Obs. Also 5 charnaill, -ale, 6 -elle, 6–7 -ell, -aylle, chernell, 8 charnal. [a. OF. charnel, prob.:—L. cardināle, neut. of cardināl-is of or pertaining to a hinge (cardo, cardin-); cf. It. cardinale, and Sp. charnela hinge.] A hinge.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VII. 1153. On charnaill bandis na[i]ld it full fast and sone.
1488. in Ld. Treas. Acc. Scotl., I. 84. Item, a ring with a paddok stane with a charnale.
1511. MS. Acc. St. John’s Hosp., Canterb. For ij charnellis and ij barys for þe ovyn ys mowth. Ibid. (1531), For ij new paire of charnellis for the pewys in the Church.
1570. B. Googe, Pop. Kingd., I. (1880), 7. Charnels that are fixed fast, and beare the doore in frame.
1726. Monro, Anat., 46–7. The Hinge of a Door or Window;… Tradesmen call it Charnal.
b. The hinge of a helmet, on which the beaver and visor moved.
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, III. xxii. Fyrst they haue hewen and to broke The mighty charnelle of his bassenet And whan his vyser after was of smet … his face naked was and bare.
1510. Justes at Westmtr., in Meyrick, Anc. Armour, II. 252. Item who breaketh his spere above the charnell to be allowed ii speres well broken.
1548. Hall, Chron. 12 Hen. VIII. (1809), 612. The Charnell of his Hedde pece … was broken.
1577. Harrison, England, II. v. (1877), I. 120. His helme … from the charnell vpwards ought to be of three inches at the least.
[1830. G. P. R. James, Darnley, I. x. 238. Broke his spear twice on the very charnel of his helmet.]
