cramoisy, cramesy, a. and n. arch. (In earlier use chiefly Sc.)
(ˈkræmɔɪzɪ, -əzɪ)
Forms: 5 cremesye, -ysy, cramysse, 5–6 crammas(s)y, 6 cram(m)esy, -osie, -osye, 7 crambassie, cramoisy, (arch. 8 cramasie, 9 -asye, -oisy, -ie, -ay).
[a. early It. cremes{iacu} and OF. crameisi, later cramoisi = Sp. carmes{iacu}, Pg. carmezim; the original type is seen in It. chermes{iacu}, chermiz{iacu}, a. Arab. qirmazī of or belonging to the qirmiz, kermes or alkermes, the Scarlet Grain insect: see crimson. Since the 16th c. there has been a tendency to assimilate the spelling to modern French cramoisi, which has been facilitated by the fact that the word is itself obsolete and the tradition of its English spelling and pronunciation broken.]
A. adj. Crimson.
| 1480 Wardr. Acc. Edw. IV (1830) 153 Crymysy velvet. 1495 Haliburton's Ledger in C. Innes Scot. Mid. Ages 244, 3 ells cramysse satyn. a 1555 Lyndesay Trag. Prol. 21 In Rayment reid..Off vellot and of Saityng Crammosie. c 1600 Christening Chas. I in Nichols Progr. Q. Eliz. III. 527 Two chairs of cramoisy velvet. 1612 Inv. Furniture in A. M{supc}Kay Hist. Kilmarnock 308 Stampit crambassie vorset courteinis. 1843 Carlyle Past & Pr. (1858) 105 A blustering figure..in..cramoisy velvet, or other uncertain texture. 1855 Mrs. Gaskell North & S. iii, He gathered for her some velvety cramoisy roses. |
B. n. Crimson cloth; = crimson n. 2.
| 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. cix, Als like ȝe bene, as day is to the nyght; Or sek-cloth is vnto fyne cremesye. 1488 Inv. Jewels in Tytler Hist. Scot. (1864) II. 392 A belt of crammassy hernessit with gold. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. III. 282 Couerit weill with crammasy rycht fyne. 1724 Ramsay Tea-t. Misc. (1733) I. 89 Sae put on your pearlins, Marion, And kyrtle of the cramasie. 1813 Hogg Queen's Wake 224 I thought to see my daughter ride, In golden gear and cramasye. 1821 J. Baillie Metr. Leg., Ld. John xii, With a vest of cramoisie meet. |