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gore

.
Searchable Lemmata: gor (ME), gore (AF), gore (MdE).
Alternate Forms: gar, gare, goure, gouere, goore, gower, gowre, gowere, gores, goren, goris.

    Definitions and Defining Citations:

1a(n.) Garment; triangular piece of cloth; in weaving, a triangular insertion either of weft into the web on the loom to even the weaving; in tailoring, an extra piece of fabric inserted into a textile object, usually a garment, to shape it. The following senses developed by extension.(ante 1300 - circa 1600 ?)
1. [367] ... koker: coturnus ... aluta .i. pellis sutarii que tanata dicitur gallice corveis ... lacinia: gore ... [368] ... coturno: coker ... lacinias: goris, lé pauns ... fimbrias: horles Gloss. (citations from individual page of text may not appear in original order) [AND TLL (i 367-368) ante 1300]
2. Par devaunt avet escours, E de coste sunt gerouns [glossed:] gores [vr. goren] Gloss. [MED Gloss.Bibbesw. ((Cmb Gg.1.1) 172) ante 1325]
3. And 3yt sche do, þe lady good, With her rokkes gore Sche may spred all ynglonde Poetic. [MED And a woman ((RwlPoet 34) 48) ante 1500]
c.f.: lacinia
AF, ME.
Sex: N/A    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts:
1b(n.) Armour; triangular piece of chain mail [MED]. Cf. sense 2b below.(circa 1300 - circa 1330 ?)
1. is scheld he clef ... & of his hauberk a gore, & of his aketoun a fot & more Arthurian, Heroic, Poetic, Romance. (work: a1300?) [MED Arth.& M. ((Auch) 6395) circa 1330]
ME; Primarily Arthurian.
Sex: Male    Use: Secular    Status: n/a    Rank: n/a    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: N/A.
2a(n.) Accessory; skirt; lower part of a woman's garment. By extension, came to stand for a woman's clothes in general; as in the common expression 'under gore' (in dress, in appearance); also with extended, including sexual, connotations ('gropen under gore', 'stingen under gore', etc.)(ante 1220 - circa 1900 ?)
1. Habbe he istunge under gore, Ne last his luue no leng more Poetic. (work: a1216?) [MED Owl & N. ((Clg A.9) 515) circa 1275]
2. Ich wolde I-witen nouþe, Leuedi, here of þe Wi þe failleþ gore; Sleue and nammore Of cloþ þat ich I-se Poetic. (dating uncertain) [MED Psalt.Virg. ((Dgb 86) 152) ante 1300]
3. Coynte ase columbine, such hire cunde ys, glad vnder gore in gro ant in grys Poetic. [MED Ichot a burde in a ((Hrl 2253) 16) circa 1325]
4. And 3yt sche do, þe lady good, With her rokkes gore Sche may spred all ynglonde Poetic. [MED And a woman ((RwlPoet 34) 48) ante 1500]
ME.
Sex: Female    Use: n/a    Status: n/a    Rank: n/a    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Leg, Waist.
2b(n.) Armour; skirt or lower part of a suit of chain mail. By extension, 'a coat of mail [?]' (MED).(ante 1400 - ante 1500 ?)
1. His gowere pendande on þe grounde, It was worth a thowsande pownde Off rubys and Safere Heroic, Historic, Poetic, Romance. (work: a1400?) [MED Siege Milan ((Add 31042) 979) circa 1450]
2. Þe blode oute rane Dowene evyn by his gore; He hyde hit be his manttell noke. Heroic, Romance. (work: a1400) [MED Ipom.(1) ((Chet 8009) 4860-1) ante 1500]
3. A bright helme ... Vpon his hede Wrak it sette, And knytte þe gower [vr. gowre] a-boute his waste, And to his shulders made it faste Heroic, Romance. (work: a1450) [MED Parton.(1) ((Add 35288) 8361) ante 1500]
ME; Primarily Romance.
Sex: Male    Use: Secular    Status: n/a    Rank: n/a    Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Leg, Waist.

    Etymological Evidence:

Definite, OE gára, from a root meaning 'triangular piece' (of material, land, etc.); related to Old English gár spear (referring to the shape of the spear-head). Cognate with gerun (q.v.). [The British L term goredula (triangular piece of land) seems to be a built on vern. gore+ dol; DMLBS, s.v. 'goredula', IV, 1088].
WF:
Etym Cog: gêro (OHG), kêro (OHG), geire (Old Norse), gerun (AF).
References:
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