/tɛms/, /tɛmz/
OriginFrom Middle English temse (“a sieve”) and temsen (“to sieve”), both from Old English temsian, temesian (“to sieve; strain; sift”).
Compare also French tamis, Dutch teems, North Frisian tems, Danish dialectal tems (“sieve”), German dialectal Zims (“sieve”). Compare also tamine. Doublet of tamis.
- dialectal, obsoleteTo sift.
- UK, dialectal, obsoleteA sieve.
“Stone your apricots , coddle them , and rub them through a temse”
Formstemses(present, singular, third-person) · temsing(participle, present) · temsed(participle, past) · temsed(past) · tems(alternative) · tempse(alternative) · temses(plural)