▪ I. † wrethe, n. Obs.
Forms: α. 1 wræðo, -u, wræþu, 2 wræþe, 3 wreðe, 3–5 wreth, 4–6 wrethe, 6 Sc. wreath. β. north. 4–5 wrythe, 5 writh(e, Sc. wryth.
[OE. wrǽðo (also wráðo), wrǽþu (f. wráþ wroth a.), = MLG. wrêde. ON. *wreiði (Norw. vreide; MSw. wredhe, vredhe, Sw. and Da. vrede), reiði (Icel. reiði, Norw. reide). A different OE. formation is represented by wrath n.]
1. Violent anger; = wrath n. 1. Also in the phr. be (= by) wrethe, but wrethe, for wrethe, of wrethe, in wrethe, on wrethe, through wrethe, with wrethe.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Mark iii. 21 And miððy ᵹeherdon his eodon to haldanne hine, cuoedon forðon þætte on wræðo [L. in furorem] ᵹecerred wæs. c 1100 O.E. Chron. (MS. F.) an. 1051, Forþan hi wæran intinga þare wræðe ðe was betwyx him & ðan cinge. c 1250 Kent. Serm. in O.E. Misc. 33 Yef se deuel us wille a-cumbri þurch senne..oþer þurh wreþe. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 482 Lamech wið wreðe is knape nam. a 1300 Cursor M. 10049 Moght in hir noþer be wreth ne het, Hir tholmodenes it was sa gret. c 1330 Amis & Amil. 830 Lete thi wrethe first ouergon, Y pray the. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xlii. (Agatha) 121 In wryth quyncyane bad gef hire buffetis. a 1400 Sir Degrev. (Thornton MS.) 299 (Halliwell), Thus thay fighte in the frythe, With waa wreke thay thaire wrythe. 1422 Yong tr. Secreta Secret. 135 Hatredyn engendryth wronge and wrethe. c 1440 Eng. Conq. Ireland 75 But in nothynge thay myght acorde, & begon to de-pert, as in wrethe. 1530 Palsgr. 290/2 Wrethe, angre, courroux, maltalent. 1587 W. Fowler Wks. (S.T.S.) I. 53 Sometymes through wreath, I forced was..To teare them all in peaces small. |
| Personif. c 1420 Lydg. Assembly of Gods 624 Wrethe bestrode a wylde bore, and next hem gan ryde. |
| transf. c 1475 Partenay 231 An huge bore of meruelous wreth. |
2. A fit or display of wrath; = wrath n. 2.
| a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 865 (Dubl. MS.), Sir, lat þi wrethes all wende. 1434 Misyn Mending Life 117 Wrethis, hatredis, detraccions mekely suffyr. |
3. Of the Deity: = wrath n. 4 a.
| c 900 Rituale Eccl. Dunelm. (Surtees) 11 In alle soðfæst[nis] ðin se ymbvoended [L. avertatur]..wræðo ðin. a 1023 Wulfstan Hom. (1883) 174 Hæfþ eal folc..micele wræþe æt gode þurh his ænne gilt. a 1300 Cursor M. 27362 O þat soruful dai o pain,..Þe dai o wreth, o quak and soru. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1552 Þarewyth þai wreth God þat sese all; And his wreth at þe last sall with þam mete. 1387 Trevisa Higden I. 191 Þat tyme þat Egipt was i-smyte wiþ God all myȝties wrethe. c 1420 [see wreak n. 1]. |
4. Injury, hurt, harm. rare.
| c 1400 Melayne 96 Wende thy waye..To Charles..& he sall wreke thy wrethis alle. c 1440 Bone Florence 1613 Hys mowthe, hys nose, braste owt on blood, Forthe at the chaumbur dore he yode, For drede of more wrethe. |
▪ II. wrethe
see wreath, wreathe v., writ n.
▪ III. † wrethe, v.1 Obs.
Forms: α. 1 Northumb. wræðan (wuræðan), 2–3 wreðen (3 werðen), 5 wrethyn; 4 wreþi, 4–5 wreþe, wreth(e, 5 Sc. wreyth. β. 5 north. writhe.
[OE. wrǽðan, causative verb f. wráþ wroth a. Cf. wroth v.]
1. trans. Of persons (or things): To make angry; to vex, anger, irritate. = wrath v. 2.
