Obs. 4–7; also achat. [a. OFr. (12th c.) achat purchase:—earlier OFr. and Norm. acat, whence the earlier Eng. form acat, acate, which became achat, achate, under later Fr. influence, and in the original sense of purchase. In the sense of provisions, the prevailing form remained ACATES, aphetized CATES.]
1. The act of purchasing or buying; purchase; contract, bargain.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boethius, 15. Coempcioun þat is to seyn comune achat or bying to-gidere. Ibid. (c. 1386), Prol., 570. For whethur that he payde, or took by taille, Algate he wayted so in his Acate [later MSS. achaat(e, achate].
c. 1460. Bk. Curtasye, in Babees Bk. (1868), 317. of achatis and dispenses þen wrytes he.
1601. Househ. Ord. Edw. II., § 43 (1876), 25. He must make the achates in due manner for the kinges best profet.
1691. Blount, Law Dict., Achat is used for a Contract or Bargain.
2. pl. Things purchased; provisions that were not made in the house, by the baker or brewer, but had to be purchased as wanted. In this sense more commonly ACATES.
1469. Ord. Royal Househ., 93. Pieces of beefe, & moton, & all other acates.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., II. ix. 31. The kitchin clerke, that hight Digestion, Did order all th’achates in seemely wise.
1644. Heylin, Life of Laud, II. 300. Every Office in the Court had their several diets … with great variety of Achates.
