GLOSSARY

Of obsolete words, or words used in an obsolete sense

 

Abearing

Behaviour

Abrenounce

To renounce or repudiate

Abroach

To set abroach = to start something one cannot or will not stop

Acception

Acceptance

Accombred

Burdened

Accompt

Account

Accustomably

Normally

Acoluthes

Acolytes

Addict

Bound by oath or obligation

Adjure

To bind under penalty of an oath

Admiration

Astonishment

Advertise

To warn or advise

Advertisement

Formal notification or warning

Advocation

Praying to the saints

Advouterer

Adulterer

Advoutry

Adultery

Advowson

The right of appointment to a benefice

Affection

A disposition or emotional attitude towards something

Affiance

Trust

Affray

To frighten

After-clap

A blow struck unexpectedly at an opponent who had thought the fight was over.

Againstond, againstand

Withstand, defeat

Agnize

To acknowledge

Ale-stake

An alehouse sign

Allegation

Argument

Allege

To cite in argument

Alligation

Attachment

Almany

Germany

Almose

Alms

Almous

Of or relating to almsgiving or charity

Ambage

Roundabout or deceitfully ambiguous speech; legal technicalities

Ambassade

Ambassadorship

Amerce

To fine or tax heavily

Amice

A shawl of white linen, part of a priest's vestments

Amplect

To embrace

Ampliated

Enlarged or extended

Anences

Relating to; as anences = as regards

Annat

The income of a diocese or benefice for the first year of a new appointee's tenure, which was given to the Pope.

Annoiling

Anointing with sacred oil

Antelation

A right of preference or precedence

Apertly

Openly

Apostoil

The pope

Apostule

A marginal comment or footnote

Appair

To damage or weaken

Appellatores

One who makes a false accusation for a reward

Applausion

Applause, mass shouting or cheering

Appliable to their beck

Ready to obey them

Appone

To make use of

Appose

To interrogate or question in court

Arectet

Raised up

Arrear

To gather and prepare an army

Articulate

Said, mentioned

Ascited

Summoned

Assay

Formally tasting food before giving it to a king or other important person

Assize

To impose or assess a tax; or, to set the price of a staple foodstuff etc.

Assoil

To pardon, absolve

Assuage

To reduce

Astonied

Astonished

Astonyings

Astonishment, confusion

Attainder

Forfeiture of all property rights, which was a penalty for treason or felony;

Attemperate

To adapt

Auditory

Audience

Austin

St. Augustine of Hippo

Auter

Altar

Avoid

1. To depart
2. To discharge or excrete

Avouch

To declare publicly

Avowe

Vow

Awmbry

A storehouse

Ayens

Against

Baily

Bailiff, steward

Ballets

Ballads

Band

Agreement, contract

Ban-dog

A big savage dog

Basin

A cymbal

Bassa

A Turkish general or pasha

Bate

Debate, strife

Battledore

A flat wooden club used to beat cloth when washing it

Beadman, Beadsman

A person employed or appointed to pray for others

Bead-roll

A long list of names

Bearing sheet

A winding-sheet or shroud in which a corpse is wrapped for burial

Bearward

A keeper or trainer of performing bears

Beck

Call

Bedlamite

A madman

Beetle

A mallet

Beetle-brow

A person with shaggy eyebrows, a low sullen scoundrel

Beguily

In wily beguily = trying to be clever but only succeeding in deceiving oneself; being "too clever by half"

Behanged

Decorated with hanging tapestries etc.

Behewed

Hacked with an axe

Behight

Gave, given

Belly-cheer

Gluttony

Bel-wether

The best sheep in a flock

Bene, ben

Are

Benemen, Benomin

Deprive, take away from

Bestead

Beset

Beth

Are, is

Bewray

To betray

Bill

A weapon resembling a pike, with a spear blade, and a hook sharpened on the inside of the curve.

Birth-poison

Original sin; in Christian theology an inherent inclination to sinfulness which is part of human nature

Bite-sheep

A bishop who ill-treats his flock

Blaze

To proclaim or declare

Blemished

Disconcerted

Bliue

Believe

Bobbed

Beaten

Bolt

To sift

Bonchief

Good fortune, benefit

Bonhomme

One of an order or begging friars

Borsholder

A parish constable

Bosom sermon

A sermon learned by heart and recited

Bounce

To thump

Brabbling

Quarrelling,

Brable

To quarrel loudly

Brary

One who brays or talks nonsense

Brast

Burst

Brenn

Burn

Brennen

Burn

Brent

Burnt

Bribe

To steal

Brickle

Fragile, brittle

Brim

Brightly shining

Bristow

Bristol

Bruit

A noise or rumour. Bruited abroad = rumoured

Brunt

A blow

Buckler

A shield

Buckling

Struggling with

Bug

A ghost, monster or other terrifying thing

Bulk

A beam, baulk of timber

Bushment

An ambush

Buskle

To work busily, bustle about

Butt

An archery range; a target

Buxom

Obedient

Buxumnesse

Obedience

By-cavillation

Legal quibbling or trickery

Byelden

Build

Byhoten

Promised

Byneme, Bynome

Deprive, take away from

Caitiff

A miserable person

Camping cure

A benefice which involves serving God by warfare

Canicular

In canicular days: dog-days, early August

Canivise

Apparently a nonce-word invented by Foxe; presumably "To make into a dog"

Canning

Ability

Canning

Memorizing

Canvassed

Beaten, knocked about, defeated

Capernaitical

Believing in the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation; Capernaites = those who believe it

