Obs. Forms: 3–6 lepre, 4–6 leper, 5 lepyr, -ur, leepre, 5–6 lepir, 6 lypper, lipper, lypre, lippre, leaper. [a. OF. lepre, liepre (mod.F. lèpre), ad. L. lepra, a. Gr. λέπρα, properly fem. of λεπρός adj., scaly, f. λέπος scale.] Leprosy.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3690. Ðor wurð ȝhe ðanne wið lepre smiten.
c. 1250. Kent. Serm., in O. E. Misc., 31. Si lepre betokned þo grete sennen þet biedh diadliche.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 67. Þe leper of naaman cleuyd to hym … euere aftir.
c. 1400. trans. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh., 81. Wyn þat ys takyn abundanly … norsshes gretnes of body, and … brynges yn lepre.
1482. Monk of Evesham (Arb.), 92. ii. yonge vyrgyns … ful sore infecte with the grete plage of lepur.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. xlii. 132. He was syke of the lypper, so yt his flesshe fell in peces.
1562. Turner, Baths, 9. The disease now called Lepre, but Elephantiasis of olde writers.
1565. Jewell, Def. Apol. (1611), 152. He pronounced not, who was cleane of Leaper, who was not, before that he had viewed the colour.
fig. c. 1440. Gesta Rom., lxii. 267 (Harl. MS.). Receyve medicyn of satisfaccion; and thenne þou shalt be clansyd fro all synfull lepr.
1588. A. King, trans. Canisius’ Catech., 90. Nocht to iudge of ye lepre of ye body bot of ye saull.
