Obs. Forms: 5 enceym, 5–7 ensayme, -seame, (7 ensaim, -sayn), 6– enseam; also 7–8 inseame. [ad. OF. *ensaime-r (cf. ensemer in Cotgr.), altered form of essaimer (mod. esseimer, essimer), f. es-, L. ex- + OF. (*saim), saïn grease (mod. sain-doux lard):—med.L. sagīmen stuffing. Cf. SEAM sb. grease, lard.]
1. trans. To cleanse (a hawk, later also a horse) of superfluous fat.
c. 1450. Bk. Hawkyng, in Rel. Ant., I. 308. Withdrawe his mete in the mewe sevennyghe and wasch it eche tyme, and sumtyme with vinegre til he be enceymyd.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, B j a. It is tyme for to fede hir with wash mete and to begynne to ensayme hire.
a. 1528. Skelton, Ware Hawke, 78. She was not clene ensaymed.
1575. Turberv., Falconrie, in Edin. Rev. (1872), Oct., 356. How you shall enseame a hawke, or give her castings and scourings.
1598. Florio, Alenare, to enseame a horse.
1611. Cotgr., Ensemer, to inseam; unfatten.
1614. Markham, Cheap Husb. (1623), 55. Till you have enseamed him [your hunting horse], hardned his flesh, taken away his inward grease.
1639. T. de Grey, Compl. Horsem., 340. If you bee in the way of ensayning your horse.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist., III. 69. Twenty days before we enseam a falcon.
¶ b. (See quot.: perh. only a misapprehension.)
1611. Cotgr., Affener, to feed or inseame with hay; to stall-feed.
2. intr. for refl. of the hawk: To become clear of superfluous fat, etc.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, B iij a. As she ensaymeth hir fete will wax yolow and smothe.
1615. Latham, Falconry (1633), 62. Reasonable time … that she may inseame inwardly, and outwardly together.
Hence Enseaming vbl. sb.
c. 1575. Perfect Bk. Sparhawkes (1886), 15. Ensayming is to take her gresynes and foulnes awaye.
1615. Latham, Falconry (1633), 45. No one of the other sort of hawks is in a quarter of that danger in their inseaming that she is in.
