▪ I. † bouche, n.1 Obs.
Also 5–7 bouch. See also bouge n.2
[a. F. bouche lit. ‘mouth’.]
1. An allowance of victual granted by a king or noble to his household, his attendants on a military expedition, etc. Only in (or with reference to) the phrase to have bouche of (in) court = F. avoir bouche à (en) cour lit. ‘to have mouth at court’.
| a 1440 Sir Degrev. 998 The eorl..ffayre hym gan praye To dwel at hys costage, At bouche and court and wage. 1441 Plumpton Corr. Introd. 55 The said people..kept the said towne of Ripon like a towne of warr, takeing some vid. a day, & xiid. a day, & bouch of court. 1526 Househ. Ord. in Thynne's Animadv. (1865) Introd. 38 For their Bouch in the morning, one chet loafe, one manchet, one gallon of ale. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie 45 [The emperor] called for Virgil and gave him not onely a present reward, with a good allowance of dyet; a bouche in court, as we use to call it. 1601 in F. Tate Househ. Ord. Edw. II, §49 (1876) 31 He shal have for his bouch, iiijd ob. a dai. 1662 Fuller Worthies i. 173 All having Bouch of Court, (bread and beer) and six pence a day. |
2. Mouth; esp. in phrase ball, bullet in (en) bouche; cf. also ball or bullet in mouth.
| 1583 Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 92 Heere loa behold Boreas from bouch of north blo Pelorus Oure ships ful chargeth. 1591 Garrard Art Warre 76 The valiant repulse of a sodaine invading enimie by Bawll en bouche. 1650 Sir W. Butler in Carlyle Cromwell's Lett. & Sp. Let. cxxiii, With their drums beating, colours flying, matches burning, and bullet in bouch. [1708 Lond. Gaz. No. 4479/5 The Garrison is to march out..with loaded Arms, flying Colours, Drums beating, Match lighted, Ball in Mouth.] |
3. à bouche: (see quot.)
| 1864 Boutell Heraldry Hist. & Pop. iii. (ed. 3) 14 In these shields a curved notch is cut out, for the lance to pass through, in the dexter chief; when thus pierced the shield was said to be à bouche. |
▪ II. † bouche, n.2 Obs.
Also 6 bowche.
[App. variant of botch n.1, confused with bouge n.1]
A hump, swelling.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 8087 (Gött.) Crumplid knes, and bouch [v.r. bouche, boce] on bac. 1538 Bury Wills (1850) 135, iij candylstyke of lattyn, on sylver pece wyth the bowche of the letter in the botom. |
▪ III. bouche, n.3
(buːʃ)
Often written bush; see bush n.2
[prob. f. bouche v. to plug.]
A metal plug which is drilled to form the vent or touchhole of a cannon.
| 1862 F. Griffiths Artil. Man. (ed. 9) 186 Bouches, vents. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., Bush, or Bouche..the plug..screwed into the metal of the gun at the place of the vent, which is then drilled in it. |
▪ IV. † bouche, n.4
? misprint for benche or boncke.
| 1481 Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 39 Thise traytours..ben now most preuy of counseyl aboute the kynge, and sytte by hym on the hye bouche. |
▪ V. bouche, v.
[prob. a. F. boucher to plug.]
1. trans. To insert into (a cannon) the metal plug in which the vent is drilled: see bouche n.3, bush n.2 Hence bouching vbl. n.
| 1781 Phil. Trans. LXXI. 264 If these pieces were bouched with iron..they would stand fire. 1862 F. Griffiths Artil. Man. 52 Bouching a gun is fixing a pure copper vent into it. |
† 2. (See quot.) Obs. rare.
| 1721 Bailey, Bouched him, stopped his mouth. O. Phrase. |