One of the mutually responsible members of a tithing, etc. …

(a) A vessel for holding liquid; ?a brewing vat [2nd quot.]; (b) a liquid measure; sester ful; (c) a dry measure; (d) sester peni, an annual tax imposed upon commercial brewers of beer. …

(a) A footstool; also fig.; also, the raised section of the floor on which the altar stands, a footpace [2nd quot.]; shamel of fet, fot shamel [OE fōt-sceamol]; bok shamel, a bookstand; (b) a bench……

(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……

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……