Now only Hist. Forms: 4–5 voide, 6 voyde; 5–6 (9) voidee (7 voydee); 5 voidie, 6 voidy(e, voydye. [a. AF. *voidé or *voidée, pa. pple. masc. or fem. of voider VOID v., with reference app. to the withdrawing from a hall or chamber of those who were not to sleep there.] A collation consisting of wine accompanied by spices, comfits, or the like, partaken of before retiring to rest or the departure of guests; a repast of this nature following upon a feast or fuller meal; a parting dish. (Cf. VOID sb.2)
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troilus, III. 674. Ther nys no more, but here efter soone, The voide dronke and traueres drawe anon, Gan euery wight þat hadde nought to done More in þat place out of þat chamber gon.
1440. J. Shirley, Dethe K. James (1818), 13. Withyn an owre the Kyng askid the voidee, and drank, the travers yn the chambure edraw, and every man depairtid and went to rist.
1494. in Lett. & Papers Rich. III. & Hen. VII. (Rolls), I. 390. When they wer dry in their beddes they were revested…, and soo departed to the chappell, where they had spices, and their voidie.
1533. Coronation of Anne Boleyn (1884), 33. There was a voyde of spyce plates and wyne.
1546. St. Papers Hen. VIII., XI. 262. That night there was a greate bancket … and after that, twoo riche maskes … And after that, a voydye.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 99. When they had daunced, then came in a costly banket and a voidy of spices, and so departed to their lodgyng.
1587. Holinshed, Chron., III. 849/1. The king and the ambassadours were serued at a banket with two hundred and sixtie dishes, and after that a voidee of spices with sixtie spice plates.
1650. Weldon, Crt. Jas. I., 19. He … made him the most sumptuous Feast … that ever was seen before,… and after that a costly Voydee, and after that a Maske.
attrib. 1881. Rossetti, King’s Trag., xci. And the King paused, but he did not speak. Then he called for the Voidee-cup.
