▪ I. gree, n.1 Obs. exc. Sc.
(griː)
Forms: sing. 4–6 gre, 4–9 gree, (6 graie), 6–7, 9 grie. pl. 4–6 greis, 5 grece, 4–7 grees, (5 greez, 6 gries); cf. grece.
[a. OF. gré (pl. greis, greyz: see grece) = It., Sp. grado, Pg. grao:—L. gradum step. Cf. degree, grade.]
† 1. A step in an ascent or descent; one of a flight of steps; = degree 1. In quots. 1303 and 1382, a flight of steps. Obs.
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 1562 She was beryyde, as fyl to be, Be syde an auter before þe gre. 1382 Wyclif Neh. viii. 4 Esdras scribe stod vpon a treene gree [1388 the grees of tree], the whiche he hadde maad to speken in [1388 theron]. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) viii. 31 By syde þe hie awter er iiii greez to gang vp at to þe toumbe of alabastre. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. i. 463 Thre grees or iiij is up thereto to go. 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys (Roxb.) 59 She stey up from gre to gree. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 73/2 A trone of yuorye..whiche had vi grees or stappes. 1555–8 T. Phaer æneid i. B ij b, The brasen grees afore the dores dyd mount. 1610 Holland Camden's Brit. ii. 25 One onely ascent by which hardly one by one can passe up, and that with a labour by grees or steps. 1693 J. Wallace Orkney 44 Bishop Stewart enlarged it [the Cathedral Church] to the East, all above the Grees. |
† b. canticle or song of grees: ‘Song of Degrees’, ‘Gradual Psalm’ (see gradual a. 5). Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Ps. cxix. [cxx.] heading, The song of grees [1388 greces]. a 1420 Wyclif's Bible, Ps. 2nd Prol., The canticlis of grees ben in noumbre of fiftene. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 273 b/2 Thou gauest to me syngyng the cantycle of grees sharpe arowes and cooles wastyng. |
† 2. fig. A step or stage in a process, etc., esp. one in an ascending or descending scale; = degree 2. Obs.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxix. 1 He herd me, settand me in greis of steghynge. c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 269 Þe grees of cunnynge and joie here must nedis passe. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. iv. 471 Ther humour is ek erth and ayer wel warme, That fruyt to fruyt fro gre to gre succedith. c 1470 Henryson Mor. Fab. v. (Parl. Beasts) ii, It followis weill be ressoun naturall, And gre be gre, of richt comparisoun: Of euill cumis war, of war cumis werst of all. 1513 Douglas æneis vi. Prol. 97 As he tuichis greis seir in pane, In blis, elykwys sindry stagis puttis he. 1589 R. Bruce Serm. (1843) 32 The first gree of preparation stands in contrition. |
† 3. A ‘step’ in direct line of descent; a degree of relationship; = degree 3. greis defendant (Sc.): forbidden degrees. Obs.
| c 1315 Shoreham 69 The sibbe mowe to-gadere nauȝt The foerthe grees wythinne. c 1340 Cursor M. 1464 (Fairf.) Iareth þat was þe .v. gree [Cott. kne] fra Seth. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 409 Nigh kyn þey wil bee Þey he passe an hondred gree. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. ix. xxvii. 56 He and he Wes evynlike in toþir Gre. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 112 He him self wes narrest to thair croun, Fra Dioneth the fourt grie cuming doun. 1571 Satir. Poems Reform. xxvii. 100 Kin of Kingis discendit grie be gre. 1617 in Pitcairn Crim. Trials Scot. III. 424 He was within greis-defendant with the Hous of Bass. |
† 4. A stage or position in the scale of dignity or rank; relative social or official rank, grade, order, estate, or station; = degree 4. In quot. 1450, a rank or class of persons. Obs.
