Obs. Forms: 4 ? pl. tortyse, 4–5 sing. and pl. torteys, 5 sing. and pl. tortes, sing. tortays, pl. tortayes, torteies, 5–6 sing. and pl. tortys, 6 pl. tortaysez, 7 sing. and pl. tortis, pl. tortiz. [a. OF. tortis, -iz masc. (a. 1200), also perh. tortise, -isse (a. 1377), -ice, -iche fem., twisted thing, torch, in med.L. tortīcius (? 11th c. in Du Cange), -īsius, -ītius masc., also tortīcia fem. (a. 1400) a torch, f. L. tort-us twisted, or med.L. tortia TORCH + -īcius, -īcia: see -ITIOUS. The forms in -eys, -ays are from OF. torteis, alteration of tortis after sach words as semeïs, for semeis:—*seminātīcius.]
1. A kind of very large wax candle. (Usually distinguished from a torch: cf. quot. 1611.)
A note to Way’s ed. of Promp. Parv., s.v. Percher, mentions tordicios, 2 ells long and weighing 5 lb. each.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, x. (Mathou), 250. Vith incense & lampis lycht And tortyse al brynnand brycht.
1404–5. Abingdon Rolls (Camden), 68. In j torteys empto xxij d.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton), II. lx. (1859), 58. This wycked sauour, and smoke of the torteys when the fyre is oute.
1421–2. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 141. In candelis cerijs et albis … cum ij torchis, ij tortys, iiij prikettys & factura eorundem.
c. 1450. Bk. Curtasye, 492, in Babees Bk., 315. Fyrst to þe chaundeler he schalle go, To take a tortes lyȝt hym fro.
a. 1483. Liber Niger, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 22. iii torches, one tortays, and iii prickettes. Ibid., 41. And he [a Grome of Chambyr] setteth nyghtly, after the seasons of the yere, torchys, tortays, candylles of wax, morters.
1506–7. Burgh Rec. Edinb. (1869), I. 111. That they have ilk ane ane new tortys reddy.
1533–4. Durham Househ. Bk. (Surtees), 249. Pro factura 4 le torchez et 4 tortaysez 16 d.
1601. F. Tate, Househ. Ord. Edw. II. (1876), 6. This stewarde … shall take everi night for his chamber, one sextier of wine, xij candels, two tortis, one tortis for wine, and one torche.
[1611. Cotgr., Tortis de cire, a wreathed Linke or great candle of wax; most in vse about Candlemas.]
2. A twisted chain; a wreath. [mod.F. tortis.]
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, IV. ix. (Roxb.), 390/2. A tortis or double chaine of gold.
