clerk-ale en · NOUN
Meanings
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(UK, obsolete) A feast for the benefit of the parish clerk.
That ALE is festival, appears from its sense in composition; as, amongst others, in the words Lecet-ale, Lamb-ale, Whitson-ale, Clerk-ale, and Church-ale
1774-1781, Thomas Warton, History of English Poetry:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| clerk-ales | Number=Plur | lexicographic |