engrail, v.
(ɛnˈgreɪl)
Forms: α. 4–5 engrele, 5 engreyl, -grale, 6–7 engraile, -ayl, 6– engrail. β. 5 ingrayl, 6–7 ingrail, -ale, -eyl, (6 ingrele).
[ME. engrele, a. OF. engresle-r (mod.F. engrêler), commonly believed to be f. en- (see en-1) + gresle, grêle hail.
The original sense would thus be ‘to pit or indent as by a shower of hail.’ The writer of the Book of St. Albans (see quot. 1486 s.v. engrailed) supposed that the word was derived from gree (L. gradus) step, and hence he gives ingradatus as the Lat. equivalent of ‘engrailed.’ Cf. engraded.]
1. a. Her. To indent the edge of (an ordinary) with a series of contiguous curvilinear notches. b. Hence gen. to ornament the edge of (anything) with an indented pattern of this kind.
Almost exclusively in pa. pple.: see engrailed ppl. a.
| c 1420 Anturs of Arth. xl, With his griffuns of gold engrelet fulle gay. a 1440 Sir Degrev. 1030 He beres in cheef of azour Engrelyd with a satur [i.e. saltire]. c 1500 Sc. Poem Her. 136 in Q. Eliz. Acad. 99 The first, hole croce; the tother, engrelit be. 1572 J. Bossewell Armorie ii. 27 The quarters in the division of the Escocheon be engrayled. 1605 Camden Rem. (1637) 214 They bare for their Armes Argent a Bend ingreyled Gules. 1695 Lond. Gaz. No. 3081/4 A Lyon Rampant with Ermine in a border ingral'd. 1766 Porny Heraldry Gloss., Engrailed, This word signifies a thing the hail has fallen upon, and broken off the edges, like the leaves of a tree notched by hail-stones. 1840 Barham Ingol. Leg. Pref. 4 The Ingoldsby escutcheon, a saltire engrailed Gules. 1864 Boutell Heraldry Hist. & Pop. xv. (ed. 3) 186 They also engrail the bend itself. 1877 W. Jones Finger-ring L. 248 A curious ring was exhibited..It is engrailed. |
2. transf. To give a serrated appearance to; formerly sometimes, to roughen, render prickly.
| 1576 Newton tr. Lemnie's Complex. 286 Their bodyes..engrayled with lothsome blisters. 1594 Nashe Unfort. Trav. 53 The eighth had all his armour throughout engrayled like a crabbed brierie hawthorne bush. 1612 Drayton Poly-olb. xxix. (1748) 380, I [the river Wear] indent the earth, and then I it engraile With many a turn and trace. 1661 Morgan Sph. Gentry i. ii. 23 Ingraling the earth by the waved lines of water. 1832 Tennyson Pal. Art xxix, Or over hills with peaky tops engrail'd. |
† 3. To indent, sculpture in intaglio. Obs.
| 1548 Hall Chron. Hen. VIII, 73 A fountayne of enbowed woorke, gylte with fine gold, and bice, ingrayled with anticke woorkes. 1566 Drant Horace Sat. iii. F viij b, The executours of Staberie engraylde on his grave, What were his ample legaces. 1567 Ibid., Arte Poet. B v, Lawes to ingrale in during brasse. 1577 Stanyhurst Descr. Irel. in Holinshed Chron. VI. 26 The famous conquest of so woorthie a potentate should be ingrailed in perpetuall memorie. 1602 W. Fulbecke Pandects 63 Their countenances were resembled and engrailed in their Armorie. |
† 4. ? To variegate, adorn with mixture of colours.
In the first two quots. possibly: To surround with an indented border.
| 1483 in Antiq. Repert. (1807) I. 50 Rede cloth engreyled with vj yerdes of white woolen cloth. 1548 Hall Chron. (1809) 516 Cloth of golde set with redde roses ingreyled with gold of brouderye. c 1611 Chapman Iliad xxiii. 761 æacides then shows..a caldron new, engrail'd with twenty hues. |
5. In mod. poetry sometimes used for: To ornament with (metal).
It is not clear whether any more definite sense is intended in the examples here quoted.
| 1814 Southey Roderick 1, White turbans, glittering armour, shields engrail'd With gold. 1823 Bowles Grave Last Sax. iv. 552 The lion ramps Upon his mailed breast, engrailed with gold. 1870 Bryant Iliad I. x. 318 The car Engrailed with brass. |