Also 4–7 lyst(e, liste, 5 liest, lyyst(e. [OE. líste wk. fem. = MDu. lijste (Du. lijst), OHG. lîsta (MHG. lîste, mod.G. leiste); the Teut. word was adopted in Rom. as It. lista, F. liste; the ON. lista (ĭ) is prob. from Fr. or ME.]
I. Border, edging, strip.
† 1. gen. A border, hem, bordering strip. Obs.
a. 700. Epinal Gloss., 583. Lembum, listan vel thres.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1761. Þe myst dryues Þorȝ þe lyst of þe lyfte, bi þe loȝ medoes.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (1887), p. 464 (MS. A). His targe wiþ gold list He carf atvo.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, vii. (Jacobus Minor), 48. Þai stryfe wald, quha mycht fyrst Of his kirtil nycht þe liste.
1433. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), II. 49. Unam tuellam de twill, cum nigris lystez.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XIII. Prol. 38. The nycht furthspred hyr cloke with sabill lyst.
1591. G. Fletcher, Russe Commw. (Hakl. Soc.), 16. In the very farthest part and list of Europe bordering upon Asia.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. xx. § 10. [They] haue thought it better to let them [the books of the Apocrypha] stand as a list or marginall border vnto the olde Testament.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, I. vi. 15. Trachonitis, the coursest list and most craggy ground about the countrey of Judea.
1684. R. Waller, Nat. Exper., 96. The water begins first to congeal at the top round the edges, and from that List of Ice shoots several small Threads to the middle.
1696. Bp. Patrick, Comm. Exod. xxv. 11. A Border or List of Gold went round at the Top of it.
† b. Applied to the lobe of the ear. Obs. [Cf. G. ohrleiste, which, however, means the ‘helix’ of the ear; also LIST sb.1 2.]
1530. Palsgr., 239/2. Lyste of the eare, mol de loraylle.
1611. Cotgr., s.v. Mol.
1631. Dekker, Match me in Lond., II. 30. They haue giuen it me soundly, I feele it vnder the lists of both eares.
2. spec. The selvage, border or edge of a cloth, usually of different material from the body of the cloth. † Phrase, within the lists (usual in statements of measurement). [So F. liste in Cotgr.]
[1297. Magna Carta Edw. I., c. xxv. Una latitudo pannorum tinctorum, russetorum, & haubergettorum scilicet due ulne infra listas.]
1433. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 452/1. The lyste at the one ende of all soche Streite Clothes.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 307/1. Lyyst of clothe, forago.
1523. Act 14 & 15 Hen. VIII., c. 1. All maner of white brode wollen clothes with crumpil listes, otherwise called bastardes.
1535. Act 27 Hen. VIII., c. 12 § 2. Euery brode cloth shall conteine in breadth seuen quarters of a yarde within the listes at the least.
1592. Nashe, P. Penilesse (ed. 2), 8. For his breeches they were made of the lists of broad cloaths.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., I. ii. 30. As there may betweene the Lists, and the Veluet. Thou art the List.
1677. W. Hubbard, Narrative, II. 1. The List or Border here being known to be more worth then the whole Cloth.
1700. Tyrrell, Hist. Eng., II. 716. Woollen-Cloaths that were not two Ells within the Lists, according to King Richard’s [1st] late Assize, or Statute.
1835. Ure, Philos. Manuf., 186. A few threads of strong coarse yarn are placed to form the lists or selvages of the cloth.
1842. Bischoff, Woollen Manuf., II. 396. The list is made in the West of England frequently of goats’ hair.
1844. G. Dodd, Textile Manuf., iii. 104. The tenter-hooks were driven into poles and rails, and the cloth hung on them by the ‘list’ at the edges.
b. fig. and proverbial.
1589. Pappe w. Hatchet, A 2 b. Yet find fault with broad termes, for I haue mesured yours with mine, & I find yours broader iust by the list.
1596. Lodge, Marg. Amer. (1876), 24. Arsadachus knowing the cloth by the list, the bill by the Item, the steele by the marke [etc.].
1622. Peacham, Compl. Gent., i. (1634), 15. Which miserable ambition hath so furnished both Towne and Countrey with Coates of a new list, that [etc.].
1655. H. Vaughan, Silex Scint., II. Garland. False joyes,… Peeces of sackcloth with silk lists.
1677. Gilpin, Demonol. (1867), 294. Who will reject a fine web of cloth, as one speaks, for a little coarse list at the end.
c. In generalized use: Such selvages collectively; the material of which the selvage of cloth consists.
