Obs. Forms: 4–5 entaille, entaylle, Sc. entailze, (6 entally), 4–7 entaile. Also 6 intaile, -yle. [a. OF. entaille-r, corresp. to Pr. entalhar, entaillar, Sp. entallar, It. intagliare:—late L. intalcāre, f. in into + taleāre (Fr. tailler) to cut.]
1. trans. To carve, sculpture; to make carvings upon, ornament with carvings; to portray or represent by carving.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 167. A curious cros craftly entayled.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 140. Wel entailled With many riche portraitures.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., III. xi. 158. In thyse grete colompnes or pylers … were entaylled & grauen the vii scyences. Ibid. (1483), Gold. Leg., 355/3. They wold not entaylle ne kerue hit [an ydolle].
1555. W. Watreman, Fardle Facions, II. i. H i. Plate … curiously wrought and entallied.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. iii. 27. Golden bendes, which were entayld With curious antickes.
1637. J. Anchoran, Porta Linguarum, 183. A Carver or an image maker, graves, carves, and entailes a statue or an image.
absol. a. 1500. Chaucer’s Dreme, 11. Couth well entayle in imagery.
b. transf. with reference to embroidery.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 612. Tortors and trulofez entayled so þyk.
c. In passive (cf. mould, carve, etc.) of a living body.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., I. xxxix. His bodie weill entailȝeit euerie steid.
2. To engrave in intaglio. rare as distinct sense.
1538. Leland, Itin., VII. 57. [Cornelines] and other Stonys wel entaylid for Seales.
1577–87. Harrison, England, in Holinshed, xxiii. 128. Costlie stones alreadie intailed for seales.
3. To cut into, make an incision in.
1601. Holland, Pliny (1634), II. 259. Leafed after the maner of passe-floures, or wind-floures, but that they be intailed or indented deeper.
b. absol.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. vi. 29. The mortall steele despiteously entayld Deepe in their flesh.
4. To cut notches in a ‘tally’; to keep an account by tally.
c. 1488. Liber Niger, in Househ. Ord., 78. The yomen of the pycher house … intayle with both buttlers of wyne & ale.
