acton
(ˈæktən)
Forms 3–5 aketoun; 4 acketton; 4–9 aketon; 5 akatown, aktone, actone, -oun(e, -owne, hacton; 6 hocqueton, hocton; 6–7 haketon; 6–9 hacqueton; 5–9 acketon, haqueton; 4– acton.
[a. OFr. (12th c.) auqueton, later (15th, 16th c.) hocqueton, hocton, mod.Fr. hoqueton, cotton wool, padding, whence, a padded and quilted jacket; a. Sp. alcoton, algodon ‘cotton, bombast,’ ad. Arab. alqūtun, al-qūtn the cotton. Obsol. since 16th c. exc. as a historical term. Acton is the lineal descendant of the ME. forms; in Fr. the word has since received an initial h, which has also influenced English since Caxton's time in the forms haqueton, hacqueton, haketon, hacton, some of which also are still in historical use. Hoqueton, hocqueton, hocton, are later Fr. forms, not now used.]
A stuffed jacket or jerkin, at first of quilted cotton, worn under the mail; also, in later times, a jacket of leather or other material plated with mail.
| c 1300 K. Alis. 5150 Withouten cotoned aketoun, Oither plate, oither gaumbisoun. c 1386 Chaucer Sir Thopas 149 And next his schert an aketoun, And over that an haberjoun. c 1400 Sege off Melayne 917 Ther oon he keste an acton syne. a 1450 Syr Perecyvelle 1102 Blode rede was his stede, His aktone and his other wede. c 1450 Lonelich Graal II. 199 Here hors, here armures, here akatowns. 1475 Caxton Jason 16 He percid hit and the hauberk and the haqueton. 1496 Dives & Pauper (W. de Worde) x. vi. 380/1 We muste do aboue the Jacke or acton of charyte. 1523 Ld. Berners Froissart I. ccccxxx. 756 With pauesons and cootes of steele, hoctons, shapeaux, and bassinettes. 1576 Holinshed Chron. II. 581 The bishop had upon him a certeine cote of defense, which was called an aketon. 1599 Thynne Animadver. 31 Aketon or Haketone you [Speght] expounde a jackett withoute sleves..But haketon is a slevelesse jackett of plate for the warre, couered with anye other stuffe; at this day also called a jackett of plate. 1609 Sir J. Skene Reg. Maj. 25 That ilk laick landed man haueand ten punds in gudes and geir, sall haue for his bodie, and for defence of the Realme, ane sufficient Acton, ane basnet, and ane gloue of plate. 1623 Camden Rem. (1637) 196 They had also about this time..a jacket without sleeves called a Haketon. 1805 Scott Last Minstr. iii. vi. But Cranstoun's lance, of more avail..Through shield, and jack, and acton past. 1828 ― F.M. Perth III. 341 His rich acton, and all his other vestments, looked as if they had been lately drenched in water. |