1567. Harman, Caveat (Shaks. Soc.), 33. Their armes bounde up with kercher or lyste.
1693. Evelyn, De la Quint. Compl. Gard., II. 62. We must … constrain the Branches of those Fig-Trees, as near as we can to the Walls,… with Nails and List.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, I. 263. Sissly … Pulls off her Garter of woolen List.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand., lxi. (1804), 438. A dirty rag … tied with two pieces of list.
1772. Mrs. Delany, Lett., Ser. II. I. 401. I have had list nailed round my doors, and stopping every crack and crevice that let in cold air [etc.].
1901. Q. Rev., April, 483. By 1850 india-rubber had superseded list for cushions [of billiard-tables].
d. attrib. (quasi-adj.) = Made of list.
1661. Inuentarye, in MS. Rawl. A. 182 lf. 311. On rugg, 2 Liste couerlids [etc.].
1847. C. Brontë, Jane Eyre, xvii. (1890), 171. Her quiet tread muffled in a list slipper.
1851. Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib., 1121. List carpet.
1866. Mrs. H. Wood, St. Martin’s Eve, xvii. (1874), 193. I have got on list shoes, ma’am.
1901. Q. Rev., April, 485. List cushions were abandoned in favour of rubber.
3. A strip of cloth or other fabric.
a. 1300. Birth Jesus, 587, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1875), 91. And bond him wiþ aliste.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 19845. A mikel linnen clath four squar Laten dun, him thoght was þar, At nokes four, four listes lang, Vnto þe lift þar-wit it hang.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. VI. 8. He bar a bordun I-bounde wiþ a brod lyste.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VI. iv. (1495), 191. Chyldrens … lymmes ben bounde wyth lystes and other couenable bondes that thei ben not crokid.
c. 1450. ME. Med. Bk. (Heinrich), 122. Bynde him aboue þe brawon of þe arme wyþ a good lyste.
a. 1525[?]. Treat. Galaunt, 186, in Hazl., E. P. P., III. 159. Theyr gownes and theyr cotes shredde all in lystes.
1546. Phaër, Bk. Childr. (1553), X v b. Make a girdie of a wollen list mete for the midle of the pacient.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., III. ii. 69. With a linnen stock on one leg, and a kersey boot-hose on the other, gartred with a red and blew list.
1713. Swift, Elegy on Partridge, Wks. 1755, III. II. 80. A list the cobler’s temples ties, To keep the hair out of his eyes.
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Amble, Many fold fine soft Lists about the Gambrels of the Horse.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 37. The four seams adorned with lists of a different colour from that of the cap.
transf. 1599. B. Jonson, Cynthia’s Rev., V. ii. Wks. 1616, I. 246. You slaue, you list, you shreds, you—. (Beats the Tailor). Ibid. (1614), Barth. F., IV. iv. (1631), 67. Those superstitious reliques, those lists of Latin, the very rags of Rome, and patches of Poperie.
† b. Formerly often: A strip of cloth used for filtering or for causing a liquid to drip. Obs.
1593. T. Hyll, Art Gardening, 152. Putting clothes or lists … hanging halfe out of the pan … that they may so drop continually water on them in the forme of feltring, as the wise name it.
c. 1623. Lodge, Poor Mans Talent (1881), 12. Distill them by a filter, which is by a list, or passe them through a cloth or bagg.
1660. Boyle, New Exp. Phys. Mech., xxxv. 263. We resolved, instead of a List of Cotton, or the like Filtre, to make use of a Siphon of Glass.
4. A band or strip of any material; a line or band conspicuously marked on a surface. ? Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. clxii. (1495), 709. A meete borde is areryd and sette vpon fete: and compassed wyth a lyste abowte.
c. 1575. J. Hooker, Life Sir P. Carew (1857), 108. His herse was set up … with list and rail garnished with scutcheons.
1599. R. Linche, Anc. Fiction, M ij. A certaine white list and streake, called by the Astrologers Via lactea.
1648. Gage, West Ind., xii. (1655), 57. Their shooes … the outside whereof of the profaner sort are plated with a list of silver.
1669. Boyle, Contn. New Exp., I. (1682), 55. The divisions of an Inch made on a list of paper.
1686. Plot, Staffordsh., 413. There is a list of grass greener than ordinary, call’d St. Kenelms-furrow.
1713. Derham, Phys. Theol., VII. ii. 379. A black List of Something adhering to the Rock—which he found was a great number of Swallows.
1747. Gentl. Mag., 310. Their ends [of wire] being fastened to the under parts of the boards at XX, by means of a list of tin, half inch broad, which is nailed over them.
1776. Phil. Trans., LXVII. 37. I have glued three wooden lists on the back of the board to prevent its warping.
b. One of the divisions of a head of hair, of a beard. [? Suggested by It. lista.]