In frequent use from c 1300 to c 1400.
| c 900 Rituale Eccl. Dunelm. (Surtees) 107 Se cyng..mið ðy ᵹiherde wræðde & sende herᵹvm sinvm. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xviii. 34 And wuraeðde [L. iratus] hlaferd his ᵹesalde hine ðæm pinerum. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 39 Bute we inwarliche imilcien and forȝeuen þan monne þe us wreðeð and sceandet. c 1230 Hali Meid. (1922) 38 For moni þing schal ham wreaðen & gremien. a 1240 Ureisun in O.E. Hom. 197 Þet ich ðe wreðede sume siðe hit me reoweð sore. 13.. Seuyn Sages (W.) 3461 Sir, ye er wrethed wrang; That sal ye wit wele or I gang. 1375 Barbour Bruce xvii. 45 Gif he tuk till his helping, Ane or othir suld wrethit be. 1422 Yong tr. Secreta Secret. 199 God..no man refusyth, haue he neuer so myche hym wrethyd. c 1475 Partenay 2856 More neuer ne was woer..Then off that he hade wrethed so Raymounde. |
b. refl. To wax angry; = wrath v. 3.
| c 1205 Lay. 9214 Þe kæisere hine wrædde, Þe wurs him wes on heorte. a 1300 Cursor M. 18221 Wit þis can iesus him to wreth. a 1340 Hampole Psalter vii. 12 God is rightwis iuge;..he wrethis him noght ilk day. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 995 For na thing that thou mai sayn, Wil i me wreth. c 1430 Pilgr. Lyf Manhode iii. xxxii. (1869) 153 Nature wolde wretthe hire if man [etc.]. |
c. impers. = anger v. 2 b.
| a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 4639 Or ellis ȝow writhis with ȝour wele, for ȝe na welth haue! |
2. intr. To become or be angry; = wrath v. 1.
| c 900 Rituale Eccl. Dunelm. (Surtees) 197 Wræððe..diwl [L. fremuit diabulus]. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. v. 22 Eᵹhuelc seðe uraeðes broðere his. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 33 Tobreoke anes eorðliches monnes heste, he wile wreðe wið þe. a 1225 Juliana 13 (Bodl. MS.), Affrican wreaðede & swor swiðe deopliche. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1584 Be ðu ðer..til esau Eðe moðed be, ðe wreðed nu. a 1340 Hampole Psalter ii. 12 Gripes disciplyne, leswhen lord wreth: and ȝe perisch fra rightwis way. 1387 Trevisa Higden V. 207 Þat he schulde whanne he gan to wreþe seie ofte and by ordre foure and twenty lettres of Grewe. a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 2593 Þen þe berne writhis, Fandis him first on be-fore, & all foloȝes eftir. 14.. Titus & Vesp. (Roxb.) 1404 (Addit. MS. 10036), Thei wreþed with him for his sawe. c 1475 Partenay 4853 It was for his syne That his fader had wrethed heuyly so. |
3. trans. To be angry with (a person); = wrath v. 4.
| c 1420 Chaucer's Troylus iii. 174 (Harl. MS. 2280), Ny nyl [I] forbere if þat ȝe don amys To wreth ȝow. c 1500 Poems Gray MS. (S.T.S.) 46 Quhy wrethis þou me? I greif þe nocht. |
Hence † ˈwrethed ppl. a.; † ˈwrething vbl. n.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter vi. 1 He sall be seen til ill men as *wrethid and as wode. 1567 Satir. Poems Reform. iv. 136 The crewell work of wretheit womanheid. |
| a 1300 Cursor M. 29511 Quen man..wit *wrething wode, Gis his sentence on ani man. a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 5036 Lefe of þi wordis, For writhing of þir wale treeis, & willne þaim na mare. 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. cxlvi, By quhois effectis grete Ȝe movit are to wrething. |
▪ IV. † wrethe, v.2 Obs.
In 1 wreþian, wreðian (wræð-), 3 wreoðien.
[OE. wreðian (also a-, ᵹe-, under-wreðian), f. wraðu support, etc., = OS. wređian, giwređian.]
1. trans. To prop or hold up; to support or sustain. Also in fig. context. (Only OE.)
| c 888 ælfred Boeth. xxi, Heora ælc [sc. creature] winð wið oðer, & þeah wræðeð oðer, þæt hie ne moton toslupan. c 890 Wærferth tr. Gregory's Dial. 175 Wreþiende [L. sustenans] þa tydran limu betwyh his ᵹingrena handum. a 1000 Andreas 523 (Gr.), Se ðe rodor ahof & ᵹefæstnode folmum sinum, worhte & wreðede. |
2. refl. To support (oneself) by leaning upon another; = lean v.1 2 b. Also fig.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 252 Ȝif þet heo wergeð, euerichon wreoðeð him bi oðer. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 857 Alle þeos writeres writes Þet ȝe wreoðieð ow on. |
3. intr. To rely on, depend upon, a person.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 142 Þet heo owun to beon of so holi liue þet..al Cristene uolc leonie & wreoðie upon ham. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 1327 We ne cunnen..warpen na word aȝein to weorrin ne to wreððen him þet ha wreoðeð on. |