Middle English Dictionary Entry
cūriǒus adj.
Entry Info
| Forms | cūriǒus adj. Also corious, kyryous. |
| Etymology | ML & OF |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
Of persons: (a) careful, meticulous; fastidious; (b) skillful, ingenious, expert, learned; (c) solicitous, concerned (about sth.); zealous, eager (to do sth.), intent (upon); (d) inquisitive, curious; prying (as a busybody).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)73a/a : A good seruaunt is wijs and ware and curious to ȝeue acountis..of what he haþ I fonge.
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)145b/a : The Coluere..is nyseliche curious, for sittynge on a tree sche byholdeþ..alaboute toward what partye sche wil sitte.
- (?a1400) Wycl.Rule Life (LdMisc 174)205 : Take meete and dringe in mesure..and be not to corious þeraboute.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1109 : Þus is he kyryous and clene þat þou his cort askes; Hou schulde þou com to his kyth bot if þou clene were?
- (?a1439) Lydg.FP (Bod 263)7.904 : They wer nat besi be costful apparaille, Of sondry metis and..Off dyuers drynkes..To be corious to ther refecciouns.
b
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.577 : Maistres..That weren of lawe expert and curious.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.760 : In boke he schal be studious And in wrytinge curious.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.170 : I ne can Folwen Guydo, þat clerke, þat coryous man.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.491 : He made seke..For swiche werkemen as were corious, Of wyt inventyf, of castyng merveilous.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)1885 : Þe fre is so faire..So corius, so conyng, & of so clene nurtur.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)3921 : The ton was a triet knight..The tother..a corius clerke with a clene wit.
- c1540(?a1400) Destr.Troy (Htrn 388)11677 : No clerke is so corious to ken vs the nome.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)1006 : Þe curiousiste carpintier..Couthe not..cuntrefete þare workes.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)305/24 : Ther was som tyme in a cetie a passand curios barbur, and for euer-ilk man þat he shufe he tuke a peny.
- a1456(a1407) Scogan MB (Ashm 59)66 : My maistre Chaucier..Þat in his langage was so curyous.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)626/32 : Because he was a coryous harper men harde hym synge the same lay that sir Dynadan made.
c
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1433 : As be to euery wight buxom and meke, And for to kepe oure good be curious.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1524 : He wente forth his weie Alone..And in his thoght was curious To wite what was best to do.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)4.922 : I am evere curious..To knowe..What falleth unto loves craft.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.958 : Thou woldest noght be curious Upon the lust of thin astat To ben to sore delicat.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)2.4510 : Dares Frigius Was in his boke whilom corious, Þe forme of Troyens & Grekis to discryve.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)3.4816 : Priamvs..was inly corious..To ordeyne for þe sepulture Of his sonys.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)1052 : Besy and curyous For to dispreisen..That best deserven love and name.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)6578 : Although he be religious, And God to serven curious.
- a1450(c1400) Wor.Serm.(Wor F.10)55/155 : To vr' curius maker' & creatur & to vr gracius fader & sauyur.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)320 : Coryows Criste, to ȝou I calle.
- c1450(c1380) Chaucer HF (Benson-Robinson)29 : By dysordynaunce Of naturel acustumaunce..som man is to curious In studye.
- ?c1450 Knt.Tour-L.(Hrl 1764)144/16 : Eueri good woman..aught to be curious and diligent and wakinge in the seruice of God.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)646 : Forto louse it [an anchor]..He was besy and curyouse.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)259/30 : Thei be more curyouse for to haue goode horsez..thanne for to gete goode tecches or noble condycions.
- a1500(?a1400) Brut Descr.Edw.III (Hrl 753)333/19 : [Edward III was] plentevous in yevyng almesse, Besy & corious in bildyng.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)107/4 : And it fallys þat þou mede his werkys..þat he laste curious yn þy gouernaill.
d
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))1 Tim.5.13 : Ful of wordis and curiouse [L curiosæ], spekinge what thing it bihoueth not.
- a1425(c1340) Rolle Psalter (LdMisc 286)136.3 : Thei are curiouse & wold witt that thei are nouȝt worthi til.
- a1425(?a1400) Cloud (Hrl 674)2/23 : I wolde þat þei medel not þer-wiþ, neiþer þei ne any of þees corious lettred or lewed men.
- a1425(?a1400) PCounsel.(Hrl 674)158/16 : Þe sotyle & þe queynte ymaginaciouns..wretyn in book, be þei neuer..so feire to þe sotyle iȝe of þi corious witte.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)72a : Þou þat art curious of questiouns.
- (a1460) Bokenham Sts. (Adv Abbotsford B3)144.271 (v.2:p.430) : Oon of hem more corious thanne othere wente heuily into the kechyn to seen how they shulde faryn.
- a1475(a1447) Bokenham MAngl.(Hrl 4011)32/21 : Thes peeple..is wondur coryous & besy to knowyn and to tellyn tydyngis & noveltees.
- c1475(c1445) Pecock Donet (Bod 916)117/7 : He were to moche curiose and to moch ful of vanite.
2.
Of things: carefully, skillfully, artistically, or elaborately designed or made; artistic, exquisite, fine; costly, sumptuous.
Associated quotations
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.196 : He hadde of gold wroght a ful curious pyn.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.6816 : A Cave Withinne a roche..Which was real and glorious And of Entaile curious.
