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VENISON.
venasOj obs. Sp. vfnoi'iony Pg. veafao^ It. venagiotte)
;— L. vmatidn-em hunting, f. vendri to hunt.
The pron. (ve'nz'n), gi\-en as colioq. by Smart in 1836, is
now usual in England. The fuHer (ve'niz'n) or (ve'ni73n)is
current in the United States, and (\'e*nis'ii) is common in
Scotland.]
1. The flesh of an animal killed in the chase or by
hunting and used as food ; formerly applied to the
flesh of the deer, boar, hare, rabbit, or other game
animal, now almost entirely restricted to the flesh
of various species of deer. Cf. b.
«. a 130a Havelok 1726 Kranes swannes, ueneysun, Lax,
lampre)-s,andgodsturgun. 13.. A'. .4 /w. 5233 (Laud MS.),
To mete was greibed beef & motoun, Bredes, briddes, &
>-eni-soun. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) L 89 t>ei..ete'^
no flesche but venj^soun. ci4ao Liber Cocorum (1862) z8
A sawce hit is For vele and venj'son, iwys. c 1425 Koc. ia
Wr.-Wulcker 662 Hec /erina, wenyson. c 1489 Caxton
Sommes 0/ AymoK xxi. 463 Soo toke he a dysshe that was
before hym, that was full of venyson, and seiite it to hym by
a squyre of his. a 1500 Remedie o/Loue in Thynne Chaucer
(1532) 367 b/2 Venyson stohie is aye the swetter. 1578 T. N.
tr. Cong. iK India -ioct They sel in this market venison by
quarters or whole, as Does, Hares, Conies, .and many other
beastes, which they bring up for the purpose, and take in
hunting. 1598 Manwood /,a-:wi.F(;/-«/ v. (1615)49 Amongst
the common sort of people, nothing is accompted Venison,
but the flesh of Red and Fallow Deere. 1617 Mokyson
IttH. 111. 149 Hares are thought to nourish melancoly, yet
they are ealen as Venison, both rosled and boyled. 1672
JossELYS Neiv Eng, Rarities 48 Bears are very fat in the
fall of the leaf, at which time they are excellent venison.
1736 SiiERiDAM in Swift Lett. (1768) IV. 167 Our venison is
plenty: our weather too hot for its carriage. 1769 Gray
Lett., etc. (1775) 363 Fell mutton is. .in season. . ; it grows
fat on the mountains, and nearly resembles venison. x8i8
ScoTV Br. Lamm, ix, The huntsman's knife, presented to
her for the purpose of making the first incision in the stag's
breast, and thereby discovering the quality of the venison.
1837 \V. Irving Capt. Bjnneville III. 63 The party.. hunted
for a few days, until they had laid in a supply of dried buffalo
meat and venison. 1885 J. G. Bertram Brit. Aim. Contp.
70 The best venison for the table is supplied by the fallow
deer raised in the home parks of England.
p. 0460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 689 in Babees Bk.^
Capoun, pigge, vensoun bake, leche loinbard. 1502-3 Rec.
St. Mary at HUl (1905I 248 Payd . . ffor a reward for bryngyngofvenson,
1598 Manw^ood Lawes Forest v. (1615) 50
Our eldest English writers doe call the same Venson, and
not Venison : But by what reason I see not. 1697 Drydf.n
^tteid 1, 274 The jars of gen'rous wine.. He set abroach,
and for the feast prepar'd, In equal portions with the ven'son
shar'd. 1717 Prior Alma 1.378 If Vou Dine with my Lord
May'r, Roast-beef, and Ven'son is your Fare. i78oCowp]:r
Progr, Err. 220 Turtle and ven'son all his thoughts employ.
1784 — Task IV. 612 Whoso seeks an audit here Propitious,
pays his tribute, game or fish, Wild-fowl or ven'son.
b. With ^(an animal) or defining term.
c 1290 .V. Eng. Leg. I. 472 Huy nomen with heom into
heore schip bred i-novs and wyn, Venesun of heort and
hynd, and of wilde swyn. a 1400 Sgr. loive Degre 324
Storkes and snytes ther were also, And venyson freshe of
bucke and do. c 1410 Master o/Game (MS. Digby 182) iii,
J>e venysoun of hem [i.e. bucks] is reght goode, and ykept
and salted, as \>a.t of t>e hert. 1545 Elvot, Aprugna, the
ven>'Son of a wylde boore. 1609 Bible (Douay) i Kings iv.
