▪ I. runlet1 Now only arch. or Hist.
(ˈrʌnlɪt)
Forms: α. 4–6 rondelet, 6–7 rondlet. β. 6 rundelet, 6–7 rundlett, 6–9 rundlet. γ. 5 ronlett, 6 ronelete, runlett, 7 ronlet, 7– 9 runlet. δ. 7 renlet(t.
[a. OF. rondelet, dim. of rondelle, f. ronde round a. Cf. roundlet.]
A cask or vessel of varying capacity; the quantity of liquor contained in this.
Large runlets appear usually to have varied between 12 and 18½ gallons, small ones between a pint or quart and 3 or 4 gallons.
| α 1394 in Wylie Hist. Hen. IV, IV. 179 A Rondelet of Rumney. 1483 Act 1 Rich. III, c. 13 §1 Every Rondelet to holde xviij galons and an half. 1531–2 Act 23 Hen. VIII, c. 7 §4 The prices of..the butt, tonne, pype,..teers, barrell, or rondlett. 1593 G. Harvey New Letter Wks. (Grosart) I. 280 Her beginning [is] like the purest Oyle in the crowne of the rondelet. 1605 H. Plat Delightes for Ladies ii. xiv, I haue knowne Roseleaues kept well in Rondlets. 1618 Dalton Countr. Just. lxv. (1630) 144 Sixteene gallons maketh the Rondlet. 1674 S. Jeake Arith. (1696) 72, 1 Rundlet or Rondlet = 18½ Gallons. |
| β 1542 Rutland MSS. IV. 324 (Hist. MSS. Comm.), For the carege off a rwndlett off Mus[c]adene, viij d. 1588 Lambarde Eiren. iv. iv. 457 Any kilderkins, tertian, firkins or rundlets. 1600 Nashe Summer's Last Will 486 Wks. (Grosart) VI. 105 Actors, bring now a black Iack, and a rundlet of Renish wine. 1674 S. Jeake Arith. (1696) 72 Rundlet is now grown a general name to any small Cask not gage. 1703 W. Dampier Voy. III. i. 150 My Men came aboard and brought a Rundlet of brackish Water. 1725 De Foe Voy. r. World (1840) 6 One hundred and twenty two small ankers or rundlets of brandy. 1814 Cary Dante, Inf. xxviii. 21 A rundlet, that hath lost Its middle or side stave, gapes not so wide. 1822 Scott Nigel xvii, I will presently order you a rundlet of Rhenish. 1873 Atlantic Monthly Jan. 48 He set out for the wreck, bringing back a boat which was given to them, with butter, sugar, a rundlet of wine, and chocolate. |
| fig. 1594 Lyly Mother Bombie iii. ii, My bodie being the rundlet, and my mouth the vent. 1607 Middleton Family of Love ii. iii, Lets pierce the rundlets of our running heads. 1651 Cleveland Poems 11 When we have fil'd the Rundlets of our eyes, We'll issue't forth. |
| attrib. 1837 Whittock Bk. Trades (1842) 161 (Cooper), The ‘Rundlet-cooper’ works principally for distillers and makers of various cordials. |
| γ 1491–2 Rec. St. Mary at Hill 179 For a ronlett of malvinseyn gevyn vnto master plomere. 1530 Nottingham Rec. III. 184 Quatuor roneletes vini dulcis vocati Malvesy. 1579 in W. H. Turner Select. Rec. Oxford (1880) 401 Bruers measures, as barells,..firkins, runletts, ladlemeales. 1612 T. Taylor Titus i. 7 They make their bodies like runlets or wine caskes. 1667 Davenant & Dryden Tempest ii. i, The runlet of brandy was a loving runlet, and floated after us out of pure pity. 1727 Philip Quarll (1816) 50 At the bottom of the chest lay a runlet of brandy. 1741 Compl. Fam.-Piece i. v. 274 Then strain it out, and put it in a Runlet. 1814 Southey Carmina Aulica Poet. Wks. III. 314 Many a runlet of right Nantes, I ween, Hath suffer'd percolation through that trunk. 1851 Turner Dom. Archit. I. iii. 124 æneas [Sylvius] had received at a certain monastery a few loaves and a runlet of red wine. 1882 Good Words 606 Who brought him venison pasties and apple turnovers and runlets of ale. |
| δ 1616 Lismore Papers Ser. i. (1886) I. 112, I sent my lord Careie a Renlett of choice aquavite. 1641 Brome Joviall Crew v. Wks. 1873 III. 437 And perhaps save me the expence of a Renlet of sack the while. |
▪ II. runlet2 (
ˈrʌnlɪt)
[f. run n.1 + -let.] A little run or stream; a runnel;
† a channel.
| 1755 in Rutland Gloss. (1891) s.v., Paid..for two days Work at scowring Wire Lane Runlett, 20 June,..1s. 6d. 1801 Wolcot (P. Pindar) Tears & Smiles Wks. 1812 V. 69 The runlet that murmurs away [seems] To wind with a murmur of woe. 1853 G. Johnston Nat. Hist. E. Borders I. 18 It receives many little livelier runlets that brattle down the green hills on each side. 1874 Symonds Sk. Italy & Greece (1898) I. v. 84 We found a well,..a runlet flowing from it down the rocky steps. |