mure

Meanings

nounmure (plural mures)

plural mures

obsoletewall
Th' incessant care and labour of his mind Hath wrought the mure that should confine it in
c. 1596–1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Fourth, […]. Epilogue.”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], line 2870
obsoletehusks of fruit from which the juice has been squeezed. Perhaps an old spelling of myrrh

adjectivemure (not comparable)

not comparableobsoletemural (as a postmodifier)

verbmure (third-person singular simple present mures, present participle muring, simple past and past participle mured)

present singular third person mures · participle present muring · participle past mured · past mured

obsoleteto wall in or fortify
archaicTo enclose or imprison within walls.
The five kings are mured in a cave.
a. 1765, Bible, Joshua 10 (heading)
1 more example
Therewith he mured up his mouth along, And therein shut up his blasphemous tong
1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book VI, Canto XII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

Origin

Latinmūrus“wall”
Late Latinmūrō, mūrāre
Old Frenchmurer“to close by a wall”
Middle Frenchmurer
Middle Englishmuren
Englishmure

Inherited from Middle English muren, from Middle French murer, from Old French murer (“to close by a wall”), from Late Latin mūrō, mūrāre, from Latin mūrus (“wall”). Related to German Mauer (“wall”).

More words from Middle English, Middle French, Old French

Full word history & related roots →