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Owl and Nightingale

The Owl and the Nightingale (c1275–1300).
The 407th most frequently quoted source in the OED, with a total of 1088 quotations (about 0.03% of all OED quotations).

Total number of quotations1088Find quotations
Quotations providing first evidence of a word139Find quotations
Quotations providing first evidence of a particular meaning327Find quotations
LemmaDefinitionDate
a-Attached to the past participle and occasionally to other parts of the verb; = y- prefix…1275Go To Quotation
abroodOf a hen or other bird: on its brood or eggs; hatching eggs; breeding young. Also fig.…1275Go To Quotation
accordWith reference to people: agreement, harmony, reconciliation; an instance of this.1275Go To Quotation
adintrans. To deafen; = din v. 2.1275Go To Quotation
adwoleIn error, erroneously, mistakenly.1275Go To Quotation
afoledMade foolish; infatuated.1275Go To Quotation
agramedAngered, enraged. Also: vexed, troubled, grieved.1299Go To Quotation
agrilletrans. To provoke (someone); to offend, annoy. Cf. grill v. 1.1275Go To Quotation
alamedParalysed, lame.1275Go To Quotation
amissErroneously, in a way that goes astray of, or misses its object.1249Go To Quotation
arghth= arghness n.1249Go To Quotation
ascheweleTo scare, frighten away.1249Go To Quotation
atroutintr. To rush away, escape (with dat. = from).1249Go To Quotation
atshootintr. To shoot away (with dat. = from).1249Go To Quotation
a-willAt one's will, to one's pleasure or satisfaction.1274Go To Quotation
awrathtrans. (and refl.) To make angry, enrage.1249Go To Quotation
banIn feudal usage: The gathering of the (French) king's vassals for war; the whole body of…1249Go To Quotation
beddeA bedfellow.1250Go To Quotation
bedtimeThe hour or time for going to bed.1249Go To Quotation
begrownGrown over with, covered with a growth.1249Go To Quotation
behemtrans. To hem round. lit. and fig.1249Go To Quotation
belikeTo make like; to simulate.1275Go To Quotation
beseemedHaving an appearance (of such a kind), appearing, looking; = beseen besee v.; esp. in well-beseemed…1249Go To Quotation
bihedeTo guard against.1249Go To Quotation
bitightClad, attired.1249Go To Quotation
biwaitintr. To look about or out, be circumspect.1249Go To Quotation
blenchA trick, stratagem. to do or make a blenk or blench: to play a trick.1249Go To Quotation
boldheadBoldness, audacity.1249Go To Quotation
bondman= bond n. 2. Obs. exc. Hist.1250Go To Quotation
broadtrans. To broaden, spread abroad, expand.1249Go To Quotation
carterOne who drives a cart.1249Go To Quotation
certesOf a truth, of a certainty, certainly, assuredly. Used to confirm a statement. (‘An…1249Go To Quotation
chaterestreA female chatterer.1249Go To Quotation
chatterThe chattering of certain birds; also of apes, etc.: see the vb.1249Go To Quotation
chatteringThe action expressed by the verb chatter v. (in its various senses).1249Go To Quotation
clackintr. To chatter, prate, talk loquaciously. Said of chattering birds and human beings.1249Go To Quotation
clenchtrans. To fix securely, make fast, as with nails, bolts, or the like; to secure (a nail or…1249Go To Quotation
cloutClot of earth, clod.1249Go To Quotation
coal-blackAs black as coal; dead black.1249Go To Quotation
cockering1249Go To Quotation
cogOne of a series of teeth or similar projections on the circumference of a wheel, or the side…1249Go To Quotation
condutA kind of song or carol.1249Go To Quotation
cremptrans. To contract, restrain.1249Go To Quotation
cuckoldA derisive name for the husband of an unfaithful wife.1249Go To Quotation
dahetIn the construction dahet have, dathet have: = May (he, etc.) have misfortune! a mischief, curse, damnation be to…1249Go To Quotation
