MAINPRISE, becoming surety for a prisoner so as to
procure his release.
Maintenance, giving aid, or abetting.
Make, mate.
Make, made, acquaint with business, prepare(d), instruct(ed).
MALLANDERS, disease of horses.
Malt horse, dray horse.
Mammet, puppet.
MAMMOTHREPT, spoiled child.
Manage, control (term used for breaking-in horses);
handling, administration.
Mango, slave-dealer.
MANGONISE, polish up for sale.
MANIPLES, bundles, handfuls.
Mankind, masculine, like a virago.
Mankind, humanity.
Maple face, spotted face (N.E.D.).
Marchpane, a confection of almonds, sugar, etc.
Mark, “fly to the—,” “generally said of a goshawk when, having ‘put in’ a covey of partridges, she takes stand, marking the spot where they disappeared from view until the falconer arrives to put them out to her” (Harting, Bibl. Accip. Gloss. 226).
MARLE, marvel.
Marrow-bone man, one often on his knees for prayer.
Marry! exclamation derived from the Virgin’s name.
Marry Gip, “probably originated from
By Mary Gipcy” =
St. Mary of Egypt, (N.E.D.).
MARTAGAN, Turk’s cap lily.
MARYHINCHCO, stringhalt.
MASORETH, Masora, correct form of the scriptural text
according to Hebrew tradition.
Mass, abb. for master.
Maund, beg.
MAUTHER, girl, maid.
Mean, moderation.
Measure, dance, more especially a stately one.
Meat, “carry—in one’s
mouth,” be a source of money
or entertainment.
Meath, metheglin.
Mechanical, belonging to mechanics, mean, vulgar.
MEDITERRANEO, middle aisle of St. Paul’s, a
general
resort for business and amusement.
Meet with, even with.
MELICOTTON, a late kind of peach.
MENSTRUE, solvent.
MERCAT, market.
MERD, excrement.
Mere, undiluted; absolute, unmitigated.
Mess, party of four.
Metheglin, fermented liquor, of which one ingredient
was honey.
METOPOSCOPY, study of physiognomy.
Middling gossip, go-between.
MIGNIARD, dainty, delicate.
Mile-end, training-ground of the city.
Mine-men, sappers.
Minion, form of cannon.
MINSITIVE, (?) mincing, affected (N.E.D.).
Miscellany madam, “a female trader in miscellaneous articles; a dealer in trinkets or ornaments of various kinds, such as kept shops in the New Exchange” (Nares).