Capper

A cap-maker

Carle

A low churl or villain

Casule

A chasuble

Catchpole

Contemptuous word for a debt- or tax-collector

Cater-cousin

A very close friend

Caterpillar

A robber or extortionist

Cautel

A quibble or reservation

Cavillations

Legal quibbles or trickery

Cecity

Blindness, poor eyesight

Celsitude

High rank, majesty; your celsitude = your highness

Cense

To bless with incense

Certes

Certainly

Chafe

A fit of temper; fury

Chaffare

Merchandise

Chambering

Sexual sin, lewdness

Channel

Gutter

Chantry-masses

Masses performed daily or at set intervals as one of the conditions of a legacy or endowment

Chap-men

Merchants

Chaps

Fissures

Chargeous

Dependent upon

Chart

A charter or official decree.
Blank chart = a blank royal decree to be filled in with the names etc. of those it will refer to

Cheeping

Flattering words

Cheer

Facial expression

Chequer

In chequer matters: Lawsuits relating to the collection of royal revenue

Chesille

A chasuble

Chimer, chimere

A loose gown with red sleeves, worn by a bishop

Chisil

A chasuble

Chrismatory

A sacred anointing

Chrisoms

Chrism, a holy oil used for anointing

Cipher in Agrime

The zero in the Arabic numerals

Circumscriptible

Capable of being measured; subject to limits of size or space

Civilian

A lawyer specialising in civil law.

Clamper

To botch together

Clanculary

Secret

Clennere

To clean, absolve

Clepe

Call

Cloisterer

A monk or nun who stays in a monastery or convent; opposed to a friar, who wanders around begging.

Closter

An enclosure

Clout

N) A cloth or wrapping
V) To wrap up

Coact

To coerce

Coactive

Coercive

Coadjutor

An assistant

Coast

To attack

Coat card

A court or picture card in a pack of playing cards

Cock in the hoop

To set cock in the hoop = to act boastfully or presumptuously

Cockle

A weed of corn fields (Lychnis githago)

Cog

To foist or publish a forged document

Coll

To embrace, cuddle

Collar

To wrestle

Collateral

Of equal rank; one of the joint holders of an office

Collation

1) Appointment of a clergyman to a benefice
2) A commentary on scripture
3) Comparison

Collect

A prayer said before the Epistle reading in the Mass

Colleginer

A fellow of a college

Collyrium

Eye-salve

Comfortable

Comforting

Commencement

A conference

Commendations

Prayers for the dead

Comminatory

1) Threatening punishment or revenge
2) A sealed-off place, a cloister

Commissary

The appointed deputy of a bishop

Commixion

Mingling, mixing together; in the Mass, the act of putting a small part of the host into the wine.

Commodity

Advantage

Commonly

A public meeting

Commorant

Officially resident

Communed

Discussed

Companied

Associated with

Compline

A church service held in the evening

Compter

A lock-up

Con

To study

Con-captives

Fellow-prisoners

Concion

A public speech

Concomitation

Consubstantiation, i.e. the co-existence of bread and wine, and the body and blood of Christ, in the Eucharist

Concupiscence

Overpowering desire (not necessarily sexual)

Concupiscentious

Lustful, unchaste

Confer

To compare

Confute

To prove wrong

Congrue, Congruent

Appropriate, suitable

Conject

To conjecture or suppose

Conjunction adversative

A phrase (beginning with e.g. but or however) qualifying or contradicting the one before

Conning

Wisdom

Consistory

A court presided over by a bishop, for trying religious or ecclesiastical cases

Conspurcate

Filthy, defiled

Constitute proctors

To appoint lawyers to represent oneself in court

Contemn

To despise

Contentation

Contentment, satisfaction

Continue

Contents

Control

To contradict or object to some statement

Contumacy

Contemptuous refusal to obey

Contumelious

Degrading or insulting

Contumely, Contumelies

Insults

Convent

(V) To summon before a court

Conventicle

A clandestine or illegal religious meeting

Cope

1) A long silken cloak worn as an ecclesiastical vestment
2) A senior churchman, such as might wear one.

Copulative

Forming a connected whole

Cormorant

A greedy or rapacious person

Cornleader

A carter of grain

Corporace, corporas

A cloth laid on the altar on which the chalice and paten are placed

Corporal

N) A cloth on which consecrated hosts are laid or which is used to wrap them
A) --
1) of the body, physical; Corporally = physically.
2) in Corporal oath, one taken while holding a physical object, such as a Bible, relic, or consecrated host.

Coste

Breast

Couetice

Covetousness

Courser

A war-horse

Courtesan

A member of the Papal Curia

Cousin-germain

A first cousin

Cousin-german

A first cousin

Covetise

Covetousness

Cowcher

A very large book, which can only be read on a table or lectern

Craker

A blowhard or boaster

Cramp-ring

A ring blessed by the King on Good Friday, believed to be a protection against cramps, fits etc.

Criminous

Criminal; relating to crime

Croised

Marked with a cross; having take the cross as a crusader

Croisy

To bestow the cross upon someone, i.e. to declare him a crusader

Croysies

Crusaders

Crudelity

Cruelty

Cullen

Cologne, in Germany

Cumber

Burden

Customable

Customary or habitual

Dag

A pistol

Damnified

Damaged or injured

Damp

A state of stupefaction

Dastard

A coward

Decretal

Originally, a letter written by a Pope in response to a query; later, any papal decree or document

Deduce

1) To declare or describe
2) To bring

Deface

To abash

Defension

The formal public defence of his dissertation by a candidate for a university degree

Dehort

To advise or exhort against something

Deject

To throw down. Deject oneself = humble oneself

Delated

Denounced to the authorities, informed against

Deme, Demen

Judge

Demi-lance

A short-shafted lance

Demurrer

In law, a plea that the facts alleged do not amount to a tort or crime; loosely, any legal objection

Denizen

A naturalized citizen

Depeach

To despatch a messenger

Detour

Debtor

Detour

Debtor

Deturbate

To cast down or thrust out

Deyeden

Died

Dial

A watch

Dignation

The act of a superior honouring or recognizing an inferior

Dimissory

A letter from a bishop recommending someone as fit for ordination or ecclesiastical office

Ding

To strike, beat

Dirige

The matins of the Service for the dead, beginning Dirige, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam.

