Bread made with finest flour. There were two kinds of simnel, a superior or royal simnel and a salt simnel. Such breads were also quite large. A superior simnel would feed four men; a salt only two men. A loaf was intended for one man, as part of his *livery. The Latin form is simenellus. [< OldFr. simenel < Lat. simila = a fine flour] -
Cf. Wastel
Dictionary of Medieval Terms and Phrases. Christopher Coredon with Ann Williams.