maumetry Obs. exc. arch.
(ˈmɔːmɪtrɪ)
Forms: see maumet; also 4 mamentre, (4–5 pl. mau-, mawme(n)tryse), 6 mamoutrie, malmontrye, mammon(t)rie, mammitrie, -ye.
[f. maumet + -ry. Cf. Mahometry.]
1. The worship of images; idolatry. Also ‘false religion’, heathenism.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 6623 Þai..heild his comamentes right, ne heildid til na mametri. c 1330 King of Tars 803 Mi maumetrie ichul forsake, And Cristendom ichul take. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 320 Þe Kyng said..þe pape..Errid mislyuyng, haunted Maumetrie. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 279 Of þe bryngynge forþ of mawmetrie com wel nyh al þe feyninge of poetrie. a 1400–50 Alexander 4486 Maumentry,..Þat dose ȝow dompe to þe devill quen he ere dede hethen. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 1600 And to maumetry þai þaim graythe. ? a 1500 Chester Pl., Balaam 6, I wyll, you honour no God saue me, ne Mawmentrye none make yee. 1530 Compend. Treat. (1863) 49 Kinge Antioche..compelled y⊇ people to do maumentry. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. I. 505 All mammitrie fra he gart thame forsaik. Ibid. II. 180 With all thair micht..to magnifie Mahoun thair maister with fals mamoutrie. 1552 Lyndesay Monarche 235 To sic mischeand Musis nor malmontrye. 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 268 Let the souldiours of Satan and superstitious Mawmetrie, howle, and cry out [etc.]. 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. I. 107/1 The Eastsaxons..continued in their wicked mawmetrie. [a 1654 Selden Table-T. (Arb.) 88 Heretofore they call'd Images Mammets, and the Adoration of Images Mammettry: that is, Mahomet and Mahometry.] |
† b. pl. Idolatrous beliefs or practices. Obs.
| c 1340 Hampole Prose Tr. (1866) 9 All mawmetryse, all wychecrafte and charemynge. c 1357 Lay Folks Catechism 176 (MS. T.) In this commandement is forboden us..al mawmetries. 1550 Bale Apol. 142 Theyr vowes to holy churche the mother of theyr olde mammetryes. 1563–87 Foxe A. & M. (1596) 610/2 They falsly and cursedlie deceiue the people with their false mammetries and lawes. |
† c. fig. = idolatry 2. Obs.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xcvi. 7 Auerice is seruyce of mawmetry, and ilke man makis þat his mawmet þat he mast lufis. c 1440 Jacob's Well 120 Þe firste fote brede of þis wose in coueytise is mawmetrye. |
† 2. Idols collectively. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 11776 Hijs godds and his maumentri. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 1337 Þe folk myslyuande Worschipped..Maumetry. c 1400 Octouian 1306 He ran with a drawe swerde To hys Mamentrye. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 6 They be no true rychesse, but false and deceyuable mammotry of iniquite. 1567 Gude & Godlie Ball. 71 Stock and stane is Mammontrie. |
† b. An idol. Obs. rare.
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 4974 Þese Phylystyens þat hadde þe maystry Beleuyd on Dagoun, a maumettry. |
3. Muhammadanism; = Mahometry. (In early use not distinguished from sense 1.)
| c 1386 Chaucer Man of Law's T. 138 In destruccioun of Maumetrye..They ben acorded. 1600 Abbot Jonah 117 Those seaven Churches..are now the residence of the Turke, and a sincke of filthy maumetry. 1638 Sir T. Herbert Trav. (ed. 2) 32 If (throwing away the raggs of Mawmetry) he roab'd his soule with true faith in Christ. 1805 Southey Ball. & Metr. T. Poet. Wks. VI. 239 Now shall the Crescent wane,..Woe, woe to Mawmetry! |