Dirt-dauber

A plasterer esp. one who uses mud to make wattle-and-daub walls

Disceptation

Debate

Disgarnish

To deprive of

Dishonest

To defile

Disme

A 10% tax or charge

Disparkle, disperkle

To scatter or disperse

Dispensator

One who dispenses or distributes goods

Disperkle

To scatter, disperse

Disple

To punish

Disseize

To dispossess

Dissever

To separate

Dissimule

To deceive by hiding one's true feelings or intentions

Distain

Dishonour

Distinction

A division or section of a book or document

Divers

Many, several

Doctress

A woman scholar

Dome

Judgement

Domesmen

Judges

Donates

An honorary or temporary member of a religious order

Donative

A benefice which can be bestowed by the founder or patron without reference to the bishop or abbot.

Dotipole

A dotty-headed person

Dought

Strongly

Draft

Spent brewing grains used as animal feed

Draught

A privy (US: bathroom)

Dromedary

An incompetent thief

Drumflade

A kind of trumpet

Dry-fats

A large basket or barrel for holding dry goods

Dubitation

Doubt

Dump

A state of bewilderment; In his dumps = reduced to silence

Ear

To plough

Earlich

Early

Eftsoons

Soon afterwards, immediately

Eghenen

Eyes

Embassage

A diplomatic mission

Emblemish

To damage or disfigure

Embull

To seal

Emmet

An ant

Empery

Government or dominion

Endue

To grant or bestow something; to be endued with = to have

Enduing

Endowing

Enervate

To destroy

Enfeoff

To assign a fief of property or office to someone

Engrieve

To say that something is grievous

Enmious

Hostile

Ensample

Example

Ensue

To follow

Ententive

Assiduous in learning

Entitle

To write down a properly edited version of something

Environ

To surround

Epicure

An atheist

Esay

The prophet Isiah

Escheat

Riches obtained by plunder

Eschew

Renounce, reject

Escript

A written decree or writ

Espie

Spy

Ethnics

Pagans

Evacuate

To nullify

Evangely, Evangelies

The Gospels

Even

The day before a feast day

Even-christened

Fellow-Christians

Everichone

Each one

Examinate

A person under examination, either as witness or accused

Excerp

Summarize

Excheat

Confiscation of property, or encroachment on the privileges of another

Excoriate

To flay

Exeden

Asked

Exhibition

A pension or allowance of money

Exonerate

To remove an office or responsibility from someone

Exorable

Capable of being moved by pity or prayer

Experiment

To examine or test

Expugn

To conquer or overcome

Extravagant

A papal decree not included in the standard list

Face

A façade or sham

Fact

Deed

Faggot

A bundle of firewood

Faled

Broken or destroyed

Fane

A shrine

Fardel

A bundle or parcel

Farmary

An infirmary

Farmer

A bailiff

Fatigation

Weariness, long drawn-out effort

Fatue

A taboo word in Biblical times; "Whosoever shall say, Fatue, shall be in danger of hell fire." (Matt. 5. 23)

Fautor

A patron, supporter or abettor

Fedity

Filthiness

Feile

Many

Feoffer

In feoffer's hold: Literally, held as a feudal possession; metaphorically, as here, borrowed from someone else

Feoffment

Under the feudal system, the action of assigning lands to someone; or, the legal right to the lands so assigned

Ferial

A weekday

Fet

Fetched

Fetch

(V) To steal by fraud or cunning
(N) Such an act of theft or dishonest trick

Figurate

To symbolize

Fire-house

A house in which a fire is regularly lit (i.e. a dwelling-house)

Flagitious

Very wicked

Fleen

Fled from

Fleer

To sneer or mock

Flewet

A blow

Floten

Flown

Flung

Rushed

Foil

A defeat

Foins

Trimmings of marten fur

Fond

(A) Foolish
(V) To speak foolishly

Fore-elder

An ancestor

Foreface

Preface

Forefact

A criminal accusation

Forefend

To prevent

Foreshield

To prevent, avert

Foreslack

To neglect

Forfend

To prevent

Form

A bench

Forward

A contract or agreement

Founder

A maker of moulded metal objects

Foundment

Basis, foundation

Frail

A basket

Frater wall

The wall of the refectory in a monastery

Fraught

Filled with; (of a ship) fully laden.

Fray

To frighten

Fray-bug

An imaginary object of fear, bogey-man, etc.

Frele

Frail

Fretted

1) Worn, rubbed
2) Inlaid with precious metal or stones

Frisk

A dance step or caper

Frowes

A dress in Dutch or German style

Fulleden

Baptised

Fullen

To baptise

Fuller

A person whose occupation is the cleaning and preparation of newly-woven cloth

Fumish

Angry, irascible

Furniture

Equipment

Fustian

A coarse cloth of cotton and linen mixed

Fustigation

Flogging

Gage

(V) To pledge
(N)An object given as a pledge

Gainstand

To oppose

Gang-Monday

The Monday before Ascension Thursday (which is forty days after Easter)

Gape

To gag at or be unable to swallow

Gar

To make something happen

Garboil

Commotion, disturbance

Gardeviance

A treasure chest, or collection of valuables

Garner

A granary

Gat

Got

Gaud

A worthless trinket

Gaude

A public performance or display 

Gazingstock

Something people stare at

Gear

A whim or fit of passion

Ghostly

Spiritual, spiritually

Ghostly

Spititual

Gif

If

Gile

Guile, dishonesty

Gilten

To offend against

Gin

A mechanism

Glave

A weapon consisting of a short, broad blade fixed to a long handle

Glaverer

A flattering deceiver

Glavering

Flattering, deceiving

Gleer

To smear with paint

Gleve

The winning-post of a race

Glose, Gloze

To explain, or more often distort, the meaning of a text

Glossary

A commentary or explanation

Gloss-writer

A writer of commentaries, or a spin-doctor

Gossopry

The relationship of God-parent and God-child

Graffed

Set firmly, grafted

Gra-mercies

Thank you very much

Grope

To find out someone's business or secrets by cunning

Groundsel

A door-sill or threshold

Hale

To drag away

Hanaper

An office of the court of chancery, which collected fees for sealing and registration of documents

Handfast

A firm grasp

Hand-fast

To hold tightly

Hanger

A short sword hung from the belt

Harness

Armour

Hearse

A wooden framework carrying a large number of candles, hangings etc., borne over a coffin.

