Obs. Also 3 eastre, 4 ester(e, hestre, 5 esture, estyr. [a. OF. estre being, condition (in pl. = sense 2), orig. a subst. use of estre (mod.F. être) to be. In sense 2 b this was in Fr. already confused with another word, = Pr. estra fem., of unknown etymology.]
1. Condition of being, way of life, position, circumstances; also, a state of things.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 5467. To wite of Alisaundres estre … Grete wille had Porus the kyng.
c. 1314. Guy Warw. (A.), 4563. Siker þou be þat al mi pine & alle mine estris ichil telle þe.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 94. He told him of alle þe estere, þat him mette þat nyght.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 272. What shall I telle unto Silvestre Or of your name or of your estre.
a. 1400. Sir Perc., 1559. Thay … talked and tolde Off othir estres fulle olde.
2. concr. a. A place; places generally; hence the parts about a country; localities, a region; also an estate, dominions.
c. 1205. Lay., 3583. Leir is an is londe, icume ouer sæ streme to isen is eastresse.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 10586. So long he [Tumna] leuede yn þat estre Þat for hys name he hyȝt Tuncestre. Ibid. (c. 1330), Chron. (1810), 891. To Wales is William schaken, estres to spie. Ibid., 145. He bouht Two maners tille his estre. Ibid., 212. Jon regned in þis estre kyng auhten ȝere.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, III. v. (1554), 74 a. He gan espie thestres of the place.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 293. He toke hym come To spere the estyrs of Rome.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxxiii. 221. The noble baron of stafford priked hir hors vp and doune by the hylles for to kepe the estres [ed. 1520 estrees] of the countrey.
b. Chiefly pl. Apartments, dwellings, quarters; the inner rooms in a house, divisions or alleys in a garden, etc.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 296. Brouhte o brune alle hire huses [v.r. eastres].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2252 (Cott.). His esters sal we see ful suyth.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 7611. Y wol sende hire love-drewry, And hire hestris eke aspye.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 816. At hir dore and hir fenester Hadde y blisced and ech ester.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1768. Ȝede a grom of grece in þe gardyn to pleie to bi-hold þe estres & þe herberes so faire.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1711, Lucrece. The husbonde knew the estris wel & fyn.
c. 1400. Beryn, 556. For thow knowest better then I, al the estris of this house, go vp thy selff and spy.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 1448. I wente … Aboute the place; it was not left, Tyl I hadde all the gardyn bene In the estres that men might sene.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XIX. vii. Pleaseth it yow to see the estures [printed by Caxton eftures] of this castel.
1775. in Ash.
3. App. used for: Fruit, produce.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter lxiv [lxv.] 11. Fele falde his estres in þe land [Vulg. multiplica genimina ejus (sc. terræ)].
