† ˈsenye Obs.
Forms: 1 seᵹ(e)n, seng, seiᵹn, seᵹin, 3 seine, 4 seigne, seyne, 5 senge, synge; Vocabs. 5 seny(e, ceny, senny, sene; 6 senye; Sc. 5 seyne, senyhe, senȝe, seinye, 6 senȝie, seinȝe.
[App. of mixed origin: the OE. seᵹn (ad. L. signum sign n.) seems to have coalesced in early ME. with an aphetic form of enseigne, asseigne, ensign n.]
1. A military banner or standard = ensign n. 5.
| Beowulf 2958 Þa wæs æht boden Sweona leodum, seᵹn Hiᵹelace. c 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. ix. [xi.] (1890) 184 His seᵹen, se wæs mid golde & mid godwebbe gefrætwad. c 1275 Lay. 9282 Nam he his seine and his sceald briþte. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 5468 Waster non þat wolde hym feyne Whan þey sey þe kynges seigne. Ibid. 10024 Arthurr dide his folk abide, To arme þem, & til ordeyne Whylk schuld go, & wyþ whilk seyne. |
2. A distinguishing mark, emblem, token. in seyn that, to signify that.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 2370 Abraham..sette friðotacen..on his selfes sunu, heht þæt seᵹn weᵹan heah ᵹehwilcne, þe his hina wæs wæpnedcynnes. a 1375 Joseph Arim. 197 Þis makeþ, quod þe wiht, þe marke of gold; And þis saues, quaþ þat wiht, þe seyne of seluer. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 2055 He drissede in a derfe schelde,..With a dragone engowschede..Deuorande a dolphyne..In seyne that oure soueraygne sulde be distroyede. c 1400 Destr. Troy 3108 Then Parys pertly proffert a seigne, For to telle his entent. c 1425 Wyntoun Orig. Cron. v. iii. 433 (Cott.) A Roman..gat on þat seyne [v.rr. senyhe, senȝe] Þat Brettownys bar; syne can he feyne Hym a Brettowne for to be. c 1440 York Myst. ix. 290 Þus has god..Sette his senge [sc. the rainbow]..Vppe in þe Ayre of heght. c 1470 Henryson Mor. Fab. xi. (Wolf & Sheep) xvii, Ye gart me schute behind; Vpoun my hoichis the seinyeis may be sene. c 1470 Henry Wallace ix. 170 The Rede Reiffar..Held out a gluff, in takyn off the trew. His men beheld, and weyll that senȝe knew. |
3. A battle-cry, rallying cry = ensign n. 1.
| 1508 Dunbar Flyting 139 Corrupt carioun, he sall I cry thy senȝie. a 1510 Douglas K. Hart i. 222 Thai cryit on hicht thair seinȝe wounder lowde. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (Rolls) II. 78 Syne loud on hicht he cryit hes his seinȝe, With that ane flicht of mony fleand ganȝe. |
4. A book-marker.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 453/1 Seny, of a boke, indula. |
5. A token or tally used by innkeepers.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 66/2 Ceny, or tokyn of an in or ostrye, texera. Ibid. 453/1 Senye, of an inne or ostrye, texera. |
6. A signboard.
| 1569 Reg. Privy Council Scot. II. 33 Certane of the Baillies..of Edinburgh..brak and kaist doun, senyeis of wyne, expres aganis all ordour, the said Cannongait being..evir in possessioun of selling of wyne. |