- c1400(c1378) PPl.B (LdMisc 581)19.282 : Shulde no curyous clothe comen on hys rugge.
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1353 : In þe clernes of his concubines & curious wedez..Al watz þe mynde of þat man [etc.].
- c1400(?c1390) Gawain (Nero A.10)855 : Couertorez ful curious with comlych panez.
- c1425(a1420) Lydg.TB (Aug A.4)prol.218 : Enlumyned with many corious flour Of rethorik.
- a1450(?c1430) Lydg.DM(1) (Hnt EL 26.A.13)672 : Of her tunge I haue no suffisaunce, Her corious metris In Inglissh to translate.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)383 : Our God..Made to Adam & Eue clothis..Of bestis skynnys, thei wer not corious.
- c1440(a1400) Awntyrs Arth.(Thrn)372 : Hir faxe in fyne perrye frette was..Hir courchefes were coryouse, with many prowde pyne.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)61 : Thare a citee he sette..That Caerlyon was callid, with curius walles.
- (1448) in Willis & C.Cambridge 1354 : Curiouse werkes of entaille and besy moldyng.
- ?c1450 St.Cuth.(Eg 3309)5121 : A crosse of curyouse warke.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)253/31 : To be desyerous of goode meetes for the body, and leue the coryous meetes that shulde refresshe the soulle.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)3924 : A cup of gold..So corouse & so nobill.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)173/145 : A tabyll..couerid with a coryous cloth.
- c1425 Wycl.Antichr.(2) (Dub 245)p.cxli : Crist had no proper place to rest on his hed; antecrist and hise han many coriouse & rich.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)133 : The mete was arraide with all the coriouse ordenaunce that myght be don.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)110/305 : What was that sang? It was wonder curiose, with small notys emang.
- a1550 *Ripley CAlch.(BodeMus 63)42b : Good lorde, here my prayer..Moste curiouse copher and copiouse of all treasure!
- c1600(?c1395) PPl.Creed (Trin-C R.3.15)765 : And comeren her stomakes wiþ curious drynkes.
3.
(a) Subtle, sophisticated; abstruse, recondite; (b) occult or magic (arts).
Associated quotations
a
- a1400 Rolle Encom.Jesu (Hrl 1022)188 : Þo name of Ihesu..dose away curious & vayn occupacions fra vs.
- c1400 *Chaucer Astr.(Brussels 4869)introd.75a : Curious enditynge & hard sentence is ful heuy..for swich a child to lerne.
- a1425 Wycl.Serm.(Bod 788)2.19 : Profit to þe soule of þe peple..is moost plesing to God, and curiouse preching of Latyn is ful fer fro þis ende.
- c1440(?c1350) Mirror St.Edm.(4) (Thrn)36/31 : For-þi do þay gret schame..till Ihesu..þat takes þam till wordis rynnand and curius, and leues þe prayere þat He vs kennede.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.1 : This subtile matere of boecius..So hye it is, so hard and curious.
- c1425(a1400) Wycl.Conf.(Dub 245)342 : Þis witt þat crist spekiþ of stondeþ not in..curiouse lawes, as matematik or lawes of kynde.
- a1500 Imit.Chr.(Dub 678)7/23 : We serche curiouse sentence, where it [Scripture] is to be passed ouer simply.
b
- (c1384) WBible(1) (Dc 369(2))Deeds 19.19 : Manye of hem that sueden curiouse thingis [L curiosa] brouȝten to gidere bookis and brennyden hem.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.69 : Girebertus..fliȝ into..Spayne forto lerne curious and sotil artes and sciens [L curiosas artes] þere.
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)7.421 : Giralde was..a wicche..for under his pelewe, whan he diede..was i-founde a book of curious craftes [L curiosarum artium].
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1120 : As yonge clerkes that been lykerous To reden artes that been curious..a book he say Of magyk naturel.
4.
Misc. uses: (a) splendid (display); (b) painstaking or absorbing (activity); (c) consummate (art).
Associated quotations
a
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.ML.(Manly-Rickert)B.402 : Naught trowe I the triumphe of Iulius..Was roialler ne moore curyus Than was thassemblee of this blisful oost.
b
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.Sh.(Manly-Rickert)B.1415 : Litel kanstow deuyne The curious bisynesse that we haue; For of us chapmen..Scarsly amonges twelue ten shul thryue.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Mch.(Manly-Rickert)E.1577 : Heigh fantasie and curious bisynesse..gan in the soule impresse Of Ianuarie, aboute his mariage.
c
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)1452 : Hoven upon þis auter watz aþel vessel, Þat wyth so curious a crafte corven watz wyly.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- c1475 Yale-BA.Artist.Recipes (Yale-BA R486.M43 1450) 88/6 : Who so canne wysly consyder þe nature of hys colouris and kyndly make hys commixtions with natural proporcions, and mental indagacions connectyng fro diuerse recepcions by reson of þer naturis, he schal make curius colouris.
Note: Clarke gloss = 'consummate'. Additional quot., prob. sense 4.(c); poss. sense 2. New spelling (curius).
- ?c1500 Hnt.HU.1051 Recipes in Crafte Lymmyng (Hnt HU 1051) 315/14 : To make curyus warke on glass wyndosse after þei be aneled. Take colors tempered with peynters oyll [etc.].
Note: Clarke gloss = 'splendid'. Additional quot., ?prob. sense 2..