▪ I. ˈvanquish, n. Sc.
Also vinquish.
[f. the vb.]
(See quots.)
| 1792 Statist. Acc. Scot. IV. 267 The pernicious quality of a species of grass to the health of the sheep..infecting them with a disease called the Vanquish. 1793 Ibid. VII. 518 In one or two farms a disease also prevails termed the Vanquish. 1807 Essays Highl. Soc. III. 407 Change of pasture..is the best known cure for the vanquish. 1844 H. Stephens Bk. Farm III. 1122 It is quite a new disease on the Border;..nor did I ever hear its name save from Galloway, where it was called the vinquish. |
▪ II. vanquish, v.
(ˈvæŋkwɪʃ)
Forms: α. 4 vencuse, 4–5 venkus (5 wen-), 5, 6 Sc., vencus (5 Sc. wen-), 5 -cows; 4 venkis, 5 -kes(s, wenkys; Sc. 5 vincuse, wyncus, 5–6 vincus(s, 6 uin-, wincus, vincous (wincows), vincuis, (win-), vancuis. β. 4–5 venquis (5 -quyse, -quyss, Sc. wenquis); Sc. 6 venqueis, -ques, vinqueis, winques, 6–7 winquis, 6 vanques, -quis(e, wanqueis, -ques, -quis. γ. 5 vencu(s)che, -cusshe, -cuȝsche, -quys(c)he, -qwysshe, -qwissh, -quissh, -quessh, 5–6 venquysshe, -quisshe; 6 vanquy(s)she, -quyche, -quishe, -quysh, Sc. -quhish, 6– vanquish. δ. 5–6 vaynquysshe (6 vayncq-, veynq-, Sc. waynquysse), -quesshe, -quysh, 6 vainquish, Sc. wainquis.
[ad. OF. vencus pa. pple. and venquis pa. tense of veintre (:—L. vincĕre), mod.F. vaincre to conquer, overcome; the ending was finally assimilated to that of verbs from F. stems in -iss-: see -ish2. The δ-forms, however, are ad. late OF. vainquiss-, vainquir, a rare variant of vaincre. See also vencue v.]
1. trans. To overcome or defeat (an opponent or enemy) in conflict or battle; to reduce to subjection or submission by superior force.
| α c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 7396 Ȝe may me vaille To vencuse þem in pleyn bataille. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 554 He wan throw bataill Fraunce all fre; And lucius yber wencusyt he. a 1400–50 Alexander 3122 If he be fallen vndire fote..And vencust of oure violence, quat vailis him his hestis? c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. ii. xx. 23 To vincus folk he kennit sa fast That he wes vincust at þe last. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 48 Thre kingis..he vencust, all halely, and put thame to the flicht. 1533 Bellenden Livy ii. xvii. (S.T.S.) I. 195 How þe equis and Wolchis war diuidit amang þame self, and vincust be romanis. c 1550 Rolland Crt. Venus ii. 232 Diuers greit Kingis in feild he did vincus. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 301 Malcolme in battell first vancuist, secundly obteynes the victorie. |
| β c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 5188 He auaunted hym..He venquised þe enperour alone. c 1386 Chaucer Monk's T. 602 For þat Nichamoure and Timothee Wiþ Iewes were venqwiste mihtile. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 10500 For auȝt that he myȝt do,..Thei were put vnto flyȝt, Wenkyst foule, & discomfiȝt. c 1470 Henry Wallace iii. 241 Quhen Wallace had weyle wenquist..The fals terand that had his fadyr slayne. 1549 Compl. Scotl. Prol. 12 Annibal,..beand venquest be nobil scipion, past for refuge tyl anthiocus. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 339 He vanquisses the King of Norway. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 17 Gif he quha is challenged be overcome and winquised be battel. |
| γ 1382 Wyclif 2 Sam. x. 19 Seynge alle the kyngis..hem to be vencusshid of Yrael. c 1386 Chaucer Man of Law's T. 194 Thurgh Hanibal, That Romayns hath venquysshed tymes thre. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 97 David that sloughe Golye,..That sloughe the bere,..venqwysshed the lyoune. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lv. 185 Yf he can vanquysshe me, then he shal delyuer to thee thy nece. 1555 Eden Decades To Rdr. (Arb.) 51 The Moores or Sarasens and Iewes which..yet coulde neuer before bee cleane vanquysshed vntyll the dayes of this noble and Catholyke prince. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, iv. viii. 45 Wer't not a shame,..The fearfull French, whom you late vanquished, Should make a start ore-seas and vanquish you? 1635 Quarles Embl. i. ii. [To] baffle hell, And vie with those that stood, and vanquish those that fell. a 1727 Newton Chronol. Amended i. (1728) 96 David vanquished the Ammonites. 1791 Cowper Iliad iii. 517 Me, Menelaus, by Minerva's aid, Hath vanquish'd now, who may hereafter him. 1849–50 Alison Hist. Europe VII. xlii. §21. 105 She, vanquished but not subdued, compelled to yield to necessity, followed her timid consort. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. I. xxix. 394 They gnawed her feet and nails so ferociously that we drew her up yelping and vanquished. |
| δ 1474 Caxton Chesse 37 For by bataylle he shall not be ouercome and vaynquysshid. c 1489 ― Sonnes of Aymon xix. 428, I am vaynquyshed & overcome wythout ony stroke. 1503–4 Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 34 Preamble, They were rencountered, vaynquesshed, dispersed, overcome, and dyvers put to deth. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon xciii. 303 Syr, thanked be god we haue vaynquysshed the Emperoure. 1565 Cooper Thesaurus, Debellare, to vainquish or ouercome by warre. |
b. fig. To overcome by spiritual power.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxviii. (Margaret) 34 Vertuysly scho cane vincuse þe flesch, þe warld, þe fend alsa. c 1380 Wyclif Contr. Tracts Sel. Wks. III. 439 Þe fend haþ ben many day abowte to vencushe Cristen men bi Antecristis clerkis. c 1440 Lydg. Hors, Shepe & G. 343 Bi his meknesse he..venquysshid hath Satan. 1483 Caxton Cato B ij b, Saynt Johan sayth in the pocalyps who shal vanquysshe the world. c 1510 More Picus Wks. 22 He it is, by whose mighty powre, The worlde was vainquished and his prince cast out. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 44 Than speikis he to God face to face, Quhen that the Deuill he hes vincust. 1581 Burne in Cath. Tract. (S.T.S.) 118 [That] the craft..of the Deuil is vinqueist and ouercum. 1671 Milton P.R. i. 175 The Son of God Now entring his great duel,..to vanquish by wisdom hellish wiles. |
† c. To expel or banish from a place. Obs.