Hem

Them

Her

Their

Heren

Theirs

Hery

To worship

Hest

Commandment

Hight

Was named

Hobby

A kind of falcon (Falco subbuteo)

Holden

Held

Holocaust

A sacrifice where the entire animal is burnt (not just the inedible bits, as was more usual)

Holp, Holpen

Helped

Holydeme

Holiness

Homely

Friendly, familiar, over-familiar

Honest

To confer honour on something

Hoorehouse

A Brothel

Horen

Whores

Horsed up

Pulled up on a man's back or a frame, to be whipped

Hosen

Stockings

Hostelar

The landlady of an inn

Housel

(N) The eucharist;

(V) To administer the eucharist

Hudder-mudder

Secret, secrecy

Huddipeak

A blockhead

Hutching

Literally: crouching or bowing low. Figuratively: with abject humility

Hylden

Hold

Hyperbolismum

An instance of dishonest exaggeration

Hypotyposis

A vivid description of a scene

Ich

I

Ides

The thirteenth or fifteenth day of the month

Ignavy

Negligence or laziness

Illude

To jeer or mock

Imbecility

Helplessness

Imbrued

Stained with blood

Imitation

Adoption as a heir

Immission

Insertion

Imp

A child

Importable

Unbearable

Imposthume

An abscess

Impotent

Enfeebled

Impropriate

Assigned

Inabilitation

Unfitness, disqualification

Incensive

Full of anger

Incommodity

Disadvantage

Incontinency

Lechery

Incontinent, Incontinently

Immediately

Indent

To make a formal promise or contract

Indiction

A period of fifteen years

Indifferency

Impartiality

Indurate

Hardened, stubborn or callous

Induration

Hardening

Inedge

To slip in edgeways

Infame

To make infamous

Infect

Imperfect

Infeoff

To assign a fief of property or office to someone

Infer

To state or bring forward as an argument

Infestine

Troublesome, annoying

Inspiral

Giving life to

Instant

Insistent

Instantly

Insistently

Interdictment

An interdict, i.e. a punishment laid by the church on a town etc., prohibiting any church service from being held there

Intermit

To interrupt

Interrogatory

A question formally put to a witness.

Interturb

To disturb or interrupt

Intestine

Internal

Invade

To attack

Invitory

A prayer or verse of the Bible recited at the beginning of a church service

Inwrap

Involve

Isay

The prophet Isiah

Jack

A jacket with metal plates or chain-mail sewn to it

Jakes

A privy (U.S: bathroom)

Jangler

A story-teller

Javel

A low scoundrel

Jouresse

Duress, punishment

Jurate

A lay magistrate or alderman, A sworn witness

Kalends

The first day of the month

Kele

To satisfy hunger or thirst

Key-clog

A piece of wood tied to a key

Knack

A small or trifling article

Knapskal

A kind of helmet

Ladypsalter

The rosary, usually the full 15 decades

Landloper

A renegade or fugitive

Lanthorn

A lantern

Lapped

Wrapped, clothed

Latten

Brass or bronze

Laud

Praise

Lavatories

Ceremonial washings which were part of a royal levée

Laystall

A cesspit

Lean

Lend

Leasing

Lying

Lection

A reading

Leefen

Believe

Leefull

Lawful

Leese

To surrender or be deprived of

Leet

A court held by the lord of a manor to try minor offences and disputes between tenants

Leeue

A leeue Lord = O Lord in whom we believe

Lefull

Lawful

Legantine

Of or relating to a Papal legate

Legerdemain

Trickery

Leman

A lover

Leper

Leaper

Lesew, Lessewe

Pasture

Lesing

(A) False (V) Lying

Lesser Britain

Brittany

Let

To hinder or prevent (also past tense and noun)

Letter reverential

A letter from a bishop recommending someone as fit for ordination or ecclesiastical office

Leven

Faith or confidence

Lewd

Ignorant or futile

Libard

A leopard

Libel

A document or certificate

Lictor

In Roman times, an official who attended a magistrate and carried out his orders to arrest, flog, execute etc. malefactors

Lie for the whetstone

To tell outrageous lies

Lieger

The holder of a feudal lordship or office

Lieutenant-criminal

A chief of police

Lifelot

Livelihood

Lig

Lie

Like

Likely

Limbus

Limbo, in Catholic theology a state without either the torments of Hell or the bliss of Heaven, occupied by the souls of unbaptized children

Limiting

Begging

Limitour

A begging friar

List

1. A strip of cloth
2. To want to do

Little Britain

Brittany

Little Ease

A prison cell too small to sit, stand or lie down in.  Confinement in one was a form of torture.

Livelode

Livelihood

Lock

A handful of hay or straw; by extension a quantity of anything (OED); in modern Irish slang, a large quantity; which seems to be closer to the meaning here.

