Also 6–7 linck(e, lynck(e, linke, lynk(e. [Of obscure origin.
The conjecture that it is a corruption of lint- in lintstock, LINSTOCK (from LUNT) has little plausibility. Perhaps the likeliest hypothesis is that the word is identical with prec.; the material for torches may have been made in long strings, and divided into ‘links’ or segments. A not impossible source would be the monastic Latin linchinus (one instance in Du Cange, others in Diefenbach), an altered form (by a process common in med.L.) of lichinus, glossed ‘weke’ (wick) and ‘meche’ (match) in the 15th c. (see Wr.-Wülck.), a. Gr. λύχνος light, lamp.]
1. A torch made of tow and pitch (? sometimes of wax or tallow), formerly much in use for lighting people along the streets.
1526. Househ. Ord. (1790), 163. The Secretary … [to have] from the last of October unto the first day of Aprill three lynckes by the weeke.
1530. Palsgr., 239/2. Lynke, torche.
1580–1. Act 23 Eliz., c. 8 § 3. Any maner of … Wares wrought with Waxe, as in Lightes Staftorches … Lynckes Greene Waxe Red Waxe or any other worke … wrought with Waxe.
1591. Fraunce, Emanuell, 43, in Fuller, Worthies Misc. (1871), III. Lynkes gaue light to the night, and causd their swoords to be glistring.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., III. iii. 48. Thou hast saued me a thousand Markes in Linkes and Torches.
1608. Middleton, Fam. Love, III. iii. Give me my book, Club, put out thy link, and come behind us.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., XVIII. vi. 114. To set upon an horse backe a burning lampe,… that the Persians weening it to be a tallow linke giving light before the captaine softly marching, might take their course that way especially.
1685. Wood, Life, 13 April. Twenty-four lyncks burning on Merton Coll. Tower between 9 and 10 at night.
1706. Lond. Gaz., No. 4280/5. Whoever shall … presume to … sell any such Links not weighing 14 l. and upwards to the Dozen … will be prosecuted.
1755. J. Shebbeare, Lydia (1769), II. 245. Frank … without answering, dashed his link in the villain’s face, and bade the chairman go on.
1813. Coleridge, Remorse, IV. i. Our links burn dimly.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, iii. His face and figure were full in the strong glare of the link.
1852. Thackeray, Esmond, II. ix. Though the links were there, the link-boys had run away.
b. A link-boy.
1845. Disraeli, Sybil (1863), 255. ‘I think I should like to be a link, Jim,’ said the young one.
1846. Mrs. Gore, Sk. Eng. Charac. (1852), 64. Corney is sovereign of the elective monarchy of Links.
† 2. ? The material of ‘links’ used as blacking.
Johnson suggests that in the Shaks. passage the word may mean ‘lamp-black.’ The quot. from Pomet may possibly throw light on Shakespeare’s use; cf. also quot. c. 1600.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., IV. i. 137. There was no Linke to Colour Peters hat.
[c. 1600. ? Greene, Mihil Mumchance, D 2. This Cosenage is vsed like wise in selling olde Hats found vpon dunghils, in steede of new, blackt ouer with the smoake of an olde Linke.]
1712. trans. Pomet’s Hist. Drugs, I. VIII. § 56. 212/1. They melt black Pitch, and afterwards dip a Wick of Flax, Hemp, or the like, in it, which we sell by the Name of Links [F. Bougie noire], and is us’d sometimes to black Shoes withal.
3. attrib. and Comb., as link-extinguisher, -light; link-burnt, -lighted adjs.
1837. Wheelwright, trans. Aristophanes, II. 123. Give me the beggar’s basket *link-burnt through.
1859. Nares, Gloss., *Link-extinguishers, large extinguishers attached to the railings of houses formerly used by the link men for extinguishing their links.
1899. W. Churchill, R. Carvel, 219. Lanthorns and link extinguishers.
1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr., II. ix. We have lights, *link-lights and rushlights of an enlightened free Press.
1849. Dickens, Dav. Copp., xix. I had been leading a romantic life for ages to a brawling, splashing, *link-lighted … world.
