hamble, v. Obs. exc. dial.
Forms: 1 hamelian, (3 pa. pple. heomelede), 4 hameled, hamled, 7–9 hamble, hamel, 9 hammel.
[OE. hamelian to mutilate = OHG. hamalôn, MHG. hameln, ON. hamla to maim, mutilate; from an adj. appearing on OHG. as hamal maimed, mutilated, whence mod.G. hammel a castrated sheep.]
1. trans. To mutilate, maim; to cut short, dock; spec. to cut off the balls of the feet of (dogs) so as to render them unfit for hunting.
(Erroneously taken in 17th and 18th c. as = hamstring.)
| a 1050 O.E. Chron. an. 1036 Sume hi man blende, sume man hamelode. c 1204 Lay. 11206 He heomelede þa reuen, nalde he mænne bi-lefuen. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus ii. 915 (964) Algate a fot is hameled of þy sorwe. c 1394 P. Pl. Crede 300 Hosen in harde weder y-hamled by þe ancle. 1607 Cowell Interpr., Hameling of dogges, or hambling, is all one with the expeditating of dogges. 1616 Bullokar Engl. Expos., Hameled, cut off, abated (obs.). [1727–51 Chambers Cycl., Hameling, or Ham-stringing, the act of cutting the great tendon, vulgarly called the ham-string.] |
2. intr. To walk lame. dial.
| 1828 Craven Dial., Hamel, to walk lame. 1863 Mrs. Toogood Yorksh. Dial., Hamlin, walking lame. |
Hence † hamble-shanked a., maimed or lame in the leg.
| 1661 K. W. Conf. Charact., Informer (1860) 47 A club⁓footed, hambleshanckt..hircocerous. |