grizzle

1) With grey or silvery hair but used particularly of horses, especially when the grey hair was mixed with black.

1348 unum equum nigrum griseum, Emley

1351 et unum pullanum nigrum grisill ambulantem, Kirby Misperton

1458 To John of Holme a lytill grecelled nage, Whenby

1497 To my broder Leonard a griselde stag of iij yere old, Terrington

1546 oyn ambling horse that was of a gresseld meare, Westerdale

1552 I bequeath to Roberte Turner ... one girsell stage vnlybbede, Hardwick

1655 j grisled coulte, Whitley. In the late Middle Ages the names of horses often included a reference to their colour, as in bayard, liard and sorrel: in 1434 Peter Santon bequeathed to John Feriby of North Cave unum equum vocatum Gresill cum sella et freno and in 1617 Richard Cholmeley’s mare was called Gresseld Evers, Brandsby. Later, the word was used occasionally of cows: 1824 Recd W Bates for a Cow sent to St. Ho., Meltham

1842 Abram Sharp, Gresill , South Crosland.

spellings grizzled grissle girsell
dates 1348 1351 1434 1458 1497 1546 1552 1617 1655 1842

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