▪ I. carte1
(kɑːt, kart)
Forms: 4– carte, 6 cart, (carete), Sc. cairt.
[a. F. carte card:—L. carta, charta paper: adopted at two different times; first in ME. in branch I; secondly, after this had become obs. (exc. perhaps in Sc. cartes ‘playing-cards’), from mod.Fr. in branch II.]
I. † 1. ? A treatise, exposition of a science. (? spec. of astrology). Obs.
| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 130 As it is written in the carte, Complexion he [i.e. Canis Minor] taketh of Marte. 1560 ed. of Chaucer's Astrol. 249/2 In any carts [ed. Skeat tretis] of the Astrolabie that I have yseene, there ben some conclusions, that, etc. |
† 2. A chart, map, plan, diagram. Also fig. Obs.
| 1502 Arnolde Chron. (1811) Introd. 15 The Copye of a Carete cumpasyng the Circuet of the Worlde. 1558 Treas. Acc. in Lauder Tractate (1864) Pref. 8 For paynting of the vii Planetis, of the kart, with the rest of the convoy xvi li. 1578 Invent. (1815) 237 (Jam.) Tua litle cairtis of the yle of Malt. 1669 Marvell Wks. 1872–5 II. 273 A cart of the flats and sands that we meet with at Court. 1670 Cotton Espernon ii. vii. 333 Very expert in the Geographical Cart. 1683 Weekly Memorial 85 Having referred his readers to the common Sea-carts..for the situation of the island. |
† 3. A charter; a legal ‘paper’ or document. Obs.
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. 402 Cartis or chartouris conteyning the formes of ȝeuyng the seid greet endewing. 1640 Fuller Joseph's Coat v. (1867) 155 Though these outlandish sins have of late been naturalized and made free denizens of England; yet our ancientest carte is for gluttony. |
4. Sc. A playing-card; pl. the game of cards.
| 1497 Sc. Treas. Acc. in Pitcairn Crim. Trials I. 117 Augt. 7. Item, giffen to þe king to play at þe Cartis with þe Spanyartis, at Noreme, xx Vnicornis. a 1555 Lyndesay Tragedy 81 Playng at cartis, and Dyse. 1785 Burns Epist. Davie viii, Tent me, Davie, ace o' hearts! (To say aught less wad wrang the cartes). 1816 Scott Antiq. xv, ‘Take a hand at the cartes till gudeman comes hame.’ |
‖ II. 5. A bill of fare.
| 1818 Moore Fudge Fam. Paris iii. 6 The Carte at old Véry's. 1850 Thackeray Pendennis xlvi, The carte was examined on the wall, and Fanny was asked to choose her favourite dish. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. I. xxix. 387 Our carte is comprised in three lines—bread, beef, pork. |
6. Short for carte-de-visite.
| 1861 Dickens Lett. (ed. 2) II. 148, I think the ‘cartes’ are all liked. 1867 Yates Black Sheep II. 292 (Hoppe) Mr. Felton had some letters yesterday..and there was a carte of his son in 'em. |
▪ II. carte2 Fencing.
(kɑːt)
[(Also written quarte): a. F. quarte, ad. It. quarta fourth.
First introduced in the form quarte; in 18th c. naturalized as carte; recent writers, using French authorities, show a tendency to revert to quarte.]
A position in fencing; one of the eight parries and two usual guards of the small-sword. See quot. 1861.
| 1707 Sir W. Hope Method of Fencing 15 The only sure defence and preservative upon the ordinary Quart and Tierce Guards. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 26 ¶11 Questions about the Words Cart and Terce, and other Terms of Fencers. 1809 Roland Fencing 37 In parrying either carte or tierce the same edge of your blade will parry both parades, provided you turn your wrist in its proper position for each parade. 1840 Barham Ingol. Leg., Tragedy iv, He thrust carte and tierce Uncommonly fierce. 1861 G. Chapman Foil Practice 11 Quarte—The hand turning to the left, the point raised and inclined to the left, the finger-nails turned up (slightly). 1878 Browning Poets Croisic 137 No carte-and-tierce Observes the grinning fencer. |
b. as v. (nonce-word).
| 1765 Universal Mag. XXXVII. 41/1 I'll carte and terce you, you scoundrel. |