searce

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From Middle English sarse, probably from Anglo-Norman cerche, *cerce, from Late Latin *circa.

Traditionally derived from Old French saas (Late Latin *saetāceus (pannus) ((cloth) made of bristles)), but this does not explain the -r- or the final -e of the Middle English form; intrusive -r- before /s/ is sometimes found in Middle English, but one would expect etymological r-less forms to appear alongside such forms.[1]

Pronunciation

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Noun

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searce (plural searces)

  1. (obsolete, countable) A sieve; a strainer.

Verb

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searce (third-person singular simple present searces, present participle searcing, simple past and past participle searced)

  1. (obsolete) To sift (through a sieve); to bolt.
    • 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, [], London: [] W[illiam] Taylor [], →OCLC, page 144:
      My next Difficulty was to make a Sieve, or Searſe, to dreſs my meal, and to part it from the Bran and the Huſk, without which I did not ſee it poſſible I could have any Bread. [] I had nothing like the neceſſary Things to make it with—I mean fine thin Canvas, or Stuff, to ſearſe the Meal through.

References

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  1. ^ Charles H. Livingston (1947 December) “English Searce, Search 'Sieve, Strainer'”, in Modern Language Notes[1], volume 62, number 8, pages 550-554

Anagrams

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