23 The venison of hartes, roes, and baffles. 1648 Hexham
II, Het wildt'braedt van een Beer, the Venison of a wilde
Boare. 1650 Fuller Pisgah i, v. 12 Venison both red and
fallow. 1814 ScoTT Wav. xii. note. The learned in cookery
..hold roe-venison dry and indifTerent food, unless [etc.],
1852 MuNDY Antipodes (1857) 6 A haunch of kangaroo
venison. 1885 J. G. BEinMAM Brit. Aim. Contp. 70 A
haunch of red deer venison is not much appreciated, as it
is expensive and troublesome to cook.
o. Used allusively (see quot.).
1579 NoRTHBROOKE Didng (1843) 22, I pray God the olde
prouerbe be not found true, that gentlemen and riche men
are venison in Heauen (that is), very rare and daintie to
haue them there.
2. Any beast of chase or other wild animal killed
by hunting, esp. one of the deer kind. Now arch.
13.. K. Alis. 1863 (Laud MS.\ Hij charged many a selcou|>e
beeste-.Wi^ Armure & ek vitayles ; Longe Cartes
wij> pauylounes, Hors & oxen f/\\> venisounes. 1338 R.
Bkun.se C/tron. (1810) 64 Whan Harald or \>g kyng wild
com Jrider eftsons In J>e lyme of g[r]ese, to tak \>Axn venysons.
c 1400 Sowdone Bab. 51 To chase the Bore or the
Veneson, The Wolfe, the Here and the Hawson. 1456 Sir
G. Have La7u Arms (.S.T.S.) 234 He sittand in a busk..
bydand the venysoun come stalkand by him stillely. 1535
CovERDALE Isaiah li. 20 Thy sonnes lie comfortles at y«
heade of euery strete like a taken venyson. 1588 Parkic tr.
Mendoza*s Hist. China g One whole venison is bought for
two rials. 1611 Shaks. Cymb. in. iii. 75 He that strikes The
Venison first, shall be tlie Lord o' ih' Feast. 1651 Cleve.
LAND Poems 12 The Ven'sons now in view, our hounds
spend deeper. 1727 [Dorrington] Philip Quarllis Ten to
one but I may give you a Venison. 1854 Thoreau IValden
(1884)302 One [hare] sat by my door. ..I took a step, and..
away it scud with an elastic spring, . .the wild free venison,
asserting its vigor. 1876 Forest ^ Stream 13 July 368/2
When you see a ' venzon (1892) 26S Thefyvesoitesof beastes of theForestcas alsoe
the fy ve .sortes of the beastes of Chace, all which ten sortes
are comprehended vnder the name of Venison. 1680 Mordf.n
Geog. Red. (1685) 347 Tiieir Venison is the Wild Boar, the
Hart, the Stag, the Fallow Deer and Hare, which are most
excellent. 1700 Tyrrell Hist. Eng, II. 819 The Vcrderers
and Foresters shall meet to view the Attachments of the
Forest, as well of Vert, as Venison. 1791 W. Gilimn
Forest Scenery II. 17 Under him are two distinct appointments
of officers; the one to preserve the venison of the
forest ; and the other to preserve its vert. 1854 Thoreau
IValden xiii, I was interested in the preservation of the
venison and the vert more than the hunters.
^. 1597 Constable Poems (1B59) 75 Course the fearefulle
Hare, Venson do not spare, a 1618 Sylvester Little Bartas
484 Wks. (Grosart) 11. 8g For Him, the Mountains, downs,
& Forrests breed Buffs, Beefs, Sheep, Venzon.
1 3. The action or practice of hunting ; veneiy.
Obs. rare.
J390 GowER Con/. II. 68Therscholde he with his Dart on
honde Upon the Tigre and the Leon Pourchace and take
his veneison. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De /*, R. xv. xxxiv.
(Tollem. MS.), 'Ihese men . gon aboute in large wildirnesse
.
as wylde men,., and lyuen by prayesand by venison, c 1520
Adam Belly Clim 0/ Clougky etc. iv. They were outlawed
for venyson, These thre yemen euereclione.
4. attrib, and Cojnb.^ as venison dish, plate, provider,
salesfnatij thief, tic, venison-like 'y ^6^).
