughETop 4)2/31 : The fyrst day, as Saynt Jerom sayth..þe watyr schall be hear then ayny hyll by xlti cubytys.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.233 : Þe schippe was þre hondred cubite [L trecentorum cubitorum] long and fifty cubite brood and þritty cubite high.
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)1830 : Twelue cubyte he was in lengþe.
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3338 : Seuyn cubet of clere gold was countid þe hiȝt.
c
- c1350 Rabe moyses (Rwl D.939)350 : Euery myle moste holde by strenkþe To thowsond pase cubites in lenkeþ.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)2.235 : But þe cubites were cubites of gemetrie. For þe comoun cubite þat me vseþ conteyneþ but a foot and an half..But a cubite of gemetrie [Higd.(2): a geometricalle cubite; L Cubitus..geometricus] conteyneþ sixe comoun cubites [L cubitos communes].
- c1450(?a1400) Wars Alex.(Ashm 44)3908 : Wild berys..comes, With ilka tenefull tothe..A cubete lenth.
2a.
The elbow.
Associated quotations
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)5b/b : Of dislocacioun of þe cubite i. elbowe.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)14a/b : And þai make þe iuncture of þe cubite, in which bigynneþ þe litel arme.
- ?a1425 *Chauliac(1) (NY 12)104a/a : Dislocacioun of þe cubit, after Auicen, som tyme is litel, somtyme is grete.
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)274 : Kybyte: Cubitus.
- (1451) Capgr.St.Gilb.(Add 36704)130/3 : Al þe myte of his rite arme was lost fro þe cubyte on-to þe hand.
- a1500(?c1425) Spec.Sacer.(Add 36791)187/35 : His hondes waxe drye fro the cubittes and cleuyd to the bere.
2b.
(a) A bone of the forearm; nether ~, ulna; over ~, radius; (b) ?upper arm; (c) some part of the arm.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)50a/b : Þe arme is I maad of twey boones, on aboue þat hatte þe ouer cubite [L cubitus superior] & þe oþir byneþe þat hatte þe neþir cubite [L cubitus inferior]; þe neþir bon is more þan þe oþer.
b
- ?c1425 *Chauliac(2) (Paris angl.25)16b/b : In þe firste partie [of the 'grete hand', i.e. the whole arm] þe whiche is cleped þe vlne or þe adiutorie i. þe cubite [L vlna siue adiutorium] is a bone ful of marye and rounde at eyþer ende.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)31a : A Cubet:..lacertus.
c
- a1425(c1395) WBible(2) (Roy 1.C.8)Jer.38.12 : Putte thou elde clothis, and these to-rent and rotun thingis, vndur the cubit [WB(1): arm; L cubito] of thin hondis, and on the cordis.
3.
?A surname.
Associated quotations
- (1287) Leet R.Norwich in Seld.Soc.516 : Henricus Cubyt.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- 1485(a1470) Malory Wks.(Caxton:Vinaver)1257/5 : He was waxen by a kybbet shorter than he was.
Note: New form: Also..kibbet.
Note: Postdates sense 1.(a).
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. Revised form section: Also cubet(e, cobit, kebit, kibit(e; pl. cubites, etc. & cubittes, cubbettes, cupides & cubite, cubet.--notes per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. cubit.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 2b.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. nether cubit.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc. (sense 2b.(a)), see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. over cubit.