good morrow, good-ˈmorrow
1. A salutation used at meeting in the morning, equivalent to the later good morning (see good a. 10 c). Also in full phr. (variously corrupted: see god n. 8) † (God) give you good morrow. Now arch.
| c 1386 Chaucer Miller's T. 394 Hayl, maister Nicholay! Good morwe, I se thee wel, for it is day. 1481 Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 46 Noble lord and lady god gyue you good morow. 1548 Interl. John Bon (Percy Soc.) 13 What, John Bon! good morowe to the! 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. i. (1586) 7 b, God morowe maister Rigo. 1589 Pappe w. Hatchet E ij, Not vnlike the theefe, that in stead of God speede, sayd stand, and so tooke a purse for God morowe. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. ii. iii. 21 Giue you good-morrow, sir. 1611 Chapman May-Day Plays 1873 II. 328 Godge you God morrow Sir. 1613 Purchas Pilgrimage iv. viii. (1614) 380 Ismael..in the breake of the day, assailed Alumut his armie, little suspecting such a good morrow. 1632 Milton L'Allegro 46. 1654 Warren Unbelievers 145 They and their Christ will bid good-morrow..so often as they rise. 1677 A. Yarranton Eng. Improv. 111 Good morrow, good morrow, Gentlemen; I hope you have slept well to Night. 1810 Scott Lady of L. iii. ii, The speckled thrush Good-morrow gave from brake and bush. 1847 Longfellow Ev. i. iv. 8 Many a glad good-morrow..made the bright air brighter. |
† 2. Something as void of import as the ‘good-morrow’ of mere civility; an idle, trivial, or empty saying; a trifling or worthless matter. Obs.
| 1546 Gardiner Declar. Art. Joye 9 b, They began to spread abrode an enuious rumour of me..and many good morowes. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 18 b, [We] worshipped hym not in spirite, but in copes..in shaven crounes and long gounes, and many good morrowes els, devised onely by the phantasie of manne. 1597 Gerarde Herbal ii. xcii. 341, I finde in ancient writers many good morrowes..as that three rootes will cure one griefe, fower another disease [etc.]. a 1641 Bedell Erasm. in Fuller's Abel Rediv. (1651) 61 Promise of a yeerly pension..and many other good⁓morrows, which..he never performed. a 1704 T. Brown Wks. (1708) III. ii. 79 Some might be apt to say, the Devil's in a Man that grieves for the Loss of a Wife..and a thousand such good Morrows. |
Hence † good-morrow v., to say ‘good morrow’ to.
| 1686 F. Spence tr. Varilla's Ho. Medicis 13 The first thing he did after having good-morrowed him. |