1567 Maplet Gr. Forest 74 b, His flesh is Venesonlike
for the which he is so often hunted. 1734 Arbuthnot in
Pope Lett. (1735) L 340 My Venison Stomach is gone.
a 1743 R. Savage Progr. Divine Wks. 1777 II. 120 Some
plunder fishponds ; others (ven'son thieves) The forest
ravage. 1753 Chambers^ Cycl. Suppl. s.v.. Thus, in some
places, the wolf and the fox are reckoned among the Venison
beasts. 1854 Poultry Chron. II. 167 Thomas Fricker,
Game, Poultry, Pork, Venison, and Egg Salesman. 1858
SiMMONDS Diet. Trade, Venison-dish, a metal dish to keep
venison hot at table. Ibid., Venison-plate, a hot plate for
eating venison on. 1897 Outing XXIX. 437/2 A houndmaster,
gamekeeper, and venison provider.
b. In the sense of
', shoot him, shoot him, When
you shoot a venson, send me some to cook.
b. collect. (See quot. 1603.) "iiow arch.
a. X33SR. Brunne Chron. (1810) 112 pe kyng..Forsters
* I
'
!
j
1
made of or with, consisting
of, venison', as venison dinner, pasty, pie.
1598 Shaks. Mei-ry W. \. i. 202 We haue a hot Venison
pasty to dinner, 1665 in Maitland Club Miscell. (184a) 11.
527 For Venusone py, 005 08 00. x68i T. Flatman Heraclitus
Ridens No. 28 (1713) I. 184 The Whigs shall not
always Rule the Roast, nor the Custards and Venison-
Pasties neither. 1721 Amherst Terrse Fil. No. 1. 4 To see
the virtuous munificence of founders.. tost up in fricasees
and venison pasties. i8i8 Scott Rob Roy vi, ThornclifTs
person, stuffed as it is with beef, venison-pasty, and pudding.
1841 Thackeray Gt. Hoggnrty Diatnond iv. Since my
venison dinner and drive with Lady Doldrum. 1864 C.
Geikie Life in Woods vi. (1874) 117 Venison pie,., for days
after, furnished quite a treat in the house.
Hence Vo'nisonlaed ppl. c, cooked so as to
resemble venison. Venisoni'vorous a»^ given to
eating venison, nonce-words.
C1831 G. C. Lewis Lett. (1870) 10 People are very
venison Ivorous. 1881 Mrs. A. R. Ellis Sylvestra II. 29
The venisonized loin of mutton.
Veni'tary, rarf~^. [ad. med.L. venitariu/n^
f. venite: see next.] (See quot.)
1853 Rock Ch. of Fathers III. 11. xii. 213 Tlie Veuitary
was a small book, in which the ' Venite, exultemus Domino,'
. .with the appropriate invitatorium, . .was written out, and
the notation for the chant put beneath the words.
11 Venite (v/hsi-tz). [L. : 2nd pers. pi. imp.
of venire to come.] The ninety-fifth psalm (the
ninety-fourth in the Vulgate, beginning Venite,
exultemus Domino) used as a canticle at matins or
morning prayer ; the invitatory psalm ; also, a
musical setting of this,
a 1325 Ancr. R. i8 J>us do3 et euerich Gloria Patri, & et
te biginnunge of Jjc Venite. C1450 in Aungier Syon (1840)
364 The two sustres that be tabled to synge the versicles
schal synge the Venite and the first verse at matens. 1657
Sparrow Bk. Com. Prayer 32 The Venite. O come let us
sing unto the Lord. Tliis is an Invitatory Psalm. 1713
Gibson Codex Juris Eccl. Angl. 299 Invitatories, Some
Text of Scripture, adapted and chosen for the Occasion of
the Day, and used before the Venite. 1853 Rock Ch. of
Fathers HI. 11. xii. 213 On high feast days, the *Venite'
used to be sung with great solemnity, by the lulers of the
choir. 1877 J. D. Chambers Div. Worship 134 The mode
of singing the 'Venite', with an Invitatory superadded.
1899 A. C. Benson Life Abp. Benson I. xv. 580 He had
himself ushered to his place by the verger before the Venite.
fb. Venite book, a book containing a musical
setting of the ' Venite ' ; a venitary. Obs.
1434 Invent. St. Mary's, Scarborough in Archaeolo^ia LI.
66 Et unum librum vocatum Venite boke. 1537 in Glassock
Rec. St. Michaels 127 Item iij pryntid masbooke and a
venyte booke. 1559 Dwtmo^v Churchiv. MS. 43 b, A booke
of parchment conteyninge in yt a Venite booke, an ymnall,
and a boke for diriges and berialls.