Losel

A low scoundrel

Lotion

Ritual washing

Low Sunday

The Sunday after Easter

Lucrified

Gained, profited

Lust

Powerful desire – not necessarily sexual

Lying for the whetstone

Telling outrageous lies

Macerate

To mash or chop up

Mainprise, Mainprize

1) A surety or guarantor
2) The act of bailing a prisoner

Make-bait

A trouble-maker

Makebate

A lie designed to stir up trouble for someone

Malapert

Insolent

Mall

A heavy hammer

Mammering

A state of doubt or perpelexity

Manchet

Fine white bread

Manducation

Nourishment; usually spiritual, via the Eucharist

Maniple

1) A troop of soldiers
2) A strip of cloth worn hanging from the cuff

Manqueller

A murderer

Mansuetude

Gentleness

Maozim, Mauzzim

Hebrew name of a false god mentioned in Dan. xi 38.

Maritage

A tax paid by a vassal to his lord on the marriage of his (i.e. the vassal's) daughter

Mark

Silver, or unspecified: Thirteen shillings and fourpence in money
Gold: Eight ounces

Market-stead

Market-place

Marmoset

A grotesque painting or statue

Masses-trecenaries

Series of three hundred masses

Maugre

Despite

Maumet, Mawmet

An idol

Maundement

Commandment

Maundy

The Last Supper

Mawmetry, Maumetry

Idolatry

Maze

Confusion

Mecock

An effeminate weakling

Meed

Any valuable item or reward

Meet

Suitable

Meiny

Household

Mentz

Mainz

Merce

To fine

Mercement

A fine or imposition

Mercery-ware

Fine cotton, velvet or silk goods; the stock-in-trade of a mercer

Mere

Pure, complete or unmixed

Merilich

Merrily

Mete

Mete done = should do

Mickle

Great

Millian

Milan, in Italy

Minish

To diminish

Ministratoriously

In the capacity of an administrator.

Misallege

To distort the meaning of something in support of an argument

Miser

A wretch

Misprision

Under an Act of Parliament of 1534, misprision was the crime of refusing to swear an oath acknowledging the King as head of the church

Mo

More

Monish

To admonish or warn

Monition

Instruction, warning

Monitory

Containing a warning or admonishment

Morrow-mass

A Mass said first thing in the morning

Mote

1) May
2) Must

Mowe, Mow

May

Mulet

A young mule

Mumpsimus

A long-established but false belief, an old but mistaken custom (opposed to sumpsimus)

Muniment

A document proving ownership or entitlement to something

Munition

A fortification

Murrey

A purplish-red colour

Mychel

Great

Namely

Especially

Nard

An aromatic oil extracted from the spikenard plant (Nardostachys grandiflora)

Nasturcium

Watercress (the flower now called nasturtium was not known in England in Foxe's time)

Naught

Wicked

Naverne

Navarre

Ne

No, not, nor, neither

Neatherd

A cow-herd

Nele

Will not

Neme

To take

Nene

Destruction

Nice

A) Silly.
B) Council of Nice = Council of Nicæa (525 A.D)

Nip

Nipped a great number so near = squeezed many people so painfully

Nocive

Harmful

Nole

Will not

Nones

The 7th of March, May, July, or October; the 5th of any other month.

Note

A mark or characteristic

Nother

Neither

Nousle

To train or educate

Noyous

Annoying, troublesome

Nursled

Nourished, brought up

Oblation

Literally, an offering, which can signify:
1) An animal offered for sacrifice; the sacrifice itself
2) Money given to the church
3) One of two parts of the Mass; either the Offertory, or the presentation of the consecrated bread and wine with the words "Behold the Lamb of God, etc"

Oblocutor

One who contradicts or abuses someone

Obsignation

Formal sealing or approval of a contract or other such document

Obtestation

Calling on God to witness that what you say is true

Obtrectation

Abuse, calumny

Occurrent

Happening

Offendicle

Something which leads or causes a person to commit sin

Offension

Injury or damage

Onerate

To lay an obligation on someone

Onychinus

Onyx

Opprobry

1) Infamy, shame
2) Insults

Oppugn

To fight against

Ordinal

A book of rules and regulations

Ordinary

The ecclesiastical chief of an area i.e. the Parish priest in a parish, the bishop in a diocese, etc.

Ornature

Personal adornment, fine clothing, jewellery etc.

Ostent

A wondrous event or miracle

Ouch

A gold or jewelled brooch or buckle

Outlandish

Foreign

Out-scape

A way of escape

Overthwart

Crosswise, either literally or figuratively

Oyster-board

A table or stall for selling oysters – used contemptuously for a communion table because it was the same shape

Pack

A scoundrel

Paction

An alliance

Page

A canton of Switzerland

Painful

Painstaking

Pair

To impair or harm

Palfrey

A small horse

Pall

A kind of scarf or stole worn by a bishop; used figuratively to mean the office of bishop.

Palsgrave

A Count Palatine, i.e. a ruler who has been granted full powers in his fief by the Holy Roman Emperor

Panim

A pagan or other non-Christian

Pantofle

Expensive, highly decorated slippers; Stood upon their pantofles = Stood on their dignity

Paralipomena

Alternative name for the two books of Chronicles, in the Bible (in some editions, called the third & fourth books of Kings)

Parcel

A part

Parochian

A parish priest

Partlet

An article of clothing worn about the neck or upper chest; a bib or dickey.

Paschal

Passover feast

Pash

To smash

Pasquil

A satire or lampoon

Patch

a) A fool

b) A botch, shoddy work, distortion

Patin, patine, paten

A dish on which the communion bread is placed

Pattens

Wooden overshoes

Paunch

To cut open the belly

Paynim

A pagan or Muslim

Pelf

1)Worthless baubles
2) Contemptuous word for money, regarded as the source of all evil.

