Cramp-ring. World English Historical Dictionary

Cramp-ring. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1893, rev. 2025. Cramp-ring

[f. CRAMP sb.1 + RING.]

1

  1.  A ring held to be efficacious against cramp, falling sickness, and the like; esp. one of those which in pre-reformation times the kings and queens of England used to hallow on Good Friday for this purpose.

2

  See Burnet, Hist. Ref., Records II. 266; Brand, Pop. Antiq. (1870), I. 85.

3

1463.  Bury Wills (1850), 41. My crampe ryng with blak innamel and a part silvir and gilt.

4

1526.  Magnus, Lett. to Wolsey, in Gentl. Mag., CIV. I. 30. Certaine Cramp Ringges which I distributed … amonges other to M. Adame Otterbourne, who, with oone of thayme, releved a mann lying in the falling sekenes.

5

1547.  Boorde, Introd. Knowl., i. (1870), 121. The Kynges of Englande doth halowe euery yere Crampe rynges, the whyche rynges, worne on ones fynger, dothe help them the whyche hath the Crampe.

6

1611.  Middleton, Roaring Girl, IV. ii. A face … which shows like an agate set in a cramp ring.

7

1694.  Collect. Sev. Late Voy., II. (1711), 193. The Morss or Sea-horse … having a great semi-circular Tusk … very much valued … for their uses in Medicines, as to make Cramp-rings (which they make also of the Bristles upon his Cheeks) to resist Poison and other malignant Diseases.

8

1750.  T. Gordon, Cordial Low Spirits, II. 138. Is not a Brilliant more attractive than a Cramp-Ring?

9

1847.  Maskell, Mon. Rit., III. p. clviij. These rings were called Cramp-rings, and the MS. in this volume is the service dedicated to their consecration.

10

1878.  J. C. Atkinson, Cleveland Gloss., Cramp-ring, a ring made from old coffin-tyre, or the metal ornaments of decayed coffins, and worn as a preventative of cramp.

11

  † 2.  Thieves’ cant. [with reference to CRAMP sb.2] pl. Shackles, fetters. Obs.

12

1567.  Harman, Caveat, 84. Quier crampringes, boltes or fetters.

13

1621.  B. Jonson, Gipsies Metam., Wks. (Rtldg.), 620/1. Here’s no justice Lippus Will seek for to nip us, In Crampring or Cippus.

14

1673.  R. Head, Canting Acad., 17. Thou the Cramprings ne’re didst scowre [= wear].

15 © 2025 WEHD.com