Venitian. obs. f. Venetian. Venizon, obs. f.
Venison. Venk, southern ME. pa. t. Fang z^.l
Venkes(s, -is, -us, obs. varr. Vanquish v.
tVenlin. Obs. [a. obs. LG. venlin (obs. G.
fenlin, -kin ; now fdhnlein), dim. of vane (G.
somoun, enquered vp & doun, Whilk men of toun had
. did fahne) j taken his venysoun. C1386 Chaucer Doctors T, 83 A
I (of
theof of venisoun..Can kepe a forest best of every man.
c 1400 Brut 105 pe Kyng Elle was gon to |>e wode I
hiin forto
set ; de^orte : and of venysoun somdele he hade tak. 1464 Rolls
ofParlt.V. 533 The surveyng aswell of
conteyne i
theVerte as of the
\
Venyson of oure forest, a 1513 Fabyan Chron. i. clxxii. (1516)
'
«»/2 Vet therin
foure
is Venyson and other wylde beestes, and
Fowle, and Fysshe great plente. 1550 J. Coke Eng. 4- Fr.
Heralds § 6 Vousay you have fa>Te forestes,c bases and parkes
fuU of venyson marvelous. 1603 G. Owen Pembrokeshire
I
100
banner. Cf. Banner sb.^ 3.] A company
soldiers). (See also Vanlin.)
1541 St. Papers Hen. VIII (1849) VIII. 550 [They had
up four] venlins [or banners, each of which ought to]
[500]. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1994/1
They prouided the best they could to repell them, appointing
venlins or ensignes of lance knights to keepe a standins
watch that night in the trenches.
Ven'movrae, obs. form of Venomous a.
Venn(e, southern ME. variant of Fen sb.^
VENOM.
Veunel (ve*nel). Sc. {Ir.) and north. Forms ;
5- vennel, 5 venal(e, 6 wennall, -el, 6-9 vennell,
7 venel, 7-9 vennal, 8 vennile ; 7 viuell,
9 vinnel. \ji..O¥,v£nele, veiiel/e, vanelU (mod.F.
venclle) :~\\s folk felun,..Was
nedder nan o mar wenim. C1325 Prose Psalter xiii. 5
Venim of aspides, .i. nedders. £71386 Chaucer Pars. T.
P 195 The galle of the dragon shal been hire drynke, and the
venym of the dragon hire morsels. £^1450 St. Cuthbert
(Surtees) 6313 A serpent him our qweld. .; liot his venym it
did na sare. 1484 Caxton Fables of Msop v. viii, 'Ihe
serpent came oute and slewe the child through his venym.
^555 Eden Decades (Arb.) 67 marg., Serpentes without
venime. 1652 j. Wright tr. Camus' Nat. Paradox 111. 49
Like Spiders which make venim of Roses.
^. a 1300 Cursor M. 20959 ^e nedder o venum sa Strang.
a 1340 Hampole Psalter xiii. 5 Venome of snakis [is]
vndire l>e lippes of J>a.
a 1400-50 Alexander 4797 As gotis
out of guttars in golanand wedres. So voidis doun ^jc vemon
be vermyns schaftis. 1614 Disc. Strange ere be no grete
bestes of venym, 5it Jjere beej> venemous attercoppes.
2. Poison, esp. as administered to or drunk by a
person ; any poisonous or noxious substance, preparation,
or property ;
a morbid secretion or virus-
Now rare,
^ a. cxxg/o S. Eng. Leg. 408/207 Venim ich habbe, strong
i-nov^h, J?at ho-so barof nimeth ou5t..to dejse he worlh^
i-brou3t. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) loio Ech gias Jjat t>erinne
wexjj, a^en venim is. a 1300 C7trsor M. 21055 Venim he
drank wit-outen wath. 1377 Langl. P. PI. B. x\in. 152
For venym for-doth venym. 1380 Lay Folks Caiech. (Lamb.
MS.) 1133 Whi schuld venym or stynk leiie vsto visite men
in presun? £-1400 Maundev. (Roxb.) xvii, 80 If venym or
puyson be bro5t in place whare |)e dyamaund es, alsone it
waxez moyst. 1422 Vonge tr. Secreta Secret. 195 Many
kingys . . that myght not be ouercome with armys by wenym
loste ihar ly wis. t^j AnDViZVi Brztnswyke's Distyli. Waters