Obs. exc. dial. Also 5–6 furnour, 7 furnar. [late ME. furnour, ad. OF. fornier:—late L. furnārius, f. furn-us oven.]
1. One who has charge of an oven; a baker.
a. 1483. Liber Niger, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 70. One yoman furnour also in this office [the Bakehouse] making the weyght of brede, and to kepe the ballaunce, seasonyng the ovyn, and at the makinng of the levayne at every bache.
1555. Will of T. Clayton (Somerset Ho.). To Christofer Strongman my furnour xxs.
1612. Sturtevant, Metallica (1854), 117. Glasse windowes … so that thereby the Furnar may continually see and behold his Rawe-matters … and how his fire and Furnace worketh upon them.
1616. Trav. Eng. Pilgr., in Harl. Misc., I. 338. The country people bring their eggs … to this place, where there is an oven, or furnace, purposely kept temperately warm; and the furner, or master thereof standeth ready at a little door, to receive the eggs.
1736. Lewis, Hist. Isle Tenet (ed. 2), 36. Furner, a baker.
1887. Kent Gloss., Furner, a baker.
2. (See quots.)
1598. Florio, Bisciere, a furner or a maulkin.
1847–78. Halliwell, Furner, a malkin for an oven. Linc.
