sb. Obs. Also 5–6 vysur(e. [a. AF. *visure (cf. visuré pa. pple. in Godef.), alteration of AF. viser VISOR, after forms ending in -URE. Cf. med.L. visura view, inspection.]
1. Face, visage. rare–1.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 14608. Alle that coude of surgerye … Hadde Achilles in that cure To hele his woundes & his visure.
2. A visor of a helmet. (See also quot. 1688.)
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VIII. x. 289. Now gentyl knyght … put vp thy vysure.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., xxxvii. (1555), Aa j b. The hote fyre was so intollerable Aboue me fleying that vnneth I might Through my visure cast abrode my sight.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccclxxiii. 616. They … were afote, armed at all peces with bassenettes and vysures and good speres.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xvii. (Roxb.), 109/1. The Visures or holes in the Bever to see through.
b. A mask. Also fig.
c. 1460. Wisdom, 756, in Macro Plays, 60. Here entreth vi women, in sut, thre dysgysyde as galontis … with wondyrful vysurs conregent.
1531. Tindale, Expos. 1 John (1538), 96. He … kepeth it [sc. bitter speech] vntyll he come & be present wyth hym, for than doth he threaten he wyll pull awaye hys vysure.
3. fig. A mere outward show or appearance (of something); a pretence or mask. Cf. VISOR sb. 3.
1531. Tindale, Exp. 1 John (1537), 53. The fayth & hope of the Romane byshop … are no true fayth & hope: but vayne wordes and vysures only.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Mark vii. 51. They haue a certayne counterfayte apparaunce or visure of holines.
1585. Fetherstone, trans. Calvin on Acts ix. 10. He hath in deed suffered Satan to deceiue the vnbeleeuers with false imaginations and visures.
4. a. A sight or vision. rare–1.
1535. Coverdale, Isaiah xxxiv. 14. There shal straunge visures and monstruous beastes mete one another.
b. Appearance; sight. rare–1.
1545. Coverdale, Def. Chr. Man, A ij. A man, who nether in name ner visure hath bene knowne vnto me till this present daye.
Hence † Visure v. trans., to deceive or impose upon. † Visured ppl. a., wearing a visor; only fig., masked, false, specious. Obs.
1570. Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), II. 1426/2. If kyng Henry the vij. had lyued vnto this day,… it had bene past my Lorde of Wynchesters power, to haue visured the kynges highnes as he did.
1577. H. Bull, trans. Luther’s Comm. Ps. 50. This is rightly to behold the temple, and not as the visured Bishops [L. larvarum Episcopi] behold their idolatrous temple when they consecrate it.
1585. Fetherstone, trans. Calvin on Acts xvii. 11. This is not spoken of any visured [L. larvato] councell, but of a small assembly of men.
