Obs. Forms: 1 ádl. North. 3 adle. [from same root as ad burning, hence orig. inflammation, fever. It does not seem to have survived the 12th c. in southern Eng., where it would have become odle. Not connected with ADDLE in addle-egg.] Sickness, disease.
c. 1000. Ags. Gospels, Matt. x. 1. And hældun ádle, and ælce untrumnysse.
c. 1160. Hatt. Gosp., ibid. And helden adle, & ælche untrumnysse.
c. 1200. Ormulum, 4803. Onn all hiss bodiʓ her & tær Þurrh an full atell adle.
