sternere

sternere [CL] 1 to scatter over or across the ground, to strew. b to lay or spread out, to strew (covering for floor, table, bed, or sim.). crebra internicionis strage [gl.: i. corpora in valle strata] Aldh. VirgP 12; 1285 tenet ij acras unde falcabit per iij dies ‥ et ‥ levabit fenum quod straverit (Tangmere) Cust. Suss II 11.  b detrahetur ad inferos superbia ejus, concidit cadaver ejus. subter eum ~etur tinea, et operimentum ejus erit vermis [cf. Is. xiv 11] P. Blois Ep. 48. 143B; 1212 per servicium ~endi edere [sic] bestiis ‥ regis Fees 103; 12‥ per serjanciam ~endi ederam bestiis regis Ib. 344; officium ‥ marescalli aule est, mensis preparatis, mappis stratis, intrinsecos et extrinsecos ‥ evocare Fleta 79. 2 to cast or throw down (structure or sim.). b to cut down, fell (plant). c to lay out flat (w. ref. to lowering drawbridge). d to level (ditch), or ? f. l. ita ut cunctae coloniae crebris arietibus, omnesque coloni ‥ mucronibus ‥ simul solo ~erentur Gildas EB 24; jure tyrannorum sternens dilubra reorum Aldh. VirgV 690; aurea sternuntur fundo simulacra Minervae Ib. 1331.  b 1439 personis locatis ad stunandum [sic], cecandum, et quadrandum dictum meremium quercinum (Ac. Build. All Souls) OHS NS XLII 92.  c hujus [porte] in egressu pons sternitur et spatiose / transpositus fosse tenditur inde procul L. Durh. Dial. I 437.  d 1225 prompti ‥ sunt ad perquirendum breve de nova disseisina ad †fernendum [MS: sternendum, ? l. faciendum] fossatum vestrum de W. (AncC 6 (84)) RL I 272. 3 to throw or cast to the ground, to knock down, (also) to overthrow, vanquish, ‘lay low’; b (of chess piece); c (transf. or fig.). quae [legio] ‥ magnam ‥ ex eis [hostibus] multitudinem ~ens Gildas EB 15; prodest tirones sternere stupri Aldh. VirgV 2473; David ‥ uno [lapide] Goliam stravisse memoratur Bede Sam. 652B; s755 omnes ‥ socii ante oculos primitus strantur excepto uno Æthelw. II 18; si Meleager aprum stravit Calydonie vastatorem P. Blois Ep. 56. 170B; hic Daniel massas confecit in ore draconis. / sic Sathanam stravit prepete voce Jhesus Vers. Peterb. Psalter 47; istos proditores ‥ rex cepit in diluculo, et illos stravit, trucidavit, dispersit, et fugavit Strecche Hen. V 148.  b rochus quem cernet, prope vel longe ut [v. l. cito] sternit (Vers. Corpus) Hist. Chess 519.  c palliolum aurique parum de anathemate praesumptum multos stravisse Gildas EB 1 p. 25; frigora dura viros sternant, ni forte resistam Aldh. Aen. 45 (Fusum) 7; vulnera facinorum et cicatrices criminum ‥ quibus animae aegrotorum crudeli strage sternebantur [gl.: trucidabantur, occidebantur, interficiebantur] Id. VirgP 7; lues ‥ magnam hominum multitudinem stravit Bede HE III 27 p. 192; nix neque me tegit, aut grando premit, aut gelu vincit, / desuper aut multis sternor, sed pluribus intus Hwætberht Aen. 23 (Aequor) 4; hec est perfecta caritas, / quam nulla sternit feritas Frith. Cives 11; s1258 fames magna multos stravit Feudal Man. 100; virtus Samsonis vicit stravitque leonem Vers. Worc. 103. 4 (refl.) to lay oneself on the ground, to prostrate oneself. b (in pass. form) to lie down. qui [sc. corcodrilli] ad solis aestum per litus se ~unt Lib. Monstr. II 25; accedens ad eum sese in terram stravit Bede CuthbP 10.  b haec [quadrupedia] ante illum strata in arena ‥ pedes ejus fovere coeperunt Bede CuthbP 10; sternitur et venerans carpebat talia dicta Mir. Nin. 351; ante pedes Socratis humiles sternuntur alumni, / indigetemque deum Grecia tota colit J. Sal. Enth. Phil. 773; humi stratus genuflexit Canon. G. Sempr. f. 42v. 5 a to make (path or road) smooth or level. b to calm (sea). a cui [populo] iter levissime stratum profundi glarea maris rubri Gildas EB 1 p. 25.  b ‘jacent tranquilla pelagi immoti,’ id est pelagus ~itur et quietatur Trevet Troades 17. 6 to cover, strew the surface of (thing w. something, also in fig. context). b to pave (floor with stones). jusserat quaque die novo stramine vel feno in hieme, novis scirpis vel frondibus in estate, ~i hospitium suum W. Fitzst. Thom. 11; vie ‥ hominis strate sunt spinis Bald. Cant. Serm. 20. 5. 517C; inter hec sciendum quod, quocienscumque chorus ~itur, per sacristam ~etur Cust. Westm. 107; 1445 metere ‥ tantum de viridi ‥ quantum sufficere velit ad ecclesiam de C. ‥ et domos ‥ ~endas Cart. Boarstall 119.  b pavimenta lapide vario sunt omnia strata Bede Kings 729A; petalum, -li, i. forma marmorea ad instar tessere quadrate unde pavimenta templorum et palatiorum quondam ~ebantur Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 420. 