| 13.. S.E. Legendary (MS. Bodl. 779) in Archiv. Stud. neu. Spr. LXXXII. 402/46 He ordeyned þat ech man þat prest wolde be scholde vndirfong þe ordres fro gre to gre—wit-oute lope & defaute þat þey I-taken were. 1382 Wyclif Gen. xl. 13 Pharao..schal restore thee to the bifore had gree. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1313 Dido, She..profreth him to be His thral, his servant in the leste gree. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 208/2 Gre, or worthynesse, gradus. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 4901 Þai spared na elde na gre. c 1450 Holland Howlat 407 All gretest of gre. 1493 Festivall (W. de W. 1515) 7 To understande all the grees Of y⊇ worlde. 1520 Caxton's Chron. Eng. iv. 38/2 He ordeyned that he that was worthy sholde ascende gree by gree to his ordre, fyrst benet, than colet, subdecon, deacon, and than preest. a 1555 Lyndesay Tragedie 47 Gre by gre, vpwarte I did ascende; Swa that in to this realme did neuer ryng So gret one man as I, vnder ane kyng. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. July 215 He is a shepheard great in gree. 1590 Greene Orl. Fur. (1599) 50 Proude that thou art, I recke not of thy gree. |
5. Pre-eminence; superiority; mastery; victory in battle; hence, the prize for a victory. to bear, get, have, take, win the gree. Now Sc.
| 1320–30 Horn Ch. 319 That day Horn the turnament wan..He toke the gre, that was a swan. 13.. Sir Beues (E.) 3769 + 4 A turnement sche haþ don crye..for to see, What knyȝt ys to han þe gree. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1875 Duk Theseus leet crye, To stynten alle rancour and enuye, The gree as wel of o syde as of oother. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxi. 103 The gree ȝut hath he geten for alle hus grete wondes. c 1450 Holland Howlat 448 To James lord Dowglas thow the gre gaif, To ga with the kingis hart. 1470–80 Malory Arthur vi. vii, The gree was gyuen to kynge Bagdemagus. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. cviii. 90 In this bataylle..the gree of the felde [was] left with the danoys. 1513 Douglas æneis v. ii. 52 Quha best on fute can ryn lat se, To preif his pith, to wersill, and beir the gre. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. xix. ix. (1899) I. 198 Prayand to god that he micht haue that graie and victorie of him quha was his enemye. a 1605 in Montgomerie's Poems (1887) 274 The Muses wald have gevin the grie To her, as to the Aperse. 1686 G. Stuart Joco-ser. Disc. 22 Of aw the pipers I did see, This piper Tony wan the 'gree. 1795 Burns For a' that and a' that v, That sense and worth, o'er a' the earth, May bear the gree, and a' that. 1818 Scott Hrt. Midl. xxix, The Cu'ross hammermen have the gree for that. 1837 R. Nicoll Poems (1843) 91 Whether be it wark or play, The gree was wi' our auld gudeman. 1858 M. Porteous Souter Johnny 29 Ower them a' for classic style It bears the gree. |
† 6. A degree, step, or grade in intensity or amount; = degree 6. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Merch. T. 131 Ther nys no thyng in gree superlatyf, As seith Senek, aboue an humble wyf. c 1400 Rom. Rose 5743 They nil, in no maner gree, Do right nought for charitee. 1460–70 Bk. Quintessence ii. (1866) 22 Þerfore þe feuere agu is þe posityue degree, and in þe superlatyue degree, comparatif gree and superlatif gree. 1552 Lyndesay Monarche 6053 That Lantern of the Heuin Sall gyf more lycht, be greis sewin, Nor it gaue sen the warld began. 1563 Winȝet Four Score Thre Quest. Wks. 1888 I. 68 We ar in mony greis of luue naturalie coniunit. ― Wks. (1890) II. 57 In al greis of aigis and tymes. |
† 7. In mediæval physics: = degree 6 c. Obs.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvi. vii. (1495) 556 Quycke syluer as Plato sayth is hote and moyst in the fourth degre though some men deame that it is cold in the same gree. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 86 In considerynge þe complexioun of al þe body..& þe gre of þe medicyn. 1547 Boorde Brev. Health clv. 56 This fleume which is swete, gree for gree is hote and moyst lyke the ayer. |
† 8. An academical degree; = degree 7 a. Obs.
