We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website. By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time. Find out moreJump to Main NavigationJump to Content

Pearl

Pearl (c1400).
The 604th most frequently quoted source in the OED, with a total of 785 quotations (about 0.02% of all OED quotations).

Total number of quotations785Find quotations
Quotations providing first evidence of a word84Find quotations
Quotations providing first evidence of a particular meaning228Find quotations
LemmaDefinitionDate
abroachtrans. To pierce or broach (a container, esp. a cask of liquor) so as to let the contents…1400Go To Quotation
adubmentAdornment, decoration; beauty or splendour. Also: something that adorns. Cf. dubment n.1400Go To Quotation
a greatAltogether, in all; in bulk, in a large quantity, wholesale; by the whole lot or piece.1400Go To Quotation
aquile1400Go To Quotation
atauntAs much as possible, to the full, thoroughly. (Cf. Palsgrave ‘I quaught, I drinke all out, Je boys dautant.’) Obs.1400Go To Quotation
atslikeTo slip away.1400Go To Quotation
bashmentConfusion from surprise or sudden check; discomfiture, shame.1400Go To Quotation
basingFoundation, base.1400Go To Quotation
beginnerOne who begins; an originator, founder.1400Go To Quotation
biglyHabitable, fit to dwell in; (hence) pleasant.1400Go To Quotation
bitalttrans. To shake.1400Go To Quotation
briefOf short duration, quickly passing away or ending.1400Go To Quotation
bruntA sharp blow. Obs.1400Go To Quotation
burnishedMade bright and shining as by friction, polished.1400Go To Quotation
crookintr. To croak. Rarely trans.1400Go To Quotation
dazedBenumbed in the mental faculties; stupefied, bewildered.1400Go To Quotation
determinableFixed, definite, determined. Obs.1400Go To Quotation
devisementDescription. (Cf. devise v. 13.)1400Go To Quotation
douceurFormerly, sweetness and pleasantness of manner; amiability, gentleness. Revived in…1400Go To Quotation
dubmentDubbing, adornment, array.1400Go To Quotation
fadeintr. Of colour, light, or any object possessing these qualities: To lose brightness…1304Go To Quotation
fasureFashion, form.1400Go To Quotation
flakeA blemish, flaw, fleck.1400Go To Quotation
flavourA smell, odour. In mod. use with more limited sense (cf. 2): A more or less subtle…1400Go To Quotation
floatyWatery. Obs.1400Go To Quotation
flurtedFlowered, figured.1400Go To Quotation
forcerA chest, coffer, or casket.1400Go To Quotation
freelessFaultless, flawless.1400Go To Quotation
gleamingThat gleams, in senses of the verb.1400Go To Quotation
glim? Brightness. Obs. rare.1400Go To Quotation
grovellingFace downward; in or to a prone or prostrate position.1400Go To Quotation
imelleAmid, among.1400Go To Quotation
keve1400Go To Quotation
ladylyBefitting or characteristic of a lady; noble; ladylike.1400Go To Quotation
lasttrans. To load, burden.1400Go To Quotation
liltTo sing cheerfully or merrily. Also, to strike up (a song); to ‘tune up ’ (the pipes). Also with out.1400Go To Quotation
longingBelonging.1400Go To Quotation
madIn a strange or unusual manner. Obs. rare.1400Go To Quotation
maddingThe action of mad v.; madness; mad behaviour. By the 19th cent., only in phrases (arch. or regional…1400Go To Quotation
mascleA spot, a speck.1400Go To Quotation
masclelessSpotless, flawless.1400Go To Quotation
mistSpiritual or mystical matters. in mist: mystically.1400Go To Quotation
mistendtrans. To fail to give proper attention to.1400Go To Quotation
modeA melody, a strain of music; a rhythm. Obs.1400Go To Quotation
moolThe soil used to fill a grave; (in pl.) grave-clods; (by metonymy) the grave.1400Go To Quotation
mornifMournful.1400Go To Quotation
motelessChiefly poet. Without blemish, spotless. Obs.1400Go To Quotation
nautheless= natheless adv.1400Go To Quotation
nouthelessNevertheless.1400Go To Quotation
overtureAn aperture, a hole, an opening; an orifice. Obs.1400Go To Quotation
paleTo grow pale or dim; to lose colour or brightness; to become pale in comparison. Now esp.…1400Go To Quotation
pightSet with jewels. rare.1400Go To Quotation
pinnacledHaving a pinnacle or pinnacles; (also) having projections suggestive of pinnacles.1400Go To Quotation
portalA door, gate, doorway, or gateway, of stately or elaborate construction; the entrance to a…1400Go To Quotation
praisedValued, esteemed. Obs. rare.1400Go To Quotation
presPrecious.1400Go To Quotation
preterminablePredetermining; preordaining.1400Go To Quotation
queryPerh.: a complaint.1400Go To Quotation
rashHasty, impetuous; acting or speaking without due consideration or regard for consequences; reckless, thoughtless, foolhardy.1400Go To Quotation
rayA single line or narrow beam of light; each of the lines in which light (and…1400Go To Quotation
regrettrans. In early use: †to express sorrow at the loss of (a person or thing); to mourn, lament (obs.…1400Go To Quotation
relusant= relucent adj.1400Go To Quotation
remordOf a thought, emotion, etc.: to afflict or fill (a person or a person's mind) with remorse or guilt.1400Go To Quotation
repartrans. To keep or hold back.1400Go To Quotation
rertPerh.: upraised, supreme.1400Go To Quotation
retretetrans. To reproduce, imitate.1400Go To Quotation
savourlyHaving a pleasant taste or fragrance; full of savour (in various senses of the noun), savoury.1400Go To Quotation
shimBright.1400Go To Quotation
singlureSingleness, uniqueness.1400Go To Quotation
soothfulTrue; truthful, veracious.1400Go To Quotation
spotlessFree from spot or stain; not marked with, or disfigured by, spots; of a pure or uniform colour.1400Go To Quotation
springingOf plants, etc.: Sprouting, growing. Also in fig. context.1400Go To Quotation
strothe(Meaning obscure.)1400Go To Quotation
threteintr. To dispute, contend; to quarrel, wrangle.1400Go To Quotation
trylleintr. To tremble.1400Go To Quotation
unblemishedOf persons. Also absol.1400Go To Quotation
undefiledNot rendered morally foul or impure; unpolluted, untainted.1400Go To Quotation
unstrainedNot subjected to straining or stretching; free from strain. Also fig.1400Go To Quotation
upenObs. variant of open adj. (Cf. upon high at high adj. 18.)1400Go To Quotation
veretrans. To raise up; to uplift.1400Go To Quotation
virgintyVirginity.1400Go To Quotation
werle? Covering, attire.1400Go To Quotation
westernaisAwry, amiss, wrongly.1400Go To Quotation
whethersoever= whetherso conj.1400Go To Quotation

Back to top

The top one thousand authors and works cited in the OED

The Sources page contains details about the most frequently cited authors and works in the OED.

Use the search box to search for any of these sources by author name or work title.

Click on any of the author names or work titles for more information and links to dictionary entries.

Click on the column headings to order the top one thousand sources by date, number of quotations, and first evidence for word or sense.