Pelt

To address with insults or reproaches

Penitentiary

1) A penitent
2) A priest specially appointed to hear confessions of reserved sins (ones which cannot be absolved by ordinary priests)

Penner

A case for holding writing pens

Percase

Perhaps

Perdurable

Long-lasting

Peregrine

A pilgrim

Perfitlich

Perfectly

Perk

To behave presumptuously

Permixt

Unified

Perpend

To consider

Person

A parson

Phylacteries

Hypocritical displays of virtue

Pictavia

Poitou, in France

Pike

A toll barrier

Pilch

A coat made of animal skins or coarsely tanned leather

Pill

To rob, pillage

Pilled

Tonsured i.e. having the top of the head shaved

Pinbank

The rack or similar instrument of torture

Pin-fold

A pound for stray animals

Pix

A small box in which consecrated hosts are carried about.

Plackard

An official document or proclamation

Plaice-mouth

A pursing of the lips

Plat

A plough

Plenar

Complete

Plete

To argue one's case

Plumbat

A lead ball on a cord

Plumps

A compact group of people

Point-maker

A maker of laces for fastening clothes

Points

Laces for fastening clothes

Poising

Weighing

Poll

To extort money from

Polling

Shaving the top of the head

Pontifical, Pontificalibus

The robes of a bishop or cardinal

Popple

The corn-cockle (Lychnis githago), a weed of wheat fields

Porket

A pig

Port

Appearance

Porthose

To canonize as a saint

Portues

A breviary or book of liturgy

Portuous

(Of a saint) Included in the standard breviary or calendar

Position

A question or proposal

Post

A post-rider i.e. a man who carried letters from one post station to the next

Postcommon

The postcommunion, a prayer of thanksgiving said near the end of the mass, after the communion

Postil

A note or comment on a document

Potestate

A ruler, potentate

Pounced

Of a metal object, decorated by embossing or engraving

Præmunire

The crime in English law of appealing to, or acknowledging, a power outside England (usually the Papacy) in defiance of the monarch.

Pravity

Wickedness

Prebend

The revenue of a specific plot of land belonging to an ecclesiastical foundation; a prebendary was the priest to which a prebend was allocated or prebendated

Prefe

Proof

Pregnancy

Fullness

Premonish

To speak of beforehand, to warn

Prepense

Inclined towards

Prescript

A written command

Prest money

Money given to a recruit on enlistment; "the King's shilling"

Presul

A prelate or bishop

Pretensed

Pretended, falsely claimed

Pretermit

To leave out, omit

Preue, preve

Proof

Prick

To shoot an arrow

Prick-song

Vocal music in more than one part or with an accompaniment

Primer and accidence

The elements of reading and writing

Priuilich

Privately

Privation

Deprivation, removal from office

Privily

Secretly

Privy

1) Secret
2) made privy of/unto something = told about it in confidence
3) privy chamber = private quarters
4) privy council = a committee of notables appointed by the King to advise him.
5) Lord privy seal = An officer of state whose formal duty is to keep and apply the King's seal to documents; he is usually a member of the cabinet or privy council

Probably

Plausibly, convincingly

Probation

Conclusive argument, proof

Problem

To keep a problem = to discuss an academic proposition

Proclive

Inclined towards

Prodition

Treachery

Proem

A prologue or introduction

Profect

Profit

Professor

One who proclaims his faith in the true religion

Prolation

A phrase or sentence spoken continuously, without a pause

Prolix

Long-winded

Proll

To prowl or rob

Prolocutor

1) a spokesman
2) The chairman of a parliament or congress

Promoter

An informer or unofficial prosecutor

Prompt

Prompt with = armed with, and very ready to use

Proper

Special, particular

Propone

To propose

Proprietary

The holder of an ecclesiastical benefice

Prorogations

Postponements

Prorogue

To postpone

Proscript

Proscribed

Prosopopœia

An orator's trick of speaking as if in the voice or person of someone else

Protonotary

A senior papal clerk or envoy

Prototypon

The first or original version of a document etc.

Prove

To test

Provisor

A person holding the right to be appointed to an office or benefice when it becomes vacant

Provoke

To invite

Psalmograph

Writer of Psalms; a title of King David of Israel and Judah

Puissance

Power

Puissant

Powerful

Pung

To peck

Pursue

To persecute

Pursuivant

A messenger or agent

Quadrant-place

A quadrangle or courtyard

Quail

To quell, suppress

Quarrel

A cross-bow arrow

Querell

To dispute or demur

Quest

A court or commission of enquiry

Questionary

At the University of Cambridge, an undergraduate in his final term

Questmen

Members of a commission of enquiry

Quick

Alive, living

Quier

A book

Quindecim

A fifteenth part

Quire

1) A choir
2) A book or document

Quondam

Former, formerly

Rabbin

A Jewish Rabbi; used contemptuously to refer to other religious leaders

Raca

An offensive word in Biblical times; "Whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council:" (Matt. 5. 22)

Ranging-wise

At random

Rap

To plunder or destroy

Rase

A measure

Rashful

Rash

Rate

To scold, abuse verbally

Ratle

To scold, abuse

Readie

Quick-witted and eloquent

Reave

To rob

Receitor

A harbourer of criminals

Recluse

A prison cell

Recordative

Commemorative

Recule

To retreat

Recure

To restore to health

Recusation

An appeal based on the alleged partiality of a judge

Recuse

To reject someone's authority to do something

Reed

Advise

Refel

Disprove

Refocillation

Revival, refreshment

Refract, Refractorious

Stubborn

Refuse

To reject

Regiment

Rule

Register

A keeper of records, registrar.

Reiterate

Repeat, repeated

Relent

To return to one's original beliefs

Replication, Replication duplic

Stages in the arguing of a case before a court i.e.
The prosecutor makes a charge, then
The defendant makes a reply, then
The prosecutor makes a replication, then
The defendant makes a replication duplic

Repugn

To oppose, fight against

Rescript

Strictly, the decision of the Roman emperor on a case referred to him by a governor or judge; more loosely, any formal written command by a person in authority

Residentiary

The canons of a cathedral

Resperse

To accuse

Retcheth

Reck, care themselves with

Retract

A military retreat

Revest

To don vestments for a religious ceremony

Revestry

The vestry of a church

Rhodanus

The River Rhône

Rochet

A linen surplice

Rocker

A child's nurse, who rocks the cradle

Rode, Rood

A crucifix

Rogation

Chanting the litany of the saints during a procession

Rood

A crucifix

Rood-loft

A loft gallery above and behind a rood-screen

Rood-screen

A screen, usually richly decorated or carved, at the end of the nave of a church before the altar.

Room

Place, position of authority

Rooten

Dig up with the snout, like a pig in filth

Rounding

Trimming the hair to the same length all the way around

Rouse

To rest or sleep

Rown

To whisper

Ruff

A state of excitement or pride

Ruffler

A fine-clothed but useless fellow

Ruffling

Showing off

Runagate

A fugitive scoundrel or vagrant ruffian

Sabaoth

Lord of Sabaoth = Lord of Hosts, a title of God

Sacramentals

In Catholic practice, various things which resemble sacraments but are not one of the seven; as, the sign of the Cross; blessing of holy water etc.

Sacramentary

One who holds "heretical" (i.e.not Catholic) views on the Eucharist

Sacring

The consecration of the Mass

Sale

To assail

Saturity

Repletion

Sauter

The Book of Psalms

Say

A fine cloth of silk and wool woven together

Scathe

Injury, damage

Schone

Shall

Scurrier

A soldier sent out to see what the enemy is doing, a scout

Scutage

A tax paid instead of military service

Seam

Eight bushels

Sechen

Seek

Secluding

Prohibiting

Seggen

Say

Seigniory

Lordship or dominion; or the lands over which this is held

Sein

Say

Seised

Of land or property: assigned or granted to someone

Seizin-taking

Taking possession of a token of ownership e.g. the keys of a house.

Seker

Certain

Semblable Semblably

Similar, similarly

Sententially

As a judicial sentence

Sententiary

A person who has compiled a compendium of theological opinions.

Sepulture

A tomb

Sequestration

Confiscation of the income of a benefice

Seraphical

Angel-like, a title specifically given to St. Bonaventure (1221-1274)

Servage

Bondage, serfdom

Several

Separate or individual

Severally

Separately or individually

Sewer

A servant who lays the table, serves the meal etc.

Seyen

See

Shad

Shed

Share-Thursday

Holy, or Maundy Thursday – the Thursday before Easter

Shaveling

A tonsured monk

Shawm

A musical instrument resembling an oboe.

Shearman

A cloth-shearer

Sheave

To collect, gather up

Shent

Ruined, destroyed

Shere-Thursday

Maundy or Holy Thursday, i.e. the Thursday before Easter

Shew-bread

Special loaves of bread which were placed on a table in the Temple of Jerusalem every Sabbath and eaten by the priests at the end of the week. See Exod. xxv. 30.

Shog

To shake vigorously

Shone

Shoes

Shrewd

False and malicious

Shrift

Absolution

Shriuing

Confession

Shullen

Shall

Shulne

Shall

Siege

Seat

Silly

Innocent

Sink

A sewer or drain

Sith

Since

Sith that

Provided that

Sithe

Times

Sithen

So that

Sithence

Since

Skill

To be of importance

Slander-giving

Encouraging others to sin by bad example

Sle

Slay

Slean

Slay

Sleight

Deceitful

Slipper-dealing

Deceitful pratices

Slops

Baggy trousers

Slowen

Slain

Smaragd

An emerald

Smit

Struck

Snaffle

A horse bridle

Snag

To jeer at, nag, abuse

Snarled

Strangled, or tortured with a twisted rope

Snuff

To take snuff = to take offence

Sod, Sodden

Boiled

Soke

The area within which a particular court or grand jury had authority

Soldan

Sultan

Solicitor

An agent or deputy

Solution

An answer or explanation

Somoner, Somnor

A bailiff of an ecclesiastical court, who summons people to attend

Sooth-deacon

A formally appointed deputy or representative

Soothfastness

Constancy in holding to the truth

Sophistry

False or dishonest arguments

Sorbonical

After the fashion of the Sorbonne, or University of Paris

Souter

A cobbler or shoemaker

Spar

To bolt down, fasten tightly

Specialty

A particular point of argument

Spiritualty

The clergy or hierarchy

Splent

The elbow-piece in a suit of armour

Spouse-breach

Adultery

Spoushod

Marriage

Springall

A young man

Spur-gall

To injure a horse by excessive use of spurs

Spurging

Oozing of matter, fæces etc. from the body

Spurn

Kick or trample underfoot

Staple

A, or the only, legally licensed market for wool for purchase by foreigners

Starting-hole

Literally, a hole in which a hunted animal can hide; metaphorically, a loophole, or "get-out"

Stellify

To place among the stars

Sternship

Haughtiness

Stied

Went (the word is principally used to describe Christ's ascension into heaven)

Stocks

The name of a market for meat and fish in the City of London

Stover

Fodder, animal food

Strait

Strict, rigorous, narrow, closely confined.

Strumpet

A whore

Sturdy

Obstinate

Suffice

To serve

Suffragan

An assistant or subordinate bishop

Suffrage

1) An assistant
2) Help, assistance of any kind

Sugge

To say

Sugget

A saying

Suit

Requirement

Sumner

A bailiff of an ecclesiastical court, who summons people to attend

Sum-papal

A summary of papal edicts on a particular topic

Sumpsimus

A new but correct belief or custom (opposed to mumpsimus)

Sumpter

A pack-horse

Super-altar

A slab of stone consecrated for use as an altar when placed on a table etc.

Superaltare

The ritual of profession as a Benedictine monk

Supererogation

In works of supererogation: in Catholic theology, the performance of good works beyond what God commands or requires; this builds up a store of grace which the Church can dispense in the form of indulgences etc.

