greave
.
Searchable Lemmata: greve (AF), greves (ME), greave (MdE).
Alternate Forms: grefes, griffes, griffus, grives, greues, greuez.
Definitions and Defining Citations:
1(n.)
Armour;
armour for the lower legs (below the knee); usually appears in the plural.(ante 1350 still in current use)
1. j lorica vocata gesseraunt, cum greves et qwhisshons in manu Prioris ... Item ij bacynetes cum j aventale ... j celour de nigro bukram pro uno hers (=hearse)
Accounts.
[AND Durham (395) circa 1200/1400]
2. [38] ... viij pecie de rubanto adaurato ... [39] ... iiij pelles de bazano ... vj pelles de Roan ... [40] ... Ad faciendum L wyspes operat. de syndon., serico, & Aylesham pro domino nostro Rege ... [41] ... Ad faciendum xij garteria de blu broudata de auro & serico quolibet habente dictamen `Hony soyt qui mal y pense' ... ij paria de greues ... [45] ... Cum tela de Reyns Parys & bultell & cotoun ... [46] ... Stoffe pro tapet de worsted, [etc.]
Accounts.
[MED Wardrobe Acc.Edw.III(1) in Archaeol.31 (38-46) 1345/1349]
3. [568-571] ... He ... dressez on þe morn, Askez erly hys armez, & alle were þay bro3t; Fyrst a tule tapit, ty3t ouer þe flet ... Þe stif mon steppez þeron ... Dubbed in a dublet of a dere tars ... [572] ... & syþen a crafty capados, closed aloft, Þat wyth a bry3t blaunner was bounden withinne ... [575] ... His legez lapped in stel with luflych greuez ... [581] ... Þe brawden bryne of bry3t stel ryngez Vmbe-weued þat wy3, vpon wlonk stuffe ... [582] ... Þenne set þay þe sabatounz vpon þe segge fotez ... wel bornyst brace vpon his boþe armes ... [584] ... With gode cowters & gay, & glouez of plate, & alle þe godlych gere þat hym gayn schulde þat tyde
Arthurian, Heroic, Poetic, Romance.
[MED Gawain ((Nero A.10) 568-584) circa 1400]
5. To arme a man. ffirste ye muste sette on Sabatones and tye hem up on the shoo with smale poyntis ... And then griffus & then quisses ... And þen rerebras, And then glovys [vr. cloovis]
He schal have ... a payr' hosyn of stamyn sengill and a peyre of shorte bulwerkis of thynne blanket to put aboute his kneys for chawfynge of his lighernes. ... A longe swerde ... Also a kerchif to hele the viser of his basinet ... His basinet pynnid up on two greet staplis before the breste, with a dowbill bokill behynde up on the bak for to make the basinet sitte juste ... Thre coordis muste be faste sowid un to the hele of the shoo and fyne [read: fyue] cordis in the mydill of the soole ... and that ther be betwene the frettis of the heele and the frettis of the myddill of the shoo the space of thre fyngris.
Legal.
[MED Arms Chivalry (Mrg M 775) (43-44) ante 1486]
Sex: Male Use: Military Ceremonial: No
Body Parts: Leg.
Etymological Evidence:
Definite, Old French greves, greaves (cf. Spanish grebas, grevas). The ultimate origin of that word is not certain, but it has been proposed that it is the same word as Old French greve (q.v.) 'a parting of the hair', and the prominent line of the shinbone was compared with a parting-line. A suggested derivation form (Egyptian) arabic gaurab 'stocking' seems fanciful.
WF:
Etym Cog: greves (OF).
References:
