Obs. Forms: α. 5–9 tenebres; in sing. form 5 tenebre, 6 teneber, tenabur. β. 5 teneblus, 5–6 tenables; in sing. 6 teneble, -byll, tenable. [a. F. tenèbres (11th c., in sense 1), ad. L. tenebræ, -ās, darkness. The β-forms were corruptions, confusing the word with tenable.]

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  1.  Darkness, obscurity.

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  α.  1413.  Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), III. iii. 51. Enuy is the doughter of the grete tenebre.

3

1483.  Caxton, Gold. Leg., 420 b/1. Thou shalte deye here in tenebres or derknesse. Ibid. (1483), G. de la Tour, I vj b. For grete pyte … to see them goo and falle in the tenebres of helle. Ibid. (1490), Eneydos, ii. 14. Under the tenebres and derkenes, departed Eneas.

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1656.  Blount, Glossogr., Tenebres..., darkness, obscurity.

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  β.  1530.  Palsgr., 184. Les tenebres … a sodayne darkenesse or tenables,… or want of lyght in the night season.

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  2.  = TENEBRÆ.

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1539.  Bk. Ceremonies, in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721), I. App. cix. 292. The same service is called tenebres.

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1658.  Phillips, Tenebres.

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1703.  in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ., VII. 146. Mr Nelson … was wth him at ye Tenebres at St Thos.

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1801.  Lusignan, IV. 138. [He] arrived there at the hour of the tenebres.

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  β.  a. 1450.  Myrc, Festial, 117. Hyt ys called wyth you teneblus; but holy chyrch callyþe hit tenebras, þat is to say, derkenes.

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  b.  attrib. in sing. form tenebre, teneber (but the former may be the L. tenebræ), as tenebre candle, lesson, matins, service, Tenebre Wednesday.

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1477–9.  Rec. St. Mary at Hill, 91. Paid to Roger Middilton, wex Chaundeler, for … tapris, prickettes and tenebre candill, for euery lb, ob—xj s, ix d.

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1525.  in Nichols, Churchw. Acc. (1797), 273. For makyng of the paskall, wt the tenabur candell.

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1529.  More, Dyaloge, I. xviii. Wks. 143/2. In the tenebre lessons leueth her candel burning styll.

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1530.  Palsgr., 811/2. On Tenebre wednysdaye, le mercredy des Tenebres.

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a. 1548.  Hall, Chron., Hen. VIII., 199 b. Which Richard … was boyled in Smythfelde the Teneber wednisday followyng.

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  β.  1530.  Palsgr., 280/1. Teneble wednisday,… mercredy saint.

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1554.  Rec. St. Mary at Hill, 397. Lyghtes that was burned of tenebyll weddyns day.

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15[?].  in Brand’s Pop. Antiq. (1849), I. 48. Tenable candylls for the Judas.

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1588.  Parke, trans. Mendoza’s Hist. China, 151. [He] ariued at the mouth of the riuer Pagansinan vpon tenable wednesday.

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