chess-men
(ˈtʃɛsmɛn)
Rarely in sing. -man.
[f. chess n.1 + man n.1 15. The ME. chesse-meyne contains meyne a company (see meinie 4), a. OF. meyné (also used for ‘les pièces du jeu d'échecs’, Godefroy); but the view that chess-men (Caxton) arose from this, either by substitution or by confusion, is untenable, the word for ‘(chess-)man’ in AF. being regularly hom.]
The pieces (eight ‘pieces’ proper and eight pawns on each side) with which chess is played.
| [1474 Caxton Chesse i. iii, The table of the chesse borde and the chesse meyne.] Ibid. iv. i, The formes of the chesse men and of their offices. 1552 Huloet, Chest-men, or table men, tessaræ. 1578 Inv. R. Wardrobe 238 (Jam.) Greit chas men of bane. 1581 Sidney Apol. Poetry (Arb.) 53 Wee must giue names to our Chesse-men. 1690 Locke Hum. Und. ii. xiii. §9 The Place of each Chess-man. |