manciple

[ man-suh-puhl ]

noun

1. an officer or steward of a monastery, college, etc., authorized to purchase provisions.

manciple

/ ˈmænsɪpəl /

noun

1. a steward who buys provisions, esp in a college, Inn of Court, or monastery

Word History and Origins

Origin of manciple¹

1150–1200 in sense “slave”; Middle English < Middle French manciple, variant of mancipe < Medieval Latin mancipium, Latin: a possession, slave, originally, ownership, equivalent to mancip-, stem of manceps contractor, agent ( man ( us ) hand + -cep-, combining form of capere to take ( concept ) + -s nominative singular ending) + -ium -ium

Word History and Origins

Origin of manciple¹

C13: via Old French from Latin mancipium purchase, from manceps purchaser, from manus hand + capere to take

Example Sentences

Used ludicrously to mean a feat of horsemanship in l. 50 of the Manciple's Prologue.

From Project Gutenberg

One of Chaucer's pilgrims is a manciple of the Temple, of whom he gives a good character for his skill in purveying.

From Project Gutenberg

The Manciple bowed himself from the dais and went down the middle of the hall, his keys rattling at his belt.

From Project Gutenberg

In the old black-letter editions, which retain this Epilogue, it is followed by the Manciple's Prologue.

From Project Gutenberg

The Prologue is self-explanatory; we see how the responsibility passed from the Cook to the Manciple.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• administrator
• attendant
• curator
• waiter