malmsey
(ˈmɑːmzɪ)
Forms: 5 malmesyne, 5–6 malmasye, 5–7 malmesey, 6 malmesay, malmyse, malmesye, mammesey, malmesee, mamulsye, mawlmsey, 6–7 malmesie, malmsie, 7 malmesy, 5– malmsey.
[ad. (? through OF. or Pr. *malmesie: cf. Béarnais marmusìe) med.L. malmasia (Diefenbach), a corruption of the Gr. place-name Μονεµβασία (Monemvasia); cf. MDu. malemeseye, MLG. malmesie, MHG. malmasier (in 15th c. latinized malmasetum), MDa. malmesye. The parallel corruption Malvasia has given rise to the OF. and ME. malvesie as a name for the wine: see malvoisie.]
1. A strong sweet wine, originally the product of the neighbourhood of Monemvasia (Napoli di Malvasia) in the Morea; but now obtained from Spain, the Azores, and the islands of Madeira and the Canaries, as well as from Greece.
| 14.. Mann. & Househ. Exp. (Roxb.) 456 A bote of malmesey and a federbed. ? c 1475 Sqr. lowe Degre 754, Ye shall haue rumney and malmesyne [rime wyne]. 1513 More Hist. Rich. III Wks. 37/1 Attainted was hee by parliament and judged to the death, and thereupon hastely drouned in a Butt of Malmesey. 1531–2 Act 23 Hen. VIII, c. 7 No malmeseis Romeneis sackes nor other swete wynes..shalbe reteiled aboue xii.d. the gallon. 1549–50 in Fowler Hist. C.C.C. (O.H.S.) 356 Several small charges for mammesey. 1572 J. Jones Bathes Buckstone 10 With Sugar, or whyte Mamulsyes of Madera, a myas of good Ale, a cawdell or Alebury. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. i. ii. i. i. 93 All black Wines..as Muscadine, Malmesie,..Broune bastard, Metheglen, and the like. 1772–84 Cook's Voy. (1790) IV. 1223 Canary sack..which the French call Vin de Malvesie, and we..name Malmsey. 1814 W. M. Leake Researches in Greece 197 note, The place [Monemvasia] being celebrated for the fine wines produced in the neighbourhood, Malvasia changed to Malvoisie in French, and Malmsey in English, came to be applied to many of the rich wines of the Archipelago, Greece, and other countries. 1843 Penny Cycl. XXVII. 465/2 The original Malmsey of the Grecian Archipelago, that of Madeira [etc.]. 1871 E. C. G. Murray Member for Paris III. 115 A second brother statesman..had just been treating himself to a glass of Malmsey. 1880 Macm. Mag. XLI. 236 Malmsey was formerly the produce of those parts only [Candia and Greece]. 1895 Army & Navy Co-op. List 166 Choice Old Malmsey. |
b. attrib., as malmsey-butt, malmsey-cup; malmsey-face, a face inflamed by drink; malmsey madeira, a malmsey wine made in Madeira; malmsey-nose (see quots. 1597, a 1700).
| 1588 Lanc. & Chesh. Wills III. 138 One Mawlmsey cupp w{supt}{suph} cover all guylt. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, i. iv. 161 Throw him into the Malmesey-Butte. 1597 ― 2 Hen. IV, ii. i. 42 Yonder he comes, and that arrant Malmesey-Nose Bardolfe. 1611 Cotgr. s.v. Visage, A mustulent, or maumsie face. 1684 Otway Atheist v. i, This Malmsey nose of mine. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Malmesey-nose, a jolly, red Nose. 1723 Lond. Gaz. No. 6173/3 There will be no other Malmsey Madera Wine landed this Year. 1858 Homans Cycl. Comm. 1974/1 Malmsey Madeira. |
2. A kind of grape, from which the wine malmsey was originally made.
| 1511 Sir R. Guylforde Pilgr. (Camden) 12 Vpon that hyll is a cyte called Malsasia, where firste grewe Malmasye, and yet dothe. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 868 It is now most famous..for the good Malmesey which there groweth. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 224 Muscadines and Malmesies, those kindes of grapes brought hither first from Arabia. |