Supposition

An argument for a proposition

Supputation

A system of calculation

Sustentation

Provision of food, drink and other necessities

Sweat

A disease marked by high fever and copious sweating

Sweuen

A false vision or fake miracle

Swill

Liquid filth

Swinge

Power or authority; in phrase To bear the swinge = to have power or authority

Synagogue

A church or abbey notorious for corrupt practices or false doctrines, blasphemy etc.; An assembly of false religion or blasphemy

Synecdoche

A figure of speech where the part is taken for the whole, or vice versa

Tallage

An arbitrary tax levied by special order

Tally for his own cates

To obtain food and other necessities on credit

Tarriance

Delay

Teende

Attend with

Temerarious

Rash, reckless

Temporalty

The laity

Tender

To treat with tenderness or affection

Tent

To clean a wound with a small roll of cloth

Tenths

Tithes

Tergiversation

Changing sides; denying what one has previously asserted or vice versa

Term probatory

A period of time given to a litigant to prepare his case

Terrene

Of the earth in the sense (1) as opposed to heavenly or (2) peasant-like, low-class

Tertian

A fever recurring every third day

The land of behest

The Promised Land

Thicker

A fulller, i.e. a person whose occupation is the cleaning and preparation of newly-woven cloth

Thilke

This

Tho

Then

Thoore

Unharmed

Thrall

A slave

Thrasonical

Boastful [like Thraso, a character in the play Eunuchus by the Roman playwright Terence]

Threnes of Jeremy

The book of Lamentations, in the Old Testament

Thurify

To bless with incense

Tickle

Unstable, ready to fall at a touch ; Credulous, easily persuaded

Tied his points

Fastened his laces

Tippet

A hood or hooded cloak

Tipstave

A court usher or bailiff

Tithed to death

Decimated (i.e. every tenth man killed)

Titiviller

The name of a demon in a morality play; hence, a scoundrel

Tituled

Named

To lie for the whetstone

To tell outrageous lies

To-brast

Completely destroy

To-broken

Destroyed, torn up

Tofore

In front of

Tollage

Money paid in tolls or taxes

Tonsure

A shaven patch on the top of the head

Tose

To card wool

Totquots

A papal dispensation allowing the holder to have any number of benefices

Towardness

Exceptional aptitude.

Toy

A trifle or bauble

Tractation

Written discussion or discourse

Trade

A way of life, moral attitude towards living

Train

A deception or fraud

Transumpt

(N) A transcript or formal copy of a record or decree
(V) To copy, transfer or transform

Trauel

Labour

Travail

1) Labour
2) Suffering

Travell

Suffering

Traverse

A dispute or controversy

Travise

A dispute or controversy

Treen shoes

Wooden shoes, clogs

Trencher

A wooden dish

Trental

A series of thirty requiem masses

Trim-couched

Well-chosen to deceive

Trindles

A wax taper rolled into a coil

Trope

A figure of speech

Tropical

Metaphorical

Trought

Truth

Trow

To believe

Tuition

Protection, guardianship

Tunably

Harmoniously

Tunned

Got drunk with

Tympany

A swelling of the abdomen caused by gas in the intestines or stomach.

Uiker, Uicar

Vicar, in the sense of appointed representative

Unconning

Foolish

Unlefull

Unlawful

Unmeet

Unsuitable

Unwitty

Foolish, stupid

Unworshipped

Disrespected

Usance

Lending or borrowing at (usually usurious) interest

Utas

The eighth day after the specified feast day

Vail

An extra payment or profit, a perk

Vastation

Devastation, destruction

Vaumure

An outer fortification

Vaward

The vanguard

Verilich

Truly

Very

True, truly

Vilipend

To regard, or treat, a person as being vile or worthless

Vility

Vileness

Vineat

An ornamental border of vine leaves in a manuscript

Visor

A mask or outward show

Vitiate

To spoil or wear out

Vocable

A spoken word

Void

To depart from

Waits

The members of a municipal band, employed by the city to play on public occasions

Walisch

Welsh

Wanyand

An imprecation or curse

Ward

A lock; prison

Wast

Year, day and wast = "a prerogative whereby the sovereign was entitled to the profits for a year and a day of a tenement held by a person attainted of petty treason or felony, with the right of wasting the tenement" (OED)

Waster

A wooden sword used for fencing practice

Waxen

Grown up

Weasand

The throat

Web

A piece of woven cloth, as it comes from the loom

Weed

A cloak or costume

Ween

Suppose, believe

Weet

To know

Wele

Prosperity

Wete, weten

1) to know
2) to ask of someone

Wheeler

A wheel-maker

Where-through

Through which

Whirlpit

A whirlpool

Whist

To whisper

Wild he, nild he

Whether he wanted or not

Will-works

Works performed by the human will, without divine grace

Will-worship

Worship of God in a form or way not authorised by Him (i.e. different from those of the speaker)

Wimble

An auger or gimlet

Wis

1) To know
2) To declare

Wist

Knew

Wit

To know

Witty

Sensible, intelligent

Wolden

Would

Wonnyer, Wonnier

Inhabitant

Wood-knife

A short sword or large knife, used by huntsmen for disembowelling and cutting up game

Woodness

Madness, violent anger

Woolward

To go woolward = to wear coarse woollen cloth next the skin, as a penance or punishment

Wot

Know

Wracke

Revenge

Wrakers

Those who wreak vengeance

Wreke

To work, do something

Writhe

To distort

Wyllingly

Thankfully

Ybeden

Bade

Ybore

Born

Ych

I

Year-mind

A Mass said on the anniversary of someone's death

Yeve

To give

Yift

A gift

Ylich

Equally

You-ward

Towards you

Yuill

Evil

Ywit

Know

Zif

Thus; or as phrase zif all = although