▪ I. guerdon, n. Now poet. and rhetorical.
(ˈgɜːdən)
Forms: 4 gerdo(u)n, 4–6 guerdone, -oun, (4 gardwyne, gwerddoun, 5 gerdonne), 5–6 gardo(u)n, guardon(e, 5–7 gwerdon(e, (6 Sc. gwairdoun), 4– guerdon.
[a. OF. guerdon, gueredon, guedredon, Pr. guazardon (for guadardon), guiardon, guierdon, Sp. galardon, Pg. galardão, It. guiderdone:—med.L. widerdonum, repr. (by assimilation of d and l) OHG. widarlôn = OE. wiðerléan, f. wiðer again + léan payment.]
A reward, requital, or recompense.
| ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 1516 He quitte him wel his guerdon there. 1401 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 112 For thi grete labour thi gardoun thou shalt gete. c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun 4194 Who littel wanne was lesse mede taken hym for his gerdonne. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 85 b/2, I requyre of the Juste and debonayr gwerdon and reward. 1508 Kennedie Flyting w. Dunbar 422 Traistand to haue of his magnificence Guerdoun [v.r. Gwairdoun], reward, and benefice bedene. 1559 Mirr. Mag., Dk. Glocester xxix, Blood axeth blood as guerdon dewe. 1599 Shakes. Much Ado v. iii. 5 Death in guerdon of her wrong Giues her fame which neuer dies. 1633 P. Fletcher Pisc. Ecl. ii. vii, My fish (the guerdon of my toil and pain) He causelesse seaz'd. 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. xxxii. (1663) 127 That so falling into the hands of the Ministers of his Justice, we might receive the guerdon of our wicked works. 1684 Scanderbeg Rediv. i. 3 Sovereignty..is there the sole Guerdon or Reward of superlative Merit. 1751 G. West Education i. iii. 7 The Guerdons of bold Strength and swift Activity. 1781 Cowper Charity 293 Verse, like the laurel, its immortal meed, Should be the guerdon of a noble deed. 1813 Scott Trierm. ii. xx, As at her word his sword he draws, His fairest guerdon her applause. 1859 Tennyson Enid 1072 Take A horse and arms for guerdon; choose the best. 1862 Neale Hymns East. Ch. 89 If I find Him, if I follow, What His guerdon here? ‘Many a sorrow, many a labour, Many a tear’. 1884 J. Payn Some Lit. Recoll. 240 Such guerdon as the novelist does receive is gained very pleasantly and accompanied by many charming circumstances. |
▪ II. guerdon, v. Now poet. and rhetorical.
(ˈgɜːdən)
Forms: 4 guerdone, -oun, 4–5 gerdon, 5 gardon, 6 gwerdon, 5– guerdon. Also pa. pple. 4 iguerdonned, ygerdoned.
[a. OF. guer(e)doner, f. guer(e)don: see prec. n.]
1. trans. To reward, recompense.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. v. pr. iii. 122 (Camb. MS.) Þat is to seyn þat shrewes ben punyshed or ellys þat goode foolk ben ygerdonyd. c 1386 ― Pars. T. ¶209 The glorie of heuene with which god shal gerdone a man for hise goode dedes. a 1420 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 819 He hathe for my longe servise Guerdonede me. 1483 Caxton Cato A iv, Thou mayst guerdon them that haue so wel done to the yf they haue nede and necessyte. c 1530 Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814) 417 She may right wel guerdon hym for hys seruice. c 1572 Gascoigne Fruites Warre (1831) 215 And bad me bide till his abilitie Might better gwerdon my fidelitie. 1607 Heywood Faire Maid Wks. 1874 II. 68 Confusion guerdon his base villainie. c 1650 Don Bellianis 35, I pray the Almighty Lord that hath delivered us from so great danger and perill to guerdon you for it. 1820 T. Mitchell Aristoph. I. 48 Death must guerdon deeds so bold. 1847 Tennyson Princ. i. 201 Him we gave a costly bribe To guerdon silence. 1885 Evangel. Mag. Dec. 435 The father can guerdon his child. |
| absol. 1859 Neale Rhythm Bern. de Morlaix (1864) 28 The Lamb is ever near thee,..The Crown is He to guerdon, The Buckler to protect. |
2. To give as a reward. rare—1.
| 1881 H. Phillips tr. Chamisso's Faust 17, I guerdon thee the prize which thou hast won. |
Hence ˈguerdoned ppl. a., given as a reward; ˈguerdoning vbl. n., the action of the vb. guerdon; reward. Also ˈguerdonable a., that may be guerdoned; ˈguerdoner, one who guerdons.
| c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iv. pr. vii. 112 (Camb. MS.) Fortune is yeuen eyther by cause of gerdonynge or ellys of excersisinge of good folk or ellis by cause to punnyssen. c 1400 Rom. Rose 2380 In love, free yeven thing Requyrith a gret guerdoning. 1530 Lyndesay Test. Papyngo 1006 The guerdonyng of ȝour Courticience, Is sum cause of thir gret Enormyteis. 1606 Ford Fame's Mem. Wks. 1889 III. 301 To get a guerdon'd favour for his hire. 1646 Buck Rich. III, 75 Finding it as well guerdonable, as gratefull, to publish their Libels. Ibid., Explic. of dark words, Guerdonable, worthy of reward. 1881 Rossetti House of Life, Sonn. xxxiii, And Venus Victrix to my heart doth bring Herself, the Helen of her guerdoning. |