7 to prepare (thing) for intended use by covering or strewing with something: a to make, cover, or lay out (bed or seat). b to equip, caparison, saddle (horse or sim.). c to lay out or set up (room, in quot. for dining). a ut cum quis cantilenas audit, dum in lecto mollibus strato quiescit Simil. Anselmi 16; jussit cameram parari, et lectum ~i Latin Stories 91; virgo pulchra ‥ et ipsa sedet super sedem stratam et nutrit puerum Bradw. CD 73A; nec mora strato cubili decubuit Mir. Hen. VI I 16 p. 46.  b stravit sibi asinam suam et abiit [cf. III Reg. xiii 23] Gildas EB 77; praecepit equum, ita ut erat stratus regaliter, pauperi dari Bede HE III 14 p. 156; protinus ad stabulum sternere currit equum Nig. SS 1428; jussit equos ~i, frenos immitti, socios iter aggredi Canon. G. Sempr. f. 81; s1252 comes Marescallus jus suum ‥ instanter fieri flagitavit, scilicet palefridum regis Scotie, quem pro jure vendicavit sibi stratum exhiberi M. Par. Maj. V 269; equs ‥ suus adducitur stratus [ME: with sadil] et frenatus Itin. Mand. 134; to sadylle, sellare, ~ere CathA.  c simul missi sunt cenaculum grande stratum ut Pascha pararetur Christo [cf. Marc. xiv 15] Ailr. Ed. Conf. 769B. 8 ? to strew (wicker) or to weave (basket). ipsamet in nendo fert bracchia fila trahendo, / qualo vel calathis gracili de vimine stratis R. Cant. Malch. III 555. 9 (p. ppl. as sb., typically f.) route that has been prepared (esp. by levelling, smoothing, or paving) for ease of progress or transport, road, street, way; b (var. dist. or identified); c (fig., w. specifying gen.). habitabant [Romani] intra vallum ‥ ad plagam meridianam, quod civitates, farus, pontes, et stratae ibidem factae usque hodie testantur Bede HE I 11; 778 (? 10c) et sic emenso spatio stratae in quoddam petrosum clivum CS 225; s1013 postquam ‥ transierunt stratam que nominatur Uueclinca streta AS Chr.; duos ‥ ad stratam proximam mittunt, qui primo vianti dicant, “fratres esuriunt” Map NC I 17 f. 13v; hic statuit ut templa et strate [ed. RS: ~a], ipse quoque civitates et aratra colonorum ad se fugientes tuerentur Gerv. Tilb. II 17 (ed. OMT p. 406) (cf. G. Mon. II 17: vie); s1239 Londonienses ‥ noctibus cum magnis luminaribus stratas illuminantes M. Par. Maj. III 539; 1472 ad reparacionem pontis et strati Reg. Heref. 131.  b non sola graditur per publica strata pedestris Aldh. VirgV 2574; 814 ab austro strata antiqua quae jacet ad portum quae dicitur Cillincg CS 348; 1253 de qualibet domo cujus gablus situs esset versus altam stratam Rec. Leic. I 41; a1257 et tres rodas apud Akestub in parte aquilonali magne stratis [sic] Cart. Lanercost 154 (cf. ib. 80: c1217 ad magnam stratam); 1259 in regia aut communi strata Cl 148; 1377 per publicos vicos Londoniarum usque stratum nobilem vocatum ‘le Chepe’ (Lib. Cust.) MGL II 476; 1398 per regias vias et communes stratas (Cl) RParl III 410b.  c tum sequitur stratam nature Vinsauf PN 88; c1210 stratam vadit justicie (In Episcopos 121) Pol. Songs 12. 10 (p. ppl. as sb. n.) place laid out for sleeping, resting, or reclining, material or object so laid out, bed, couch; b (in gl.). quatuor in mundo regnorum surgere sceptra, / ut prius in strato truculentus imaginis altae / diversis vidit jam praesagata metallis Aldh. VirgV 336; resedit quietus in stratu [v. l. strato] Bede CuthbP 37 p. 274; hora jam nona diurne lucis officium postulat, et ordinis ratio fratres ut exurgant a stratis vocat Osb. Clar. V. Ed. Conf. 28 (cf. ib.: dum requiesceret in stratu); sacrista ‥ fatigatus ‥ in ipso strato lectuli sui ‥ soporatus erat R. Cold. Cuthb. 37; Gundulfus surgens ‥ / ‥ / et nimis accelerans, strato femoralia linquens Nig. SS 1427; hora soporis instante, publico strato per latera domus in longum, juncis ‥ insertis, panno ‥ superposito, communiter accumbunt Gir. DK I 10 (cf. ib.: et sic ad strata revertentes).  b hic lectus, -ti, pro strato [v. l. stratu, nam de collectis herbis fiebat] Osb. Glouc. Deriv. 297 (cf. ib. 516); stratum, lytour WW; stratum, bedde-strawe WW; hoc stratum, A. bedlytter. [versus:] est lectus stratum, via regia sit tibi strata WW; hic stratus, -tus, -ui, hoc ~um, -ti, -to, a bed. [versus:] stratus vel stratum confinguntur tibi lectum WW. 11 (in place-name Strata Florida, for W. Ystrad Fflur = ‘Valley of (the river) Fflur’). ad monasterium Strate Floride Gir. RG III 17 p. 117 (cf. id. IK II 7: abbatis de Stratflur); s1236 ad spoliandum monachos de Strata Florida Ann. Cambr. 81.