Obs. exc. in comb. Forms: 1–2 bearm, 3 bærm, berm, 4–5 barme, 1– barm. [Common Teut.; with OE. barm (WSax. bearm) cf. OS., OFris., OHG., Sw., Da. barm, ON. barmr, Goth. barms:—OTeut. *barmo-z, f. ber-an to bear. The early southern ME. berm represented the Saxon bearm; barm was the Anglian form.]
1. A bosom, a lap.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Luke vi. 38. Hia sellað on barm iuer.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., ibid. Hiʓ syllað on eowerne bearm.
c. 1160. Hatton Gosp., John i. 18. On hys fader bearme.
c. 1205. Lay., 30261. He nom his lauerdes hefd … in his bærm he hit læide.
c. 1230. Ancr. R., 212. Þe slowe lið and slepeð iðe deofles berme, ase his deore deorling.
a. 1325. Lay le Freine, 201. Sche yaf it souke opon hir barm.
c. 1410. Love, Bonavent. Mirr., vi. (Gibbs MS.). Swetly klyppynge and kyssynge leyde hym in hier barme [1510 (Pynson) barme; 1530 (W. de W.), lappe.]
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 59. Hald thy hand soyn in thy barme, And as a lepre it shal be lyke.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. Prol. 76. Zephyrus comfortabill inspiratioun For till ressaue law in hyr barm adoun.
2. Edge, brim, ‘breast,’ ‘brow.’ rare. (So in ON.)
c. 1340. Alexander (Stev.), 4811. Þan come þai blesnand till a barme · of a brent lawe.
3. Comb. barm-cloth, † barm-hatre (obs.), an apron; barm-fel, barm-skin (dial.), a leather apron. Cf. BARVEL.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gloss., in Wright, Voc. (W.), /127. Mappula, bearmclað.
c. 1300. Men Lif, xv., in E. E. P. (1862), 155. Fair beþ ȝur barmhatres.
c. 1350. Sat. Blacksmiths, in Rel. Ant., I. 240. Of a bole hyde ben here barmfellys.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Milleres T., 50. A barm-cloth eek as whit as morne mylk.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 25/1. Barnyskyn (1499 barme skyn), melotes.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., 16. An Elephantes eares that hanges on his shoulders like a countrie huswiues banskin [sic].
1775. J. Collier, Tim Bobbin, 20. Hal … had his knockus lapt in his Barm-skin.
1857. Wright, Provinc. Dict., s.v., Her smock’s as dirty and greasy as a barmskin.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., II. iii. 80. His mother o’er her barm-cloth wide Gazed forward.
