▪ I. stean
(stiːn)
Forms: 1 stǽne, 3–6 stene, 4, 6, 8– steen, 5 steene, 6–7 steane, (8 stein), 7– stean.
[OE. stǽne wk. fem. (only once, inflected stǽnan) = OHG. steinna stone jug:—OTeut. type *stainjō(n-, f. *staino- (OE. stán): see stone n.]
A vessel for liquids (or, in later use, for bread, meat, fish, etc.), usually made of clay, with two handles or ears; a jar, pitcher, pot, urn. Now only dial. and arch.
| c 1050 Voc. in Wr.-Wülcker 415/18 Gillone, stænan. c 1275 Wom. Samaria 15 in O.E. Misc., Ase he þer reste..Þar com gon o wymmon,..myd hire stene [= Vulg. hydria, John iv. 28]. 1382 Wyclif 1 Kings vii. 50 And Salomon made..the..stenys [1388 pottis]..of moost pure gold. Ibid. xvii. 12, I haue not breed, but as myche as an handful may take of mele in a stene [1388 pot; Vulg. in hydria]. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 207 Þese beeþ þe names of þe signes: þe Wether,..þe Steen [printed Sceen; repr. L. Aquarius], the Fisshe. c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. iii. 1165 Of that they do Viij cotuls in a stene of wynes trie [per amphoram uini]. Ibid. iv. 666 Whan they beth bake, al hoot into a stene Let hem be pressed. a 1500 Medulla Gram., Anfora, a steene or a canne with two eerys. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. 74 Plato sent hym a whole stene or pitcher full [orig. lagœnam.] 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 147 That doth diligently: Attend the tappes of stande and steane: To moyst thy lippes full dry. a 1599 Spenser F.Q. vii. vii. 42 Vpon an huge great Earth-pot steane he stood; From whose wide mouth, there flowed forth the Romane floud. 1662 J. Davies tr. Olearius' Voy. Ambass. 261 The Pots..are very much esteem'd, especially the Steans, or great Pitchers. 1728 E. Smith Compl. Housew. (ed. 2) 202 Strip them into an earthen Stean that has a cover to it. 1750 Ibid. 236 Put them into an earthen stein that has a saucer. 1742 Lond. & Country Brew. i. (ed. 4) 48 The Ale..is drank while it is fermenting in earthen Steens. 1746 Gentl. Mag. XVI. 407 (Exmoor Vocab.) Steyan or Stean, an earthen pot, like a jar. 1880 E. Cornw. Gloss., Stean, an earthenware pot such as meat or fish is cured in. 1888 Doughty Arabia Deserta I. xvi. 450 If the thing fall to them for which they vowed [at the wishing-place], they will..lay up a new stean in a little cave. 1908 A. Bennett Old Wives' Tale i. iii. 34 In the corner nearest the kitchen was a great steen in which the bread was kept. |
| attrib. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 293 A grete tode was in þe stene bothom. 1728 E. Smith Compl. Housew. (ed. 2) 203 Put into a Stean-pot two pounds of Raisins stoned. |
▪ II. stean(e
see stain v., steen v., stone.