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. xvi. 90 Y wolde grees of scolis to be take. 1494 Fabyan Chron. 3 By hym that neuer yet any ordre toke, Or gre of Scole, or sought for great cunnynge, This werk is gaderyd. 1508 Dunbar Flyting w. Polwart 397, I sall degraid the, graceles, of thy greis. |
† 9. Geom. (Astron., Geog., etc.) The unit of the sexagesimal measurement of angles or circular arcs; = degree 9.
| 1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy Prol. (1513) A 1 b, The tyme of yere, shortly to conclude When .xx. grees was phebus altitude. 1423 Jas. I. Kingis Q. xxi, Passit bot myd-day foure greis evin. 1426 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 140 The bulle..twenty grees Entred was the hed of the dragoun. 1536 Bellenden Cron. Scot., Descr. Alb. xiii, The last and out⁓maist Ile is namit Hirtha; quhare the eleuatioun of the pole is lxiii greis. |
▪ II. gree, n.2 Now arch.
(griː)
Also 4–6 gre.
[a. OF. gré, gred, gret (11th c. in Littré), mod.F. gré pleasure, goodwill, will (cf. maugre = mal gré) = Pr. grat-z, It., Sp., Pg. grado:—L. grātum, neut. subst. of grātus pleasing, grateful. The word was taken over into English chiefly in phrases (see the various senses).]
† 1. Favour, goodwill. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 1656 (Gött.) Ȝe eyth [= eight], for ȝou treu leute, Alone i haue granted mi gre [Trin. graunted gre, Cott. mi sagh(t)]. c 1400 Sowdone Bab. 2850 And [read God] graunte him gree and grith. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. iii. 5 But for in court gay portaunce he perceiv'd And gallant shew to be in greatest gree. |
b. in gree (also at, to gree: cf. agree adv., engree): with goodwill or favour, with kindly feeling or pleasure, kindly, in good part. Chiefly in phr. to take, accept, receive in gree. [F. prendre, recevoir, avoir en gré, servir à gré.]
| ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 42 God graunte in gree that she it take For whom that it begonnen is! c 1374 ― Troylus ii. 480 (529) My lowe confessioun Accepte in gre. c 1386 ― Clerk's T. 1095 Vs oghte Receyuen al in gree that god vs sent. c 1415 Lydg. Temp. Glas 1085 Boþe ȝe and I mekeli most abide To take agre [v.rr. at gre, in gre]. c 1430 ― Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 22 My simple makyng for to take at gree. 1481 Caxton Myrr. i. xiv. 47 That after his deth..god receyueth hym in gree. a 1577 Gascoigne De Profundis Wks. (1831) 203 And thou (good God) vouchsafe in gree to take This woefull plaint. 1597–8 Bp. Hall Sat. iv. ii. 85 Soone as he can kisse his hand in gree, And with good grace bow it below the knee. 1600 Fairfax Tasso x. x. 181 Accept in gree..the words I spoke. 1894 F. S. Ellis Reynard Fox 230 A man should hold his friends in gre, And his foes hate but tardily. |
c. with or in good (goodly) gree: with goodwill [F. de bon gré].
| 1542 Udall Erasm. Apopth. 259 So y⊇ graciousnesse of this prince tooke in good gree the eiuill wille of bothe the saied parties against hym. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. v. 16 Which she accepts with thankes and goodly gree. 1609 Holland Ammianus xxvii. 313 Having..wrought the souldiors to accept thereof in good gree and willingly. 1885 Burton Arab. Nts. (1887) III. 349 Replied the smith, ‘With gladness and goodly gree’. |
2. to do or make gree: to give satisfaction (for an injury). Also, to make one's gree to or with (a person): to do what will satisfy him; to give satisfaction to, come to terms or make one's peace with. Also, to make (a person's) gree.
