▪ I. † worm-eat, ppl. a. Obs.
= worm-eaten, lit. and fig.
| 1597 Bp. Hall Sat. i. iv. 6 Some brauer braine in high Heroick rimes Compileth worm-eate stories of olde tymes. 1601 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass. iv. iii. 1936 Spending the marrow of their flowring age, In fruitelesse poring on some worme eate leafe. 1607 R. Turner Nosce Te E 3, This worme-eate Churle. |
▪ II. † worm-eat, v. Obs.
[Back-formation from next.]
1. trans. To eat into by, or as by, worms.
| 1598 Florio, Tarmare, to mothe-eate or worme-eate. 1653 E. Chisenhale Catholike Hist. 109 Should the gnawing rusty teeth of time worm-eat and rase all his Records. 1663 Head Hic & Ubique ii. i. 20 Let 'em rot with their cares And worldly affairs, And worm-eat their souls with their treasures. a 1739 Jarvis Don Quix. ii. iv. x, Leave off these vanities, which worm-eat your brain. |
2. intr. To undergo being worm-eaten.
| 1641 Best Farm. Bks. (Surtees) 125 That they bee reade⁓deale, which are allmost as durable as oake, and will not worme-eate so soone as white deale. |