Now dial. Forms: 4–7 vmbre, umbre, 4–7 vmber (7 vmbier), 5– umber; 5 owmbre, ovmbre, ovmbere; dial. 7 oumar, 7–9 oumer, 9 oumber, oomer, etc. [a. OF. umbre (ombre) or ad. L. umbra shade, shadow. Cf. F. ombre, Pr. umbra, ombra, It. ombra, It. and Sp. ombria, Sp. and Pg. umbria.]
1. Shade, shadow.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8017. Qua mai rest him in þer vmber, Es nathing þat mai him cumber. Ibid., 8451. Vnder þe vmber o þat tre, Þe kind o thinges lerd he.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 524. Sesounez schal yow neuer sese of sede ne of heruest, Ne hete, ne no harde forst, vmbre ne droȝþe.
1382. Wyclif, Ps. cvi. 10. The sitteris in dercnessis, and in the vmbre of deth.
c. 1407. Lydg., Reson & Sens., 1242. Pallas … Fleyng had about her hede Of Cynetys ful grete novmbre, Makyng in maner of an ovmbre.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., XI. 329. Or flouris swete of vyne or other tre, In vmbre dried, may reserued be.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VIII. i. 274. Thenne the gentylwoman leyd her vnder an vmbre of a grete tree.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 56. The mune is maid obscure … be rason that the vmbre and schaddou of the eird empeschis hyr to resaue lycht fra the soune.
1572. Bossewell, Armorie, II. 25. Of whatsoever colour the fielde is of, the vmbre or shadowe of the token or signe borne in the fielde is traced of a contrarie color.
1673. Yorkshire Dial., 32. (E.D.S.). Put th’ Whyes a-mel yon Stirks an’ Steers, I’ th’ Oumar, an’ sneck the lear-deers.
1677. Nicolson, Cumbld. Gloss., in Trans. Roy. Soc. Lit. (1870), IX. 317. Oumer, shade. [Hence in Ray, etc.]
1781–. in northern dial. glossaries (Eng. Dial. Dict., s.v. Oumer).
† b. The shadow of the pointer on a sundial or quadrant. Obs.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Kings xx. 11. The prophete … brouȝt aȝeyn the vmbre by the lynys … in the orloge of Achaz.
a. 1400. in Halliwell, Rara Mathem. (1841), 58. Byholde vpon what place of þe quadrant þe perpendicle falles, for ouþer it wille falle on þe vmbre toward or on þe vmbre froward.
† c. Reflection. (Cf. SHADOW sb. 5.) Obs.
c. 1407. Lydg., Reson & Sens., 3846. Love him shal so dysfigure, To doon hys besy myght and peyn Hys ovne vmbre to restreyn.
† 2. In various figurative uses. Obs.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., I. 355. Þe vertue of God makiþ umbre, whanne in a lowe place it lettiþ heete of synne.
c. 1425. St. Mary of Oignies, II. x. 30, in Anglia, VIII. 176. After þat she hadde sitten … vndir þe vmbre of hym þat she desyred.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, I. xii. (1544), 23. In euery cost his renoun did shyne. The fame therof was clipsed wt none vmbre. Ibid. (c. 1450), Secrees, 402. Your studye ay stood, and your dilligence bryght as Apollo, with oute shadwe or Owmbre.
1481. Caxton, Botoner’s Tulle on Old Age, Pref. Whiche lytil volume I haue emprysed tenprynte vnder the vmbre and shadowe of the noble protection of our moost dradde souerayn.
1573. in Cath. Tractates (S.T.S.), 26. In the synagoge, quhilk wes bot ane schaddou and vmbre of the trew kirk. Ibid. (1581), 137.
† 3. Under (the) umber of (or for), under the cloak or color of; on pretence of. Obs.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., cxxxiv. Suich feynit treuth is all bot trechorye, Vnder the vmbre of hid ypocrisye.
1430. Rolls of Parlt., IV. 501/1. To considre … how under ye umbre of such Vidimus, all an hole Navy of Adversaries myght … daily vetaill, stuffe and refreshe yair partie.
1475. Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.), 3. Tho roughe subtile wirkingis conspired and wroughte be the Frenshe partie undre the umbre and coloure of trewis.
1518. H. Watson, Hist. Oliver of Castile (Roxb.), P 4. How Arthur vnder the vmbre for to goo to Saynt James, departed for to fynde his felowe Olyuer.
† 4. The visor of a helmet. Cf. UMBRERE. Obs.
14[?]. Guy Warw. (C.), 8346. He opyned vmber that tyde, And keeled hym on euery syde.
1555. Lydgate’s Chron. Troy, III. xxii. P j/2. His swerde so mightely gan race Through the vmber [MSS. vmbrere, vmbrel] into Troylus face, That he hym gaue a large mortall wounde. Ibid., P i j/2. Cedeus wt his swerde such a stroke him sette, That through ye vmber out his eye he smette.
1603. Stow, Surv., 385. The Esquier tooke his axe, and smote many blowes on the knight, and made him let fall his axe, and brake vp his vmber three times.
1616. J. Lane, Contn. Sqr.’s T., XI. 261. The next that entred was a mightie knight … Whose bever and his vmbier closd vp weare.
