Obs. Forms: 1 (cebis), ciefes, cifes, cefes, ceafes, cyfys, cyfese, 3 chivese, chevese. [OE. cębis (= ƀ), cęfes, ciefes, cifes, cyfes str. fem., and ciefese, cyfese wk. fem.:—WGer. kavis, kavisâ, MLG. keves, kevese, MDu. kefse, kevisse, Du. kevis, OHG. chebis, chebisa (MHG. kebes, keb(e)se, Ger. kebse):—OTeut. *kaƀisjâ-, *kaƀisjôn-. ON. has a cognate masculine kefsir (:—kaƀisjo-z).]
A concubine, mistress, leman.
a. 700. Epinal Gloss., 745. Pelices, cebisae—Erf. [? pellex] caebis.
a. 800. Corpus Gloss., 1540. Pelices, cebise.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., VI. xxx. § 4. His suna … ðone he haefde be Elenan his ciefese.
a. 1000. in Thorpe, Laws, I. 406 (Bosw.). Se ðe hæbbe riht wif, and eac cifese [v.r. ceafese, cefese].
c. 1205. Lay., 6356. Ane chiuese [1275 lemman] him ichæs.
c. 1225. St. Marher., 3. Yef ha is freo wummon, ich hire wull habben ant to wif halden; yef ha theowe is, ich cheose hire to cheuese.
