▪ I. † aˈggress, n. Obs.
[ad. L. aggress-us an attack, f. aggredi to approach, attack: see aggress v.]
Attack, aggression.
| 1678 Hale Pleas of Crown xv. (T.) Not only to mutual defence, but also to be assisting to each other in their military aggresses upon others. 1698 J. Norris Pract. Disc. IV. 383 Upon the very first Aggress. |
▪ II. aggress
(in Her.) obs. variant of ogress.
▪ III. aˈggress, v.
(əˈgrɛs)
[a. Fr. aggresse-r (Cotgr.) earlier agresser, ad. med. and ? late L. aggressāre, freq. of aggred-i to approach, attack, f. ad to, at + grad-i to march, step.]
† 1. intr. To approach, march forward. Obs. Hence aˈggressed ppl. a.; also as n.
| c 1575 Cambyses in Hazl. Dodsley IV. 172 Behold, I see him now aggress, And enter into place. 1801 Ann. Reg. 1799 ii. 285/2 The aggressed party shall have been properly indemnified for the damages suffered. 1890 J. Middlemass Two False Moves III. iii. 37 Are you the aggressor or the aggressed? 1930 Observer 7 Sept. 8/7 The aggressed State would raise loans..but the service of the loans would be guaranteed by the signatory States. |
2. intr. To make an attack; to set upon; ‘to commit the first act of violence; to begin the quarrel.’ J. Const. on. Also transf. (esp. in Psychol. contexts) and const. against. Cf. aggression 3.
| a 1714 Prior Ode to Q. Anne (J.) Tell aggressing France How Britain's sons, and Britain's friends can fight. 1837 J. Harris Gt. Teacher 290 The only domains on which his empire aggresses. 1851 H. Spencer Soc. Stat. xxi. §8 The moral law says—Do not aggress. 1972 Jrnl. Social Psychol. LXXXVII. 94 Subjects who were aggressed against 90% of the time reciprocated less harm than they received. 1973 Guardian 31 Jan. 14/1 To show affection to a child who is self-destructive is to aggress to him. 1976 National Observer (U.S.) 14 Aug. 12/2 The ultimate negative situation occurs when a parent walks out without telling the child... He feels abandoned, aggressed against, hated. |
3. trans. To set upon, attack, assault.
| 1775 Ash, Aggress, v.t. to set upon, to attack, to begin a quarrel. 1882 Sat. Rev. 25 Feb. 225 Roaring lions to be going about seeking whom they may aggress (the verb, though little used, is strictly in accordance with analogy). |