(a) An ear of grain; a clove of garlic; also, a plant having spikes; (b) a valerianaceous plant, prob. Valeriana officinalis, used medicinally [cp. spikenard n.]; ?also, a plant of the genus……
A large iron nail; -- also coll.; ?also, the act of fastening with a spike [quot. 1431-2]; spiking nail; cok spiking, ?a nail resembling a cockspur; double (gret, gros, middel) spiking.
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(a) A piece of the elastic, absorbent, and porous spongin skeleton of various species of Porifera, a sponge; (b) the sponge as an instrument of the Passion, the sponge soaked with vinegar and gall……
(a) Silently, noiselessly, without a sound; without speaking; stille as ston; beren stille, refl. to bear oneself silently, keep still; (b) lien (setten, sitten, stonden) stille, to lie (sit, stand)……
(a) A long garment; a robe; -- also coll. [quot. a1398]; stoles of bataille, war garments, armor; first stole, the best robe; (b) fig. and in fig. contexts; (c) the robe of a Jewish priest or high……
(a) A road leading from one city or town to another, an open road; also, a path or way through a field, forest, etc.; heigh stret, a main road, highway [OE hēah-strǣt; see also ME heigh adj. 2b.(e)]……
(a) A loop or strap on a horse's harness; ?also, some kind of strap for a cart; (b) naut. a loop of rope, hide, or metal used to connect blocks and yards with the ropes in a ship's rigging, a strop……
Eccl. (a) A member of the lowest clerical order, ranking immediately below the diaconate, a subdeacon; (b) the set of vestments worn by a subdeacon; (c) = soudeken n. (b).
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For all words beginning with sw- from here to the end of this volume [of the print MED], the practice of the MED is to record all variant forms except those beginning with su-; forms with su- are……
(a) A small, portable writing tablet made from a slab of wood or other hard material, often covered with wax in which the characters are incised; pl. a set of tablets, usu. tied or hinged together, a……
(a) An ancient unit of weight of varying value, ranging from about 55 pounds to over 130 pounds; a talent weight of gold, silver, or brass; talent of led, a talent weight of lead used as a lid; as a……
(a) A piece of decorative fabric bearing a painted, embroidered, or woven pattern or figures and used variously as a carpet, coverlet, bed or wall hanging, or the like, a tapestry; also fig.; also in……
