† Dorbel Obs.
1. The English form of Dorbellus, i.e. Nicholas de Orbellis (died 1455), a professor of Scholastic Philosophy at Poitiers, and a vehement supporter of Duns Scotus. Hence, A scholastical pedant, a dull-witted person, dolt; cf. dunce.
| [1533 Frith Answ. More (1829) 412 Duns, Dorbell, Durand, and such draffe.] 1592 G. Harvey Pierce's Super. 158 Then asse..and foole and dolt and idiot, and Dunse and Dorbell and dodipoul..and all the rusty-dusty jestes in a country. 1593 Nashe 4 Lett. Confut. 25 Howe Dorbell comes to bee Doctour none asks. 1621 Bp. R. Montagu Diatribæ iii. 305 The dotages of those Talmudicall Dorbels. |
2. Sc. ‘Anything that has an unseemly appearance.’ So ˈdorbelish a., stupid, awkward, clumsy; also (nonce-wds.) † dorˈbellical a., † ˈdorbellism, † ˈdorbellist.
| 1592 Nashe P. Penilesse E ij, Thy sheepish discourse..was so vglye, dorbellicall and lumpish. 1593 ― Christ's T. 64 a, Wil you then hope to beate them [Atheists] down with fusty brown-bread dorbellisme? 1599 ― Lenten Stuffe Ep. Ded., Olde Iohannes de Indagines and his quire of dorbellists. 1603 H. Crosse Vertues Commw. (1878) 107 They flocke to it as crowes to a dead carkasse..be they neuer so ribauld, filthie, or dorbellicall. 1847–78 Halliwell, Dorbelish, very clumsy. Linc. |