Chaucer's Works, Volume 6 — Introduction, Glossary, and Indexes

by Geoffrey Chaucer

Lake, s. lake, pond, 5. 313; D 269.

Lake, s. a kind of fine white linen cloth, B 2048. Halliwell notes that shirts were formerly made of it, and quotes a passage containing the phrase 'white as lake.' The word probably was imported from the Low Countries, as laken is a common Dutch word for cloth; the Dutch for a sheet is also laken or bedlaken.

Lakken, v. find fault with, disparage, blame, R. 284; ger. to blame, T. i. 189; Lakketh, pr. s. lacks, B 1437, G 498; pr. s. impers. lacks; me lakketh, I lack, 2. 105; 3. 898; Lakke, 2 pr. pl. lack, are in want of, D 2109; Lakked, pt. s. was lacking, was wanting, A 2280, C 41; Lakkede, pt. s. impers. A 756; Lakked, F 16, 1186.

Lakking, s. lack, stint, R. 1147.

Lamb, s. 1. 172; L. 2318; A 3704, B 459, 1771, E 538; Lomb, L. 1798; B 617; Lambes, pl. I 792.

Lambe-skinnes, pl. lambskins, R. 229.

Lambik, s. limbeck; A lambik, for Alambik, T. iv. 520 n.

Lambish, adj. gentle as lambs, 9. 50.

Lame, adj. lame, weak, T. ii. 17; halting, 1. 76.