1859. Tennyson, Vivien, 242. A comb of pearl to part The lists of such a beard as youth gone out Had left in ashes.
1880. A. J. Butler, Dante’s Purg., i. 4. He wore his beard long and mingled with white hair, like to his locks, of which a twofold list [orig. una doppia lista] fell to his breast.
5. A stripe of color. ? Obs. (Cf. F. liste.)
1496. Fysshynge w. Angle (1883), 34. The body of blacke wull & a yelow lyste after eyther syde.
1530. Palsgr., 239/2. Lyste on horsebacke, raye.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, III. (1629), 273. His horse was of a firie sorrell, with blacke feete, and blacke list on his backe.
1621. Ainsworth, Annot. Pentat., Exod. xxviii. 19. There are many colours [of Agate] and some the best, that are greene with a golden list.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., VI. xi. 334. The Asse having a peculiar marke of a crosse made by a blacke list downe his backe, and another athwart.
1650. Bulwer, Anthropomet., Pref. Painted with lists, here, naked arms behold.
1772–84. Cook, Voy. (1790), I. 319. The blue cat … having a fine blue tinge, with a beautiful red list down its back.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist., II. 49. All along the back there runs a white list, which ends at the insertion of the tail.
1846. P. Parley’s Ann., VII. 35. With some black about the face, and a list of the same down the hind part of the neck.
† b. Used for: A mark of a wound, a scar. Obs. rare–1.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xxi. 464. He sholde never have knowen hym, yf it had not be a lityll liste [orig. cicatrice] that he had by his right eye.
6. Arch. † a. (See quot. 1812–6.) Obs. b. A small square molding or ring encircling the foot of a column, between the torus below and the shaft above. (Cf. LISTEL.)
Cf. obs. F. liste, ‘a small square out-iutting brow, or member of a piller’ (Cotgr.).
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, 32. The Freese, the List, the Ovolo.
1735. Dyche & Pardon, Dict., List,… a Fillet or flat Ring that ornaments the Bottoms of Columns immediately above the Torus.
1745. Pococke, Descr. East, II. II. 156. The capital consisting only of a large list or square stone, and a large quarter round under that.
1812–6. J. Smith, Panorama Sci. & Art, I. 177. The list or spiral line of the volute runs along the face of the abacus.
1842–59. Gwilt, Archit., Gloss.
7. In various technical senses. † a. (See quot. 1688.) b. Carpentry. (? U.S.) ‘The upper rail of a railing’ (Knight, Dict. Mech., 1875). c. Carpentry. A strip cut from the edge of a plank. (Cf. LIST v.3 3). d. Tin-plating. The wire of tin left on the under edge of a tinned plate, which is removed by plunging the plate into the list-pot.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 285/1. The Parts of a [Wool-] Card…. The List, is that as is nailed to hold the Leaf.
1834. J. Holland, Manuf. Metal, III. 37. There is always … a list or selvage of tin on the lower edge of every plate…. When the list is melted … the boy takes out the plate.
II. Boundary.
† 8. A limit, bound, boundary. Often pl. Obs.
1389. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 44. Any brother or sister yat duellen wyt-outen ye lystys of thre myle from ye cite.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 10669. All the ledis to the listes on the laund past. Ibid., 10018.
1559. Primer, in Priv. Prayers (1851), 90. The miserable captives, which as yet be hedged in within the lists of death.
1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 334/1. God setteth vs barres and listes.
1587. Golding, De Mornay, vii. (1617), 94. The Tropicks are his [the Sunnes] vttermost lists.
a. 1592. H. Smith, Serm. (1637), 203. As though humility were the bond of all duties, like a list which holdeth men in compasse.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., V. ii. 295. You and I cannot bee confin’d within the weake Lyst of a Countreyes fashion. Ibid. (1601), Twel. N., III. i. 86. I am bound to your Neece sir: I meane she is the list of my voyage.
1638. Chillingw., Relig. Prot., I. Concl. 411. To keepe my discourse within those very lists and limits which yourself have prescrib’d.
1645. Quarles, Sol. Recant., VI. 60. To what strange Lists Is her conceal’d Omnipotence confin’d?
† b. Region, territory. Obs.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, 57. Whateuer foggy Mists Do blind men in these sublunary Lists.
9. spec. in pl. († sometimes construed as sing.) as the equivalent of the like-sounding OF. lisse (mod.F. lice): The palisades or other barriers enclosing a space set apart for tilting; hence, a space so enclosed in which tilting-matches or tournaments were held. † Phr. in, within (the) lists. Sometimes, by extension, the arena in which bulls fight or wrestlers contend, etc. † Also (rarely) sing. in the same sense.