| 1536 Pilgrym's T. in Thynne's Animadv. (1875) 79 Wher this man walked, ther was no farey ner other spiritis, for his blessynges..did vanquyche them from euery buch and tre. 1601 Dolman La Primaud. Fr. Acad. (1618) 374 Conspiring the reentrie of Tarquinius race unto the Kingdome of Rome, from whence they had been vanquished for wickednes and whoredome. |
2. To overcome (a person) by other than physical means. Also const. of (= in respect of).
| c 1366 Chaucer A.B.C. 8 Mercyable Quene,..Hafe mercy of my Perilous langoure, Venquist has me my cruelle aduersair. c 1386 ― Pars. T. 661 Therfore saith the wise man, if thou wolt venquisch thin enemy lerne to suffre. 1477 Caxton Dictes 121 He that demaundethe but reason is able to vaynquysshe & ouercome his ennemye. a 1500 Bernardus de cura rei fam. (E.E.T.S.) 122 For he is nocht ay wen⁓custe with þe sworde, But oft throw lufe. c 1530 Pol., Rel., & L. Poems (1903) 58 Ofte the enmy is easelyer venquysied with seruice than with stroke of swerde. c 1550 Rolland Crt. Venus iii. 45 Hippolyte and eik Pandora sle That with hir slicht[i]s al men dois vincous. 1671 Milton Samson 235, I my self, Who vanquisht with a peal of words..Gave up my fort of silence to a Woman. 1725 W. Hamilton To C'tess Eglinton 22 The Fair One,..Cur'd of her scorn, and vanquish'd of her hate. 1770 Goldsm. Des. Vill. 212 In arguing too, the parson own'd his skill, For e'en though vanquish'd, he could argue still. 1848 W. K. Kelly tr. L. Blanc's Hist. Ten Y. II. 295 At last, M. Gerard has got the upper hand; he has vanquished his colleagues, he has vanquished the king. |
† b. To convict of some offence. Obs.—1
| 1502 Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W. 1506) iv. xxi. X iiij, Whan it is so that he of that was lawfully vaynquysshed or that he hath that confessed in Iugement. |
3. With impersonal object: To overcome, subdue, suppress, or put an end to (a feeling, state of things, etc.).
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 435 For treuþe mut vencusche al oþer þing. c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 46 Pacience..venquysseth.. thynges þat rigour sholde neuere atteyne. c 1400 Rom. Rose 3546 We se ofte that humilite, Bothe ire, and also felonye Venquyssheth. 1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy i. 3284 Thenfeccioun of hir troubled eyr He hath venquesched. 1474 Caxton Chesse 69 And yf thou canst not vaynquysshe thyn yre than muste thyn yre ouercome the. 1513 Douglas æneid i. xi. 64 The flambe of torchis vincoust the dirk nycht. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 122 O God, sa gude and gracious, Lat thair. Jugeing vencust be. a 1601 ? Marston Pasquil & Kath. (1878) ii. 154 Euen then my loue shall not be vanquished. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. i. ii. i. i. (1651) 37 If the cause be removed, the effect is likewise vanquished. 1671 Milton P.R. iv. 607 By vanquishing Temptation, [thou] hast regain'd lost Paradise. 1781 Cowper Expost. 411 To vanquish lust, and wear its yoke no more. 1819 Shelley Cenci i. iii. 110 Till it thus vanquish shame and fear. 1833 H. Martineau Fr. Wines & Pol. viii. 130 Charles repeatedly vanquished his resentment at the Marquis' supercilious treatment of him. |
† b. To excel or surpass. Obs.—1
| 1533 Bellenden Livy i. Prol. (S.T.S.) I. 7 New authouris..be þare crafty eloquence traistis to vincus the rude langage of anciant authouris. |
† 4. To win or gain (a battle or other contest).
| a 1400 Sir Degrev. 1126 Sone that douȝty undur sheld Had y-venkessyd the feld. c 1450 Merlin iii. 56 Vter venquysshed the bataile, and ther ne ascaped noon of the sarazins. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 111/3 Thus as he demanded he vanquysshid the batayll. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV (1550) 42 A gentlemanne..did demaunde of an Englisheman, how many battailes kyng Edward had vanquished. |
5. absol. To be victorious; to have the victory.
| 1382 Wyclif 1 Sam. xiv. 47 And whidir euer he turnede hym silf, he venkusede. 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. (1892) 846 He threwe away his swerde, and judged himself better to vaynquysshe in suffering of deth. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 756 He shall no lesse commend his wisdome where he voyded, then his manhood where he vanquished. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 349 He..sa stoutlie straik and vanquist, that a noble Victorie he obteynet. 1651 Raleigh's Ghost 213 When he suffered his hands to fall down, Amalek vanquished. |