▪ I. † murr, n. Obs.
Forms: 5 myrr, 5–7 murre, 6 morre, 6–7 mur, 7 murrhe, 7–8 murr, 8 murrh.
[Of obscure origin: possibly onomatopœic.]
A severe form of catarrh; an attack of this.
| c 1420 ? Lydg. Assembly of Gods 329 He ratelyd in the throte as he had the murre. 1451 Paston Lett. I. 224 On of the tallest younge men of this parysch lyth syke and hath a grete myrr. 1533 Elyot Cast. Helthe (1541) 3 b, The brayne exceding in cold hath The head disposed..to pooses and murres. 1561 Hollybush Hom. Apoth. 3 If the head doth ake by reason of a morre or runninge. 1603 Florio Montaigne iii. xii. 620 With them a..consumption of the lungs, is but an ordinary cough..: A pleurisie but a cold or murre. 1612 Cotta Disc. Dang. Pract. Phys. ii. i. 81 Old men surprised with murrhes and distillations. 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Urania lviii, On his death bed grunting like a hog: And almost speechlesse with his rattling Murr. 1655 Moufet & Bennet Heath's Impr. (1746) 208 The Milk of any Beast chewing the Cud..is very ill for Rhums, Murs, Coughs [etc.]. 1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters I. 181 Hence, the Murr or stuffing of the Head, Rheums, or Catarrhs..are so rife amongst us. |
▪ II. murr, v. Obs. exc. dial.
(mɜː(r))
[Echoic.]
intr. To make a harsh noise; in Sc. = purr.
| 1662 Tryal Sir H. Vane 87 Then the Trumpets were ordered to sound or murre in his face, with a contemptible noise, to hinder his being heard. 1807 Hogg Mount. Bard, Sandy Tod 80 Sandy heard a noise, like baudrons Murring i' the bed at e'en. |
▪ III. murr
variant of murre.