Obs. Also 1 bysmer, -mor, bismor, 3–4 bisemar, busemare, 3–5 bis-, bysmar(e, 4 bissemare, busmar, 4–6 bismere, 6 (Sc.) bysmeyr, bismeir. [West Germanic: OE. bísmer, -or (str. neut.), identical with OHG. bísmer ‘ridicule,’ f. bí, BY (in its strong or accented form) + -smer, which Schmeller connects with MHG. smier a smile, laughing, smieren to smile. Others have compared OHG. smero, OE. smeoru, OTeut. *smerwo-(m, ‘fat, grease, butter,’ which seems, on phonetic as well as other grounds, less probable.]
1. Shame, disgrace; reproach, mockery; scorn.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., III. vii. § 1. Seo stow [Caudine Forks] ʓewearþ swiþe mære … for Romana bismere.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 91. Þa seiden þa iudeiscen men a bismer, Þas men beoð mid miste fordrencte.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 132. He lauhweð hire to bisemare.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 653. Þenne þe burde byhynde þe dor for busmar laȝed.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeves T., 45. As ful of hokir, and of bissemare.
c. 1460. Launfal, 923. Thy barouns dryveth the to bysmare.
2. A reproach, taunt, insult.
971. Blickl. Hom., 23. He … æt þæm unlædum Iudeum maniʓ bysmor ʓeþrowade.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XXII. 294. Bold of abydyng · busemares to suffren.
3. A person worthy of scorn; a lewd person, a pander or bawd. Cf. BESOM2.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 22029. Anticrist … sal be born … of bismer brem and bald.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst. (1841), 140. Se this bolde bysmare wolde presume, Ageyn God to preve his myght.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IV. Prol. 191. Ibid., VIII. Prol. 72. Get ane bysmeyr ane barn, than all hir blys gane is.
1535. Lyndesay, Satyre, 4234. That bismair, war scho thair, withoutin dowt Out of hell the Devill scho wald ding out.
