▪ I. yex, yesk, n. Now dial.
(jɛks), (jɛsk)
Forms: 1 ᵹesca, iesca, ᵹescea, ᵹeocsa, ᵹeoxa, ᵹeohsa, ᵹihsa, 4–6 yoxe, 5–7 yexe, 6 yeax, yeske, 6–7 yeox(e, 7 yex, yox, 7, 9 Sc. yesk, 9 yisk, yucks, yeux, yokes.
[OE. ᵹesca, ᵹeocsa, *ᵹicsa (ᵹihsa), related to next.]
An act of yexing; † a sob (obs.); a hiccup or the hiccups.
| a 700 Epinal Gloss. 958 Singultus, iesca. c 725 Corpus Gloss. (Hessels) T 71 Tentigo, ᵹesca. a 1000 Boeth. Metr. ii. 5 Me þios siccetung hafað agæled, ðes ᵹeocsa. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 60 Þam monnum þe for fylle ᵹihsa slihð. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. ix. (Tollem. MS.), To abate þe ȝoxe [ed. 1495 yexe] þat comeþ of fulnesse. 1530 Palsgr. 291/1 Yeske that cometh of the stomake, sanglout. 1547 Boorde Brev. Health cccxxv, It is named the yexe or the hicket, and of some the dronken mans cough. 1548 Patten Exped. Scot. Pref. c vj b marg., [They] w{supt} a yoxe, do soon dye. 1565 Harding Answ. Jewel ii. 138 The yeax and vomite followed. 1578 Lyte Dodoens ii. lxxiv. 246 Two or three branches of Myntes..do swage and appease the Hicquet or yeoxe. 1601 Holland Pliny xxviii. xx. II. 342 They shall find a remedie for the yox. 1609 ― Amm. Marcell. xxx. ix. 392 The yex that often shooke his flankes and small guts. 1621 J. Taylor (Water P.) Goose Wks. (1630) i. 110/2 One staggering there hath got the drunken yox. 1808 Jamieson, Yeisk, Yesk, s., a single affection of hiccup, S. as, He gae a great yesk, S. B. eesk, id. 1818 Todd, Yux..: sometimes pronounced yex, and yox, or yokes.., the hiccough. 1824 Mactaggart Gallovid. Encycl. 266 Drink..Which cures the yisk and waterbrash. 1876 Whitby Gloss., Yeux, a hiccup. 1886 Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk. s.v. Yucks, Why Tommy, you've a-got the yucks—drink some cold water. |
▪ II. yex, yesk, v. Now Sc. and dial.
Forms: α.1 1 ᵹeocsian, ᵹeoxian, 3–4 ȝoxe, 4–6 yoxe, 4–7 yexe, 5 ȝexe, 6 yeax, youx, yowx, 6– yex, 9 dial. yox, yocks, yaux; α.2 5–6 yeske, 6 yeask, 6– yesk; α.3 4–5 ȝoske, 5 yoske. β.1 1 ᵹiscian, 5 yiske, ȝyske, 5–6 ȝisk, ȝeisk, 9 yisk; β.2 5 ȝyxe.
[OE. ᵹeocsian, ᵹiscian, corresp. to OHG. geskôn, gesgizôn ‘oscitare’: of imitative origin.]
† 1. intr. To sob. Obs.
| c 888 ælfred Boeth. ii. §1 Ac ic nu wepende & ᵹisciende ofgeradra worda misfo. c 1050 [see yexing]. c 1290 Beket 1536 in S. Eng. Leg. 150 And sore wepinde he wende forth, he ȝoxede and siȝte wel ofte. 13.. S. Erkenwolde 312 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 312 Þe bysshop..hade no space to speke, so spakly he ȝoskyd. 1388 Wyclif 2 Kings iv. 35 The child ȝoxide [1382 brethed] seuene sithis. c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 29 And agayn he suld dy, he began at yiske. 1510 Stanbridge Vocabula (W. de W.) A iv, Singultio, to yeske or to sob. 1601 Holland Pliny xviii. xxxv. I. 614 Ravens crying one to another as if they sobbed or yexed therewith. 1629 Gaule Holy Madn. 283 What thinkst thou of the Body, that yelpes and yexes, at any small push? |
2. To hiccup.
| a 1400 Arund. MS. 42 lf. 28 b in Promp. Parv. 539 note, Anet..the sed coct, and al hot put to þe nostrelle, soffreth noȝt to galpyn, ne to rospyn, ne to ȝexyn. 1432–50, etc. [see yexing]. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 298 Be yoxinge, ne bolkynge, ne gronynge. 1530 Palsgr. 786/2 Whan he yesketh next, tell hym some straunge newes, and he shall leave it. 1544 T. Phaer Regim. Lyfe (1545) X vij, It chaunceth oftentymes that a chylde yeaxeth out of measure. Wherfore it is expedyent to make the stomake eygre afore it be fed. 1653 Urquhart Rabelais i. xxi. 90 He..yawned, spitted, coughed, yexed. 1656 Blount Glossogr., To Yex, is that we do, when we have the Hicket or Hick up. 1711 Ramsay On Maggy Johnstoun vi, We did baith glow'r and gaunt..yesk, and maunt. 1804 Couper Poetry II. 220 Weel like ye, yeeskin', to be there, Though morn's a head-ach. |
3. trans. To belch forth. Also intr. to belch; to hawk; to expectorate.
| c 1386 Chaucer Reeve's T. 231 (Ellesm.) He yexeth [v.rr. ȝeskeþ, ȝoxeth] and he speketh thurgh the nose As he were on the quakke or on the pose. 1513 Douglas æneis iii. ix. 82 His nek fourth of the cave He straucht, fordrunkin,..Bokkis furth and ȝiskis of ȝoustir mony streme. Ibid. viii. iv. 36 At his mouth..His faderis reky flamb furth ȝiskit he. Ibid. 154 A laithly smok he ȝiskis blak as hell. a 1555 Lyndesay in Bannatyne MS. (Hunter. Club) 521/1441 Scho puft and yiskit with sic riftis, That verry dirt come furth with driftis. 1560 T. Phaer æneid. ix. (1562) D iv, He their maisters head w{supt} sword ofchopt, & left his tronke furth yexing belching blood. 1567 Golding Ovid's Met. v. 58 He..Beheld him yesking forth his ghost. 1819 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd (1827) 154 It garr'd him yesk his drammach. 1882 W. Worc. Gloss., Yox, v. to cough, or spit up. 1893 S.E. Worc. Gloss., Yaux, v. to cough, or expectorate. ‘I don't want no bacca smokers in my kitchen, yauxin' an' spettin' about.’ |
Hence ˈyexer, one who yexes.
| 1611 Cotgr., Sengloteur, one that hath the hickocke; a yexer. |