Forms: 4 (bouch(e), boch, 4–5 bocche, 5–7 boche, 5 bohche, booche, (6 Sc. boiche), 4–6 botche, 6– botch. [ME. boche, bocche, a. ONFr. boche (mod.Picard boche, Norm. bosche) = OF. boce (now bosse) ulcer, botch, a common Romanic word (Pr. bossa, It. bozza, of same meaning; It. boccia, Sp. bocha ball):—med.L. bocia, -um: see BOSS sb.1, and cf. BOUCH(E sb.2]

1

  † 1.  A hump; a swelling; a tumor, wen or goître; = BOSS sb.1 1. Obs.

2

1382.  Wyclif, Isa. xxx. 6. Berende … vp on the bocche [1388 botche] of camailes ther tresores.

3

1398.  Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XV. xxxi. Many men wonen nyȝe þe mounteynes, and þey haue gret bocches … under þe chyn, of ofte use of snowe and water.

4

c. 1450.  Nominale, in Wr.-Wülcker, Voc., 707. Hic gibbus, a boche in bake.

5

1481.  Caxton, Myrr., II. xiv. 99. Plente of wymmen that haue botches vnder the chyn.

6

1519.  Horman, Vulg., 30. The bounche or botche [gibbus] is so boystous that it can unneth be bounde vp with a trussar.

7

  † 2.  A boil, ulcer or pimple. Also fig. as ‘spiritual botch.’ Obs. exc. dial.

8

1377.  Langl., P. Pl., B. XX. 83. Byles, and bocches and brennyng agues.

9

1486.  Bk. St. Albans, C vij. Booches that growe in a hawkes jowe.

10

1547.  Boorde, Brev. Health, vii. 9. In English it [Ulcera] is named byles or botches.

11

1634.  Canne, Necess. Separ. (1849), 96. This great wickedness, which causeth spiritual botches and sores.

12

1667.  Milton, P. L., XII. 180. Botches and blaines must all his flesh emboss.

13

1785.  Burns, Address Deil, xviii. While scabs and botches did him gall, Wi’ bitter claw.

14

1875.  Robinson, Whitby Gloss. (E.D.S.), Botches, sore places.

15

  † b.  spec. A tumor from which horses suffer, esp. in the groin. Obs.

16

1579.  Gosson, Sch. Abuse (Arb.), 19. It is the custome of the flye to leaue the sound places of the Horse and suck at the Botch.

17

1607.  Topsell, Four-f. Beasts, 308. A botch … in the hinder parts betwixt the thighs.

18

1706.  Phillips, Botch … a Sore in the Groin of a Horse.

19

  3.  Boils or sores as a malady; an eruptive disease or plague, as ‘the botch of Egypt.’ arch. or Obs.

20

1388.  Wyclif, Deut. xxviii. 27. The Lorde smyte thee with the botche [1382 byil] of Egipt.

21

1526.  Tindale, Rev. xvi. 2. There fell a noysom and a sore botche apon the men.

22

1534.  Aberdeen Reg., V. 16 (Jam.). Ane seyknes & smyttand plaig callit the boiche.

23

1570.  Levins, Manip., 177. Botch, pestilentia.

24

1842.  Sir H. Taylor, Edwin, III. viii. The Lord shall smite him with the botch of Egypt.

25