muniment
(ˈmjuːnɪmənt)
Forms: 5 minement, munyment(e, 5–6 munimente, 6 minumente, myniment, 6–8 miniment, 7 munument, mynamente, 4– muniment.
[a. OF. muniment (AF., in sense 1, Rolls Parlt. an. 1315), ad. L. mūnīmentum fortification, defence (in med.Latin title-deed, etc., as sense 1 below), f. mūnī-re: see munite v. and -ment.]
1. A document (such as a title-deed, charter, etc.) preserved as evidence in defence of rights or privileges belonging to a person, family, or corporation. Chiefly in collective plural.
Formerly sometimes confused with monument n. 2.
| 1433 Rolls of Parlt. IV. 479/1 Alle the Munimentes that longeth to the Cominalte of the seid Town. c 1470 Harding Chron. Proëm. xxvii, I haue seen of it the muniment, Vnder seale wryten. 1485 Rolls of Parlt. VI. 295/2 All Evidences, Deeds and Minements, concerning the said Mannors. 1503–4 Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 35 §2 All the evydences chartrez and munymentes concernyng the premysses. 1552 Huloet, Rolles or lyke places, where minumentes or recordes be kepte. 1594 West 2nd Pt. Symbol., Chancerie §105 The said deedes, evidences, escriptes, writings, and myniments. 1620 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 287 The ancient recordes and mynamentes, not onely of the towne, but also of other societies in other remote places of the kingdome. 1776 Trial of Nundocomar 32/2 Among the other records and muniments. 1845 Ld. Campbell Chancellors (1857) I. xiii. 194 The roll of his domestic expenses, preserved among the muniments of the bishopric. 1893 Fowler Hist. C.C.C. (O.H.S.) 198 The various muniments, i.e. title-deeds or evidences relating to the College property. |
2. Anything serving as a means of defence or protection. Now
rare.
| 1546 Langley Pol. Verg. De Invent. Pref. 2 For both Beastes and Birdes have..weapons as Hornes tuskes and other like munimentes to resist their foes. 1578 Banister Hist. Man i. 6 The Bones..which to the brayne, in their construction, are so safe a muniment. 1629 B. Jonson On Poems Sir J. Beaumont, Though I confesse a Beaumonts Booke to bee The Bound, and Frontire of our Poetrie; And doth deserue all muniments of praise, That Art, or Ingine, on the strength can raise. 1650 Bulwer Anthropomet. 130 Others conceive one use of the Beard was for a munument. 1677 Plot Oxfordsh. 339 These Fora, or places of Judicature (by the Danes called Tings), seem always to have had their muniments of stone. 1830 Examiner 163/2 Truth is the simple muniment with which every power used for evil may be met. 1860 Emerson Cond. Life, Worship Wks. (Bohn) II. 403 We cannot spare the coarsest muniment of virtue. |
† b. [
Cf. F.
munir to furnish (with); also ]
pl. Things with which a person or place is provided; furnishings.
Obs.| 1485 Caxton St. Wenefr. 24 The couent that were gone oute cladde them with precious ornamentes of the chirche..and dredde not a lytell that the ornamentes and munymentis shold be sore hurte by the fallyng of the rayne. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. viii. 6 By chance he certaine miniments forth drew, Which yet with him as relickes did abide. 1607 Shakes. Cor. i. i. 122 Our Steed the Legge, the Tongue our Trumpeter, With other Muniments and petty helpes In this our Fabricke. 1852 Mundy Our Antipodes (1857) 6 Where the receiving-rooms and bed-rooms contain little beyond the muniments necessary for sitting and lying. |
3. attrib., as
muniment-chest,
muniment-house,
muniment-room; also
muniment deed, a title-deed.
| 1870 F. R. Wilson Ch. Lindisf. 114 In this chamber is a large carved *muniment chest. |
| a 1864 Hawthorne Sept. Felton (1879) 162 Have you..no *muniment deed? |
| 1656 Blount Glossogr., A *Muniment house (in Cathedral, or Collegiate Churches, Castles, Colledges or such like) is a house or little room of strength, purposely made for keeping the Seal, Plate, Evidences, Charters, &c. of such Church, Colledge, &c., such Evidences being called in Law Muniments. |
| 1661 Wood Life 18 Mar. (O.H.S.) I. 384 D{supr}. Wallis sent for A. W. to com to him, then in the *muniment-room in the School Tower. 1899 A. Clark Wood's Oxford (O.H.S.) III. 105 In the muniment-room of the Dean and Chapter of Lincoln. |