Also ? 1 tannere, 2–3 tanur, 4 tannere, 4–5 -our, 5 -ar(e, 6 -ar, tanyer. [The form corresponds with a rare OE. tannere from tannian to tan, and with OF. tanere (1226 in Godef., Compl.), nom. case of taneör, tanour:—L. tannātor, tannātōr-em, but perh. actually represents the French word. The form tanyer appears to be assimilated to words like sawyer, hosier, farrier; but cf. OF. tanière (1280 in Godef.).]
One whose occupation is to tan hides or to convert them into leather by tanning.
a. 975. Grant by K. Eadgar, in Kemble, Cod. Dipl., II. 411. Be eastan ea and tannera hole [lit. tanners’ hole].
a. 1189[?]. in Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., Var. Coll., IV. 50. Deorlingno tanur, Iordano cordwaner.
1226. in J. T. Gilbert, Hist. & Munic. Doc. Irel. (Rolls), 83. Willelmus, filius Iohannis tanur.
c. 1350. Usages Winchester, in Eng. Gilds (1870), 359. Euerych tannere þt halt bord in þe heyestret of Wynchestre.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. I. 223. Taylours and tanners and tyliers of erthe.
1415. Ordo paginarum, in York Myst., Introd. 19. Tannours. [In heading of Play (c. 1435) called The Barkers.]
14[?]. Customs of Malton, in Surtees Misc. (1888), 63. A tannar schall not use nor ocupy schomakar crafte.
1526. Tindale, Acts ix. 43. He taryed many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.
1565. Old Order Bk. in the Tower, 39. Also we present, all the Tanyers that wash their skins within the Tower Ditch.
1739. Miller, Gard. Dict., II. s.v. Tan, I find there are several Degrees of Fineness, to which the Tanners do grind their Bark.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq., II. viii. 177. In every form which the story has taken…, the mother of the Conqueror appears as the daughter of a tanner at Falaise.
b. Comb. Tanner eagle, a rendering of Gr. Βυρσαίετος (lit. hide-engle), as a designation of Cleon, who was a tanner. Also compounds of tanner’s, tanners’, as tanner’s or tanners’ bark, hair, mill, ooze, waste, water; tanners’ sumac, the tree Rhus Coriaria, the dried and chopped leaves and shoots of which are used in tanning; tanners’ tree, Coriaria myrtifolia, a low deciduous shrub of Southern Europe used in tanning; also = tanners’ sumac; tanners’ turf, tan-turf.
1820. T. Mitchell, Aristoph., I. 179. Your snake—and snake, so runs the prophecy, Shall beat the *tanner-eagle.
1837. Wheelwright, trans. Aristoph., I. 304. This Paphlagonian is the tanner-eagle.
1731. Miller, Gard. Dict., s.v. Acacia, The third, sixth, and seventh Sorts … should have a Hot-bed of *Tanner’s Bark.
1707. Mortimer, Husb. (1721), II. 254. A stock of Clay well mix’d with Horse-dung to prevent its freezing, and with *Tanner’s Hair to prevent its cracking.
1611. Cotgr., s.v. Tan, Moulin à tan, a *Tanners mill.
1587–1725. *Tanners owze, etc. [see OOZE sb.1 2 α, β].
1858. Hogg, Veg. Kingd., 222. *Tanners’ sumach.
1884. Miller, Plant-n., Sumach, Tanner’s, Rhus Coriaria. Ibid., *Tanner’s tree, Coriaria myrtifolia and other species.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 86/2. *Tanners [Turfe],… the Bark cast out of the Tan-Pits,… wrought into Turfes, which dried is good fire Fuel.
1815. J. Smith, Panorama Sc. & Art, II. 608. The bark of oak, or *tanners’ waste, when completely putrefied … greatly improves cold, stift heavy soils.
1552. Huloet, *Tanners water, nautea, æ.