daylightThe time of daylight, the day-time; spec. the time when daylight appears, day-break, as in before or at daylight.1249Go To Quotation
eve= evening n. lit. and fig. poet. or rhetorical.1249Go To Quotation
falconOrnithol. One of a family of the smaller diurnal birds of prey, characterized by a…1249Go To Quotation
fitAn adversary of equal power; one's ‘match’.1249Go To Quotation
foȝFitness; in phr. = German mit fug und recht.1249Go To Quotation
foldA similar configuration in animal and vegetable structures.1249Go To Quotation
foliot? Foolish matter. Obs. rare.1249Go To Quotation
forbantrans. To banish.1249Go To Quotation
forcremp? intr. for refl. To cramp oneself up.1249Go To Quotation
gabbingLying, falsehood, a lie. Obs.1249Go To Quotation
galegaleA noisy fellow; a ‘sing-song’.1249Go To Quotation
giddilyIn a giddy manner (see the senses of the adj.); †insanely, madly, foolishly…1249Go To Quotation
goodhead= goodness n.1249Go To Quotation
hatchintr. To bring forth young birds from the egg by incubation.1249Go To Quotation
heme? A man; ? a householder.1249Go To Quotation
hipintr. To hop; now north. to hop on one foot.1249Go To Quotation
hollowHaving a hole or cavity inside; having an empty space in the interior; opp. to solid.1249Go To Quotation
hooktrans. To make hook-like or hooked; to bend, crook, incurve. rare.1249Go To Quotation
hueintr. To shout, make an outcry; spec. in hunting, and now in the Cornish sea fisheries. Cf. huer n.1249Go To Quotation
huingShouting, hooting; spec. the rousing of a deer from its lair, or driving it with shouts…1249Go To Quotation
i-duȝeProfitable, advantageous.1249Go To Quotation
i-gredeCrying, clamour.1249Go To Quotation
i-holdPlace of shelter or abode; hold.1249Go To Quotation
i-leteManner, bearing.1249Go To Quotation
i-schiretrans. To tell, say, speak.1249Go To Quotation
i-warnessWatchfulness, vigilance, wariness.1249Go To Quotation
i-wende? Contrivances.1249Go To Quotation
knarA rugged rock or stone. Now dial.1249Go To Quotation
lawfulnessThe quality of being lawful; legality; respect for law.1249Go To Quotation
lechA look, glance.1249Go To Quotation
leerEmpty. Also, clear of. Of a burden: Useless. Obs.1249Go To Quotation
louringThe action of lour v., frowning, scowling, sullenness.1249Go To Quotation
lugA long stick or pole; the branch or limb of a tree. (See also log n. 1d.)1249Go To Quotation
mashtrans. To beat into a soft mass; to crush, pound, or smash to a pulp; to squash. Also with up.1275Go To Quotation
mingedMixed; mingled; adulterated, blended; disturbed, confused. Also as n.1275Go To Quotation
misrekeintr. To go astray.1275Go To Quotation
misrempintr. To go wrong, make a mistake.1275Go To Quotation
mis-startintr. To start off wrong.1275Go To Quotation
misteintr. = miss v.1275Go To Quotation
misyengeintr. To go astray; to miss the mark.1275Go To Quotation
morningOriginally: the time of the approach or beginning of ‘morn’; the period around sunrise.…1275Go To Quotation
neAfter a comparative adjective or adverb, introducing the second member of a comparison: = than conj. 1. Cf. nor conj.1299Go To Quotation
nightingaleA small reddish-brown migratory thrush, Luscinia megarhynchos, of western Europe…1275Go To Quotation
oftenetrans. To irritate.1275Go To Quotation
opeThat is open, not closed (esp. of an eye, door, or window); (also) revealed…1275Go To Quotation
opelyOpenly.1275Go To Quotation
other sideon the other side (formerly on other side, on that other side): on the other hand. Obs.1275Go To Quotation
outSituated on or forming an outside or external surface; external, exterior. Now rare.1299Go To Quotation
outletA place or opening at which something escapes or is released; a means of issue; a way out…1275Go To Quotation
