† menstrue Obs.
Also 5 menstrewe, 6 menstrew.
[a. F. menstrue, ad. L. mēnstruum: see menstruum.]
1. The catamenia; = menstruum 1.
| c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 55 A womman in tyme of menstrue [v.r. menstrewe]. c 1440 Wyclif's Isa. lxiv. 6 Menstrue, or unclene blood. 1550 Bale Apol. 57 b, Our vniuersall ryghteousnesses are afore God as clothes stayned with menstrue. 1674–7 Molins Anat. Obs. (1896) 11 A Servant Maid with a suppression of the Menstrue. |
| attrib. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 21 Þe fleisch & þe fatnes is mad of menstrue blood. |
b. pl. In the same sense.
| 1579 Langham Gard. Health (1633) 22 Anoint the breast to purge vpward, and the nauill to purge downward, and three fingers lower to prouoke menstrews. 1590 P. Barrough Meth. Phisick liii. 185 Of stopping of menstruis. 1684 tr. Bonet's Merc. Compit. i. 2 These symptoms had happened..at the time when she us'd to have her Menstrues. |
2. = menstruum 2.
| 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. Pref., in Ashm. (1652) 124 Raymond his Menstrues doth them call. 1605 Timme Quersit. i. xiii. 61 The heauenly menstrueese to dispoyle metalls of their colours and sulphures naturall is this [etc.]. 1610 B. Jonson Alch. ii. iii, Are you sure, you loos'd 'hem I' their owne menstrue? 1664 Evelyn Sylva (1679) 6 They flatter their hopes..with fructifying liquors, Chymical Menstrues and such vast conceptions. |