| c 1290 Childh. Jesus (Horstm.) 455 To his freont make þi gre Oþur þou worst i flem of þis contre. Ibid. 1430 To Josepe he maude is gre With guode wille. [1377 Act 1 Rich. II c. 6 §1 Qe..le clerc..eit la prisone tange il avera fait gree a la partie.] 1412 Hoccleve De Reg. Princ. 621 Þat I, with lownesse & humylitee, To my curat go scholde, & make his gree. 1413 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) i. xxxviii. (1859) 42 Thus shalt thou make thy gree with Iustyce, that Mercy and she be finally acorded. c 1440 Partonope 2149 He thenketh fast how that he To his Lord myght make his gre. c 1492 Gest of Robyn Hode cviii. in Child Ballads (1888) III. 61/2 Holde my londes in thy honde Tyll I haue made the gree! 1613 Sir H. Finch Law (1636) 297 No Wardein of the Fleet shall suffer any prisoner in execution to goe out of prison..without making gree to the partie. 1697 View Penal Laws 121 Then the Sheriff have the Hawk, making gree to him that did take him. 1764 Burn Poor Laws 11 He shall be imprisoned till he justify himself, and make gree to the party. |
† b. unto gree: with a view to satisfaction, as an indemnity. Obs. rare.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 11595 The grekes for hor greme vnto gre asken Gret sommes, forsothe, to hor sad harmes. |
† 3. (One's) good pleasure; will, desire; consent. by his gree (quot. 1483): of its own accord. of the gre: of (one's) own accord, voluntarily. out of gree: contrary to one's pleasure or desire; hence amiss. [F. à son gré, de (son) gré, contre son gré.] Obs.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. C. 348 Lene me þy grace For to go at þi gre. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 272 Þe erle..did no maner wik, þe Kyng gaf him his gre. Ibid. 308 He wild not do þer gre, þat terme þat he sette. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 2645 It es the gifte of Gode, the gree es hys awene. Ibid. 2748 Here are galyarde gomes that of the gre seruis. 1417 E.E. Wills (1882) 27, I will þat myn executours do her gre. 1481 Caxton Godfrey cxciii. 283 It was not knowen..whether it was taken from hym by constraynt or yf he delyuerd it with his gree and wyll. 1483 ― Gold. Leg. 196 b/1 The dore that was soo locked opened by his gree by hym self. 1513 Douglas æneis ix. Prol. 80 Quhar ocht is bad, gais mys, or owt of gre. 1632 Womens Rights 18 Whosoever..shall in his life time without gree of his lord, marry. [1666 Pepys Diary 25 Nov., Against the gré..of my Lord Treasurer. 1692 O. Walker History Illustr. i. vii. 119 Against the gré of the Senate.] a 1734 North Lives (1742) 9 History..(after the partial Gree of the late Authors) has been, to all good Purposes, silent of him. |
▪ III. † gree, n.3 Obs. rare.
? Weeping, mourning.
| 1555 Abp. Parker Ps. xxx. 70 Thou tournst from mee my wo and gree, to myrth in cherefull voyce. 1590 Greene Mourn. Garm. (1616) 53 With hearts griefe and eyes greee [sic]. Eyes and heart both full of woes. |
▪ IV. gree, v. Obs. exc. dial.
Also 5–6 gre, 6 Sc. grie.
[aphetized from agree v., or f. gree n.2 Cf., however, OF. gréer, which may be the direct source.]
= agree v., in various senses.
