Forms: 4–7 stillatorie, 5 -tor, 5–6 styllatory, 6 stellatour, stelletore, stillatori, stillatour, -torye, stilletorie, stillitary, -torye, styllathre, -torie, stylletorie, -ye, styllytory, -tary, 6–7 stillitorie, 6–8 -tory, 7 stellatour, stillotorie, 6– stillatory. [ad. med.L. stillātōrium, f. L. stillāre to drip, distil: see -ORY.]
I. 1. A still. Obs. exc. Hist. and fig.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Can. Yeom. Prol., 27. His forhead dropped as a stillatorie Were ful of Plantayne and of Paritorie.
1460–70. Bk. Quintessence, 11. Putte aȝen þe watir in þe stillatorie of circulacioun til ȝe brynge it to so myche swetnes … as ȝe dide þe brennynge watir.
1491. in Acta Dom. Concil. (1839), 195/2. Ane stillator price xiij s. iiij d.
1508. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., IV. 137. For making of ane bos hed to ane stellatour of silvir weyand [etc.].
1530. in Ancestor (1904), XI. 182. Wynington beryth to his crest a styllytory siluer in a wreeth.
1557. Richmond Wills (Surtees), 91. Item iij barrelles, one stelletore, xc. ȝards of hemppen cloth, xxs.
1566. Drant, Jerem., iii. K vij. Mine eye, lyke stillitorie runs, and weepes.
1657. Knaresb. Wills (Surtees), II. 223. 1 Stillotorie.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xx. (Roxb.), 232. Doctor Crato his stillatory for the prepareing and drawing of water or oyle of Cynamon.
b. fig.
1579. Tomson, Calvin’s Serm. Tim., 329/1. This is another stillitorie of his where through Christ must passe. This is a meruellous alchumiste.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 443. For from the stillitorie of thy face excelling, Coms breath perfumd that breedeth loue by smelling.
1652. Benlowes, Theophila, To Ladies A 2. So, Stillatories be of Love; That, what was Vapour, may, by Virtue, Essence prove.
1879. Meredith, Egoist, I. Prelude 4. The remedy of your frightful affliction is here, through the stillatory of Comedy, and not in Science.
2. A place where distillery is carried on; a still-room; a still-house, distillery.
1602. Plat, Delights Ladies, Epist. (1611), A 3. The Quince, Pomgranate,… Are heere maintain’d,… For Ladies closets and their stillatories.
1604. R. Cawdrey, Table Alph., Stillatorie, a distilling place.
1624. Wotton, Elem. Archit., I. 8. All Offices that require heat, as Kitchins, Stillatories … or the like would be Meridionall.
c. 1710. Celia Fiennes, Diary (1888), 7. So many little buildings apart from each other … one for a stillitory.
1796. Stat. Acc. Scot., XVII. 294. Here is a stillatory which pays to the revenue £729 per annum.
3. attrib.
1561–2. in Rep. Middleton MSS. (Hist. MSS. Comm. 1911), 417. Paied to the smythe for makynge and mendynge a locke for the styllytary howse dore.
1586. T. Bright, A Treatise of Melancholie, xxvii. 156. Placed over the rest as a stillitorye helme ouer the bodie.
† II. 4. = STILLICIDE. Obs.
1777. Gostling, Walk Canterb. (ed. 2), 189. Stillatory is the name our workmen give to spaces between buildings … to receive the rain which runs from the roofs.
