Obs. Also codpis, -piss. [f. COD sb.1 4 + PIECE.]

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  1.  A bagged appendage to the front of the close-fitting hose or breeches worn by men from the 15th to the 17th c.: often conspicuous and ornamented.

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c. 1460.  Towneley Myst., 313. A kodpese like a pokett.

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1530.  Palsgr., Codpese, braiette.

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1555.  Eden, Decades, I. viii. 38. The men … inclose their priuie members in a gourde cutte after the fashion of a codde-piece.

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1590.  Sir J. Smyth, Disc. Weapons, 28. The arrowes … light either upon their breasts, bellies, cod peeces, thighes, knees or legges.

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1591.  Shaks., Two Gent., II. vii. 53. You must needs haue them with a cod-peece (Madam).

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1598.  Marston, Pygmal., Sat. II. 145. Nay then I’le neuer raile at those That weare a codpis, thereby to disclose What sexe they are.

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1648.  Herrick, Hesper., Upon Shark. If the servants search, they may descry In his wide codpeece, dinner being done, Two napkins cramm’d up, and a silver spoone.

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1652.  Ashmole, Theat. Chem., Prol. 13. Uncouth Words … as a … Codpiece.

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1761.  Sterne, Tr. Shandy, Slawkenb. Tale. He put his breeches with his fringed cod-piece on.

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  b.  transf. A similar appendage to female attire, worn on the breast.

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1577.  Harrison, England, II. vii. (1877), I. 170. [The women’s] doublets with pendant codpeeses on the brest.

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  c.  fig.

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1603.  Shaks., Meas. for M., III. ii. 122. For the rebellion of a Cod-peece, to take away the life of a man?

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1682.  N. O., Boileau’s Lutrin, II. 15. Could not Faith once plighted … Cool thy hot Cod-piece, but thou must be Gadding?

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  2.  attrib., as cod-piece button; cod-piece point, the lace with which the cod-piece was fastened.

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1584.  R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., IV. iv. 61. He … made the yoong man untrusse his codpeece point.

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1599.  Nashe, Lenten Stuffe (1871), 39. Whereof the foremost codpiece point is the crane’s proverb in painted clothes, ‘Fear God, and obey the King.’

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1658.  trans. Bergerac’s Satyr. Char., i. 1. Winter hath tyed the Earth’s Codpiece point, & hath made the substance Impotent.

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1703.  Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 56. It is us’d for Tobacco-boxes, Cod-piece-buttons, Heads for Walking-staves, &c.

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  Hence † Cod-pieced a.

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1575.  G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (1884), 98. Largbellid kodpeasid dubletts.

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1655.  trans. Sorel’s Com. Hist. Francion, I–III. 12. Any cold cod-pieced fellow.

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