† 1. trans. Of a person: To please, to satisfy. = agree 1 b. Obs.
| 1468 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 19, I stand in doubt whether Mr. Midleton & Mr. Ros greed you & Sir John Malivera thereof or no. |
† 2. To make (persons) pleased; to reconcile, conciliate (several persons, or one with another); also, to arrange or settle (a matter). Obs.
| 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xxi. 75 Now thay tak on hand to gre ȝow With all the tother syde. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. vi. 342 Edward king of Jngland..was chosen arbiter to grie this mater. Ibid. ix. 154 In hauie and sair seiknes he takis Jornay, of that mynd to grie thame. 17.. Jacobite Relics (ed. Hogg 1819) I. 146 They're fallen out among themselves, Shame fa' the first that grees them! |
† 3. refl. and intr. (for refl.) To become well-disposed or favourable; to consent, accede. Obs.
| c 1440 Generydes 1141, I gre me wele In your presence to travell day by day. 1490 Caxton Eneydos vi. 29 They..accorded and greed to do all hir wyll. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. civ. 125 They within desyred respyte to gyue an answere, the which was agreed; and whan they had counsayled the parties greed. 1578 Hunnis Hyvef. Hunnye Gen. xxxvi. 28 lf. 86 Shall not all their substance greatte And cattell that they have Be ours if we gree thereunto? 1591 Harington Orl. Fur. v. xxxii, To trie the matter thus they greed both. |
4. To come into accord or harmony; to come to terms with (a person), on, upon (a matter); to make an agreement.
| c 1380 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. II. 144 Ȝif þis be herd of Pilat we shulen gree wiþ him, and make ȝou sikir. c 1566 Merie Tales in Skelton's Wks. (1843) I. Introd. 69 The miller..greed with the sexten of the churche to haue the key of the churche dore. 1574 Mirr. Mag., Nennius x, Till with their creditours they gree. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. ii. iv. 183 All the means Plotted, and 'greed on for my happinesse. 1597 Breton Scholler & Souldiour (1599) 30, I will either have it give it or gree upon it. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. ii. vi. 37 Then, to send Measures of Wheate to Rome; this greed vpon, To part with vnhackt edges. 1786 Burns To G. Hamilton iii, My word of honour I hae gi'en,..To try to get the twa to gree. 1822 Scott Nigel xxxi, All..consentiunt in eundem—gree on the same point. 1824 S. E. Ferrier Inher. xvii, It's you that has made us cast out, and it's you that maun make us 'gree. 1878 Cumbld. Gloss., 'Gree, agree. They're about 'greean for a horse. |
5. To be in harmony in opinion, way of life, etc.; to be of the same mind; to be friends; also of things, to be in accord or harmonious.
| 1500–20 Dunbar Poems liii. 5 The ane futt ȝeid ay onrycht, And to the tother wald not gree. 1523 Skelton Garl. Laurel 275 Whos heuenly armony was so passynge sure, So truely proporsionyd, and so well did gree. 1532 G. Hervet Xenophon's Househ. (1768) 23 Vtterynge our myndes one to an other, if we myght gree in one tale. c 1540 J. Redford Mor. Play Wit & Sci. (Shaks. Soc.) 39 We wyll gre better, or ye pas hence. 1594 Marlowe & Nashe Dido iii. i, Weapons gree not witt my tender years. c 1600 Shakes. Sonn. cxiv, Mine eie well knowes what with his gust is greeing. 1620 T. Peyton Glass Time 49 Neptune himselfe with foure great riuers greeing, To deck the bosome which gaue Adam being. 1768 Ross Helenore 108 Like twa sisters, ye will live an' gree. a 1774 Fergusson Poems (1845) 5 As lang's there's pith into the barrel, We'll drink and gree. 1814 Scott Wav. xxxvi, They're just neighbour-like..and nae wonder they gree sae weel. |
Hence ˈgreeing ppl. a., concordant.
| a 1547 Surrey æneid (Roxb. Club) 125 The people cried with sundry greeing shouts To bring the horse to Pallas temple blive. |