overlongFor too long a time; for an excessively long time.1275Go To Quotation
over-quattrans. (refl.). To overfill or glut oneself.1275Go To Quotation
painttrans. To represent (an object, scene, etc.) or portray (a person or thing) on a surface, using paint or other colouring matter.1275Go To Quotation
pinnockAny of several small songbirds; esp. (a) the dunnock, Prunella modularis; (b) the blue tit, Parus caeruleus.1275Go To Quotation
pipingThe utterance or production of a shrill sound; a shrill sound, cry, complaint, etc.1275Go To Quotation
pleaControversy, debate, contention, strife; a quarrel. Now Sc.1275Go To Quotation
pleadintr. To contend in debate; to wrangle, argue with or against. Also trans. with it. Obs.1275Go To Quotation
pleadingLitigation, disputation; an instance of this, esp. a lawsuit, an action. Obs.1275Go To Quotation
quashtrans. To bring to nothing; to crush; to destroy; to put down or suppress completely; to…1275Go To Quotation
rekeTo go, proceed, make one's way, esp. rapidly or in haste; to run. Cf. misreke v.1275Go To Quotation
room-houseA privy.1275Go To Quotation
scritchintr. To utter a loud cry, screech, shriek.1274Go To Quotation
shewelA scarecrow. Also Hunting, something hung up or set up to keep a deer from entering…1250Go To Quotation
shrewA wicked, evil-disposed, or malignant man; a mischievous or vexatious person; a rascal, villain.1250Go To Quotation
shritchintr. To shriek, screech.1249Go To Quotation
sickerheadAssurance, certainty.1250Go To Quotation
skenttrans. To entertain, amuse.1249Go To Quotation
slitIn clothing; †sometimes in specific senses, as the opening in the front of a shirt, a pocket, etc.1249Go To Quotation
snepeFoolish, silly.1249Go To Quotation
sootyFoul or dirty with soot; covered or smeared with soot; full of soot.1249Go To Quotation
spaleSparing; respite or rest.1249Go To Quotation
spantrans. To allure, entice, or draw away (a person).1249Go To Quotation
spousingThe action of the vb. in various senses; marriage, matrimony, wedlock; espousal, betrothal.1249Go To Quotation
springeA snare for catching small game, esp. birds.1250Go To Quotation
stableA building fitted with stalls, loose-boxes, rack and manger and harness appliances…1250Go To Quotation
strind(Sense obscure; ? corrupt.)1250Go To Quotation
stumpintr. To stumble over a tree-stump or other obstacle. Also, to walk stumblingly (in quot. 1430 – 40 fig.). Obs.1250Go To Quotation
therebesideBy the side of that; next to that; near by.1249Go To Quotation
therefromFrom that; from that place; away from there.1249Go To Quotation
to-bunetrans. To beat severely, thrash, thump; to pelt.1249Go To Quotation
to-slittrans. To slit open, split.1249Go To Quotation
tozetrans. To pull asunder; to separate or unravel the fibres of; to comb or card (wool, etc.); = tease v. 1.1249Go To Quotation
unledeUnhappy, miserable; wicked, evil; dreadful.1249Go To Quotation
unlengthShortness.1249Go To Quotation
unmetheUnequal; unfair; ungentle.1275Go To Quotation
unrightfulnessThe quality of being unrightful.1249Go To Quotation
unsod= unsodden adj.1249Go To Quotation
upbringtrans. To bring up or forth; fig. to utter.1249Go To Quotation
whipTo flap violently with the wings.1249Go To Quotation
woodwallA singing bird: in early quots. of uncertain identity, but prob. (as later) the…1249Go To Quotation
writelingTrilling or warbling (of the nightingale).1249Go To Quotation
yellingThe action of the verb yell v.; esp. the uttering of a sharp loud cry of rage, agony, etc.1249Go To Quotation
yhendenear, at hand.1249Go To Quotation
yollintr. To cry aloud, howl; = yawl v. 1a.1249Go To Quotation
yomereSorrowfully, dolefully.1249Go To Quotation

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