Forms: 4–6 lavor, lavour(e, 5 lavowre, lavre, lavyre, lawere, -owre, -orre, Sc. levare, 5–6 Sc. lavar, 6 Sc. lawer, lawar(e, (dial. leyver), 5– laver. [a. OF. laveoir, lavur:—L. lavātōrium: see LAVATORY.]
1. A vessel, basin or cistern for washing; in early use, chiefly a wash-hand-basin or a water-jug, usually of metal; occas. a pan or bowl for water, irrespective of its purpose. Now only poet. or rhetorical. † Also applied to the piscina, and to the lavatory in a monastic cloister.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 287. Assen, oxen, hors, and houndes … been assayd at diuerse stoundes, Bacyns, lauours, er that men hem bye.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 196. Þan kam I to þat cloister … it was … Wiþ lauoures of latun louelyche y-greithed.
a. 1400. Octouian, 1299. Lauor and basyn they gon calle, To wassche and aryse.
1420. E. E. Wills (1882), 46. Also iij. basc[i]nus,… with ij. lauerus.
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 232. Þy Ewry borde with basons & lauour, watur hoot & cold, eche oþer to alay.
1483. Act 1 Rich. III., c. 12 § 2. That no merchaunt Straungier … brynge into this Realme … Chafynge disshes hangynge lavers [etc.].
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 442 b/1. He wessheth his handes at the pyscyne or lauer for this yt no thynge of the Sacramente ne may abyde at his handes.
1487. Will of Laurence (Somerset Ho.). A water laver for the fyr.
1488. Inv. R. Wardr. (1815), 10. Item a levare of silver ouregilt with a cover.
1507. Pilton Churchw. Acc. (Somerset Rec. Soc.), 53. Item j basen and j lauer of laten.
1549. Compl. Scot., Ep. to Q. Mary 7. He gart delyuir to the said pure man … ane goldin vattir lauar.
1552–3. Inv. Ch. Goods, Staff., in Ann. Lichfield (1863), IV. 31. A handbell, a crosse of wodde, a surples, and a lavor.
1557–8. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 715. In factura unius hostii pro le lavers, 8d.
1579. Langham, Gard. Health (1633), 514. Wash thy hands in a lauer, wherin is put some Sage.
1593. Rites of Durh. (Surtees), 70. Within the Cloyster Garth … was a fair Laver or Conditt.
1598. Florio, Vacile, a basen to wash hands in, a lauer.
1605. Timme, Quersit., I. xiii. 58. Vulcan washed Phœbus in the same lauer.
1647. A. Ross, Myst. Poet., xvi. (1648), 383. In her temple at Cumæ … Justin Martyr … saw the three lavers where she used to wash her self.
1725. Pope, Odyss., I. 182. With copious water the bright vase supplies A silver laver, of capacious size. Ibid., III. 558. Young Aretus … Brought the full laver o’er their hands to pour.
1864. Daniel-Tyssen, Ch. Bells of Sussex, 11. [The Bell-founders’ arms.] A chevron between three lavers.
b. Used to render Vulg. labrum, Heb. kiyyōr, applied to the large brazen vessel for the ablutions of the priests, mentioned in the descriptions of the Mosaic Tabernacle and of the Temple of Solomon.
1535. Coverdale, Exod. xxx. 18. Thou shalt make a brasen lauer … to wash. Ibid., 1 Kings vii. 39. The lauer set he before on the righte hande towarde the south.
1647. R. Baillie, Anabaptism, 166. The laver … was not of the capacity for one man to bath.
1869. W. P. Mackay, Grace & Truth (1875), 46. Nicodemus, as a teacher in Israel, should have been looking for the antitype of temple and laver.
c. The basin of a fountain. Obs. exc. arch.
1604. Dekker, King’s Entertainm., E 3 b. Some prettie distaunce from them an artificiall Lauer or Fount was erected.
1645. Evelyn, Diary, 18 Jan. Many stately fountaines … casting water into antiq lavors.
1664. Pepys, Diary, 14 June. A mighty fine, cool place it is, with a great laver of water in the middle.
1670. Blount, Glossogr., Laver, a Pond or washing place.
1825. Longf., Spirit Poetry, 14. Where the silver brook, From its full laver, pours the white cascade.
2. transf. and fig. The baptismal font; the spiritual ‘washing’ of baptism; in wider sense, any spiritually cleansing agency. After Gr. λουτρόν παλιγγενεσίας Tit. iii. 5: cf. LAVACRE.
1340. Ayenb., 162. Þet oþer þing is zoþe ssrifte þet is þet lauor huer he him ssel ofte wesse.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton), I. xiii. (1859), 9. Eke thenne hit sheweth that he hath this lauure desalowid.
1548–9. (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Privale Baptism, This holesome lauer of regeneracion.
1574. trans. Marlorat’s Apocalips, 29. Seeyng that Baptime is called the Lauer of newe birth.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus, ii. 14. This is the onely fountaine opened to the house of Dauid for Sinne and Vncleannesse, this is the onely lauer of the Church.
1631. Weever, Anc. Funeral Mon., 59. At whose hands he receiued the lauer of baptisme.
1670. Moral State Eng., 2. Baptism is the Lavre of Regeneration.
a. 1684. Leighton, Wks. (1835), I. 115. No other laver can fetch it out but the Sprinkling of The Blood of Jesus Christ.
1846. Keble, Lyra Innoc. (1873), 49. Christ’s Laver hath refreshing power.
† 3. A process or mode of ablution. Obs.
1671. L. Addison, W. Barbary, viii. 148. All the Musalmim of the Alcoran use washing in a mystic signification of internal purity, and … the soul receives the benefit of their corporeal Lavors.
1671. Milton, Samson, 1727. And from the stream With lavers pure and cleansing herbs wash off The clotted gore.
a. 1684. Leighton, Comm. 1 Pet. ii. 9. 303. No other Laver can do it, no water, but that fountain opened for sin.
4. attrib.
1660. Act 12 Chas. II., c. 4 Schedule s.v. Brass, Brass of Laver Cocks the pound j. s. iv d.