[The OF. lisse (see LYCE, used once by Caxton), which appears to have influenced the application of the Eng. word, is of doubtful etymology; it corresponds to Sp. liza, Pg. liça, It. lizza, med.L. liciæ palisades, lists. Hatz.-Darm. suggest a late L. type *listia, f. OHG. lista: see above.]
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sqr.’s T., 660. Cambalo That faught in listes with the bretheren two For Canacee.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 4199. Without the diche were listes made, With walles batayled large and brade.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., 497 (Douce MS.). Þe lordes by-lyue hom to list ledes With many seriant of mace.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VIII. xxii. Blamor … tooke his hors at the one ende of the lystes, and sire Trystram atte other ende of the lystes.
1475. Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.), 77. To doo armes in liestis to the utteraunce.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cliv. 183. These two dukes came into the felde, all armed, in a lystes made for ye sayd duke of Almayne, chalenger, and for the duke of Englande, defender.
1589. Pasquil’s Return, C iv b. It fareth with them, as it dooth with the Wrastler within the Lystes.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., II. iii. 43. On paine of death, no person be so bold … as to touch the Listes, Except the Marshall.
1621. Lady M. Wroth, Urania, 497. Encountering his enemie in a List, made of purpose betweene the Campe, and Castle.
1672. Dryden, Conq. Granada, I. i. When the Lists set wide, Gave room to the fierce Bulls.
1812. Byron, Ch. Har., I. lxxii. The lists are oped, the spacious area clear’d.
1813. Scott, Trierm., II. vii. A summer-day in lists shall strive My knights.
1842. Tennyson, Sir Galahad, i. They reel, they roll in clanging lists.
b. transf. and fig. A place or scene of combat or contest. Phr. To enter (the) lists.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., xcix. Now is she in the very lists of love, Her champion mounted for the hot encounter.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., v. 100. As when his Trytons’ trumps doe them to battell call Within his surging lists to combat with the Whale.
a. 1626. Bp. Andrewes, 7 Serm. Wond. Combat, vi. (1627), 88. The lysts where this temptation was vsed, was the Mountaine.
1647. N. Bacon, Disc. Govt. Eng., I. iv. (1739), 9. I hold it both needless and fruitless to enter into the Lists, concerning the original of the Saxons. Ibid., lix. 116. The King, loth to enter the List with the Clergy about too many matters.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, Wks. (1711), 22/2. See, Chloris, how the clouds Tilt in the azure lists.
1671. Milton, Samson, 463. Dagon hath presum’d, Me overthrown, to enter lists with God.
1725. Pope, Odyss., VIII. 110. Demodocus … Majestic to the lists of Fame repairs.
1831. Brewster, Newton (1855), I. iv. 77. The Royal Society … contained few individuals … capable of … entering the lists against his … assailants.
1848. Kingsley, Saint’s Trag., IV. i. 35. [Let] the spirit Range in free battle lists.
1878. Browning, Poets Croisic, lxii. Slight lists Wherein the puppet-champions wage … mimic war.
† 10. a. sing. and pl. An encircling palisade; a railed or staked enclosure. b. pl. The starting-place of a race (= L. carceres). Also sing. a race-course or exercising ground for horses. Obs.
1581. Styward, Mart. Discipl., I. 59. The citie, pales or lyst or fort where ye campe is lodged.
1598. Hakluyt, Voy., I. 68. All these were placed without the lists [L. extra tabulatum].
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 222. To the Lists they [horses] must not be brought to enter into any mastries there before they be full fiue yeres of age.
1644. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), I. 101. A list to ride horses in, much frequented by the gallants in summer.
1662. H. More, Philos. Writ., Pref. Gen. (1712), 12. We both setting out from the same Lists, though taking several ways,… meet together … at the same Gaol.
1737. West, Lett. (in verse), in Gray’s Poems (1775), 19. As yet just started from the lists of time.
III. 11. Comb.: list-boy, in Tin-plating, a boy employed to place the plates in the list-pot; list-pot, a cast-iron trough containing a small quantity of melted tin, in which the tinned plates are plunged to remove the ‘list’ (see 7 d); list-wall [cf. sense 4], a dry wall with one or more strips or bands of cemented walling.
1818. S. Parkes, in Mem. Lit. & Phil. Soc. Manch. (1819), Ser. II. III. 369. There is always a wire of tin on the lower edge of every plate, which is … removed … in the following manner. A boy called the *list-boy, takes the plates when they are cool enough to handle, and puts the lower edge of each … into the *list-pot.
1793–1813. Reports Agric., 62 (E. D. D.). A wall-fence ‘partly dry and partly cemented with mortar, or what is commonly called a *list wall.’
1850. Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., XI. II. 728. The fence is what is called a list wall, alternate layers of dry wall and stone with mortar.
