e-MED Entry on the Web
Entry in Middle English Dictionary
passaunt adj. Pl. passaunt & passants, passans.[OF passant adj.]
(a) Of things: transitory; of persons: transient, traveling; as noun: a transient; (b) her. of animals on a shield or coat of arms: in a walking posture; (c) surpassing, great, excellent.
(a) c1330(?c1300) Bevis 100/2043: Beues..rod norþ gode spede; Euer a was pasaunt [vr. rydaunt] Til a com to Mombraunt.
c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) 23: Theves taken with litell menure..in sute of a straunge man passaunt, as in tyme of feyre.
Ibid.: The plees in tyme of feyre be twixe straunge and passant shuldene bene pleted from hour to hour.
Ibid.: Plees..for straunge marynerys passaunt..shuldene ben pleted from tyde to tyde.
a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr. 57/28: Coueyte noght þinges coruptibles & passant [ Ashmole: transitorye; Royal: passyng], þat þou most sone forsake.
(b) (a1420) Lydg. TB 2.8483: Hector..bare þat day a schelde..With þre lyouns..Of whos colour is made no mencioun, But..Þei wer passaunt.
Ibid.3.243: He bare in his schelde, Passaunt of gold, þre lyouns richely.
(1441) Arms Codrington in BGAS 21 306: Of Silver, a veece of Sable Batale counter batale Frett with Gowles, betweene three Lyons passants of the same.
(c1460) Bk.Arms in Anc.3 208: Sabyll, iij assys passans of sylvyr.
Ibid.in Anc.4 229: Goulys, iij lyonys of sylvre passant, a bend of aseur.
Ibid.in Anc.7 196: iij ottrys passaunt of gold.
(c) (c1385) Chaucer CT.Kn. A.2107: Euery wight that..wolde his thankes han a passant [vrr. passaunte; passing] name Hath preyed that he myghte been of that game.
a1425(?a1400) Cloud 37/6: 3if it be a þing þat plesiþ þee..þer riseþ in þee a passaunt delite for to þink on þat þing.
a1425(?a1400) RRose 3110: Ye the botoun graunte me Which is moost passaunt of beaute.
(a1449) Lydg. 2 Merch. 163: The riche beddyng of swte so weel beseyne, Passaunt and plesyng..for his freend this marchaunt did ordeyne.
Ibid.435: The passaunt costys, the feeste of her weddyng..I wante witt to telle.
c1475 Wisd. 610: Curyous aray I wyll euer hante..Ande I falsnes, to be passante.
a1500(?a1450) GRom. 247: My ladye the Emperes is weddid this daye, and þerefor ther is a passaunt feste y-made.
