Forms: 4–5 suette, 4–8 sewet (4 swhet(t, 5 sweth, swette, swet(e, svette, 6 suete, sewett(e, suyt, showitt, 6–7 shewet, 7 sueete, shuet, sewed, suit, 8 suett), 4– suet. [App. a. AF. *suet, *sewet, f. su(e, seu = OF. seu, sieu (mod.F. suif) = Pr. ceu, seu, sef, It. sevo, sego, Sp., Pg. sebo:—L. sēbum tallow, suet, grease.]
1. The solid fat round the loins and kidneys of certain animals, esp. that of the ox and sheep, which, chopped up, is used in cooking, and, when rendered down, forms tallow. (Occas. applied to the corresponding fat in the human body.)
1377. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 46. In iiij li. Swhet emp. in villa, viij d.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVI. xliv. (Bodl. MS.). Yren schal not ruste if it is ismered wiþ suette … of an herte.
a. 1400. in Rel. Ant., I. 53. Tak … fresch swyne grees or of a bare, and fresch sewet of a herte, and fresch talgh of a schepe.
c. 1430. Two Cookery bks., 41. Take Percely, & Swynys grece, or Sewet of a schepe.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 483/1. Swete, of flesche or fysche or oþer lyke (P. suet, due sillabe), liquamen, sumen.
1486. Bk. St. Albans, Hunting, e viij. She beerith booth sewet and pure greece Yit wolde I mayster … fayne witt more Where lyth the suet of the haare be hynde or befoore.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 125. Bulles tallowe or gote buckes swet.
1563. in W. M. Williams, Ann. Founders’ Co. (1867), 63. Payde for viij pounds of Showitt & longe Marybones iij s. iiij d.
1615. R. Cocks, Diary (Hakl. Soc.), I. 93. Cows shewet for shipps use for chirurgion.
1634. Peacham, Compl. Gent. (ed. 2), xxi. 253. For your Maggots or Ientles they are fed with Sheepes shuet.
1675. Hobbes, Odyssey (1677), 218. There are o’ th’ fire good puddings full of suit.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 317, ¶ 8. Too many Plumbs, and no Sewet.
1844. Stephens, Bk. Farm, II. 97. The kidney is extracted from the suet. Ibid. (1855), (ed. 2), II. 703/2. Mutton suet is used in the manufacture of common candles.
1889. J. M. Duncan, Clin. Lect. Dis. Wom., xxx. (ed. 4), 244. Remote parametritis may affect the region of the psoas muscle or may affect the suet.
† b. Hunting. The fat of deer. Obs.
a. 1400. Parlt. 3 Ages, 83. I soughte owte my sewet and semblete it to gedre.
1576. Turberv., Venerie, lxxvii. I haue termed their [sc. bears’] fatte greace, and so is it to be called of all beastes which praye: and of all Deare and other fallow beasts, it is to be called Sewet.
1610. Guillim, Heraldry, III. xiv. (1660), 166.
a. 1700. B. E., Dict. Cant. Crew, Sewet, Deer’s Grease.
2. attrib., as suet-chopper, dumpling; suet affection, a diseased condition of the fat surrounding the kidneys; suet face, a face of a pale complexionless appearance; suet pudding, a pudding made of flour and suet and usually boiled in a cloth.
1889. J. M. Duncan, Clin. Lect. Dis. Wom., xxx. (ed. 4), 244. Whether the *suet affection explains the frequent occurrence of albuminuria in parametritic cases, it is to be remembered as an important concomitant of the disease.
1858. Simmonds, Dict. Trade, *Suet-chopper, a mincing knife for cutting up suet.
a. 1756. Eliza Haywood, New Present (1771), 205. *Suet Dumplings.
1874. Ruskin, Fors Clav., xlviii. IV. 273. We will … have suet dumpling instead of pudding.
1897. ‘O. Rhoscomyl,’ White Rose Arno, 52. The chair of Gwgan Maddox was shadowed by the *suet face of the servant.
1929. Palm Beach Post, 11 Aug., 4/2. A queer assortment of persons—… the *suet-faced younger Mrs. Anderson.
a. 1756. Mrs. Haywood, New Present (1771), 196. A *Suet Pudding, Take half a pound of fine beef suet, [etc.].
1906. Beatrice Harraden, Scholar’s Dau., xi. 213. Big suet pudding with treacle.
