▪ I. † thester, n. Obs.
Forms: 1 ðiostru, -tro, þeostru, ðiestru, þystru, -o, 2 þeostre, 3 þuster, 4 þustre, 4 þestri, þester, 4–5 thestre, 5 thestur.
[OE. ð{iacu}estru, þéostru, fem. (orig. of the -î decl.) = OS. thiustrî; also OE. ð{iacu}estre, þéostre, pl. -ru, neut.; f. thester a.]
Darkness. lit. and fig.
| Beowulf 87 Seþe in þystrum bad. c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xxxv. 244 Se dæᵹ bið ierres dæᵹ & ðiestra ðæᵹ. a 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. v. xiii. [xii.] (1890) 426 He mec forlet in middum þæm þeostrum. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxii. 13 Wurpaþ hyne on þa uttran þystro [c 1160 Hatton G. þeostran, Rushw. ðiostre, Lindisf. ðiostrum]. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 131 He ledde heom of þeostran and of scadewe. a 1250 Owl & Night. 230 Hit luuyeþ þuster & hateþ lyht. c 1315 Shoreham v. 130 Þaȝ hyt were þustre of nyȝt. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 1775 Þay þrongen þeder in þe þester. c 1400 Destr. Troy 4629 Thunret in the thestur throly with all. a 1400–50 Alexander 4627 Quen it walows & wannes all oure thestres. |
Hence † ˈthesterful, þeosterful a., full of darkness; † theosterleyk (Orm. þeossterrleȝȝc), darkness.
| c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 350 Se engel me lædde..to anre þeostorfulre stowe. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. vi. 23 Eall þin lic-hama byð ðysterfull [c 1160 Hatton G. þeosterful]. c 1200 Ormin 2964, I þiss lifess þeossterrleȝȝc. |
▪ II. † thester, a. Obs.
Forms: 1 ðiostre, *ðiestre, þystre, þiostor, 1–2 þeoster (-or, -ur), 1–3 þeostre, 2 þiestre, þostre, 2–3 þestre, 2–4 þester, 3 þuster, -re, þestere, (Orm. þessterr), 4 þyestre, þister, þyster, 4–5 thester, -ir, 5 thestur.
[OE. þ{iacu}ostre, þéostre, in WS. (with umlaut) þ{iacu}estre, þ{yacu}stre, = OS. thiustri, OFris. thiustere, MDu. dûster (Du. duister, MLG., LG., G. düster),:—OTeut. *þiustr-jo{supz}. Ulterior etymology uncertain.]
Dark. lit. and fig.
| Beowulf 2332 Breost innan weoll þeostrum ᵹeþoncum. a 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. v. xiii. [xii.] (1890) 426 Under ðæm scuan þære ðeostran nihte. c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Th.) xvii[i]. 11 Þa hangode swiðe þystru wæter on þam wolcnum. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 233 H[e] sweueð hus mid þiestre nicht. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 39 Al þis lif..is to nihte iefned, for þat it is swa þester of ure ateliche synnes. c 1200 Ormin 16774 Nicodem, Þatt comm till ure Laferrd O þessterr nahht. ? a 1300 XI Pains Hell 121 in O.E. Misc. 150 Þe stude is þustrore þene þe nyht. Ibid. 225 Þustrur þane þe nyht. c 1315 Shoreham v. 146 Be hyt þyster, be hyt lyȝt. 1340 Ayenb. 45 Þise zelleres of cloþ þet chieseþ þe þyestre stedes huer hi zelleþ hare cloþ. c 1400 Destr. Troy 2362 He þrong into þicke wodes, þester within. ? a 1500 Chester Pl. (Shaks. Soc.) I. 226 He maie goe no thester waie. |
▪ III. † thester, v. Obs.
Forms: 1 ð-, þeostrian, þiestrian, þystrian, 2 þestrian, 2–3 þ(e)ostren, 3 þustren, 4 þester.
[OE. þéostrian, þ{iacu}estrian, f. þéostre, thester a. Cf. G. düstern.]
1. intr. To become dark, grow dim.
| a 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. v. xiii. [xii.] (1890) 426 Þa ᵹeseah ic..onginnan ðeostrian ða stowe. c 1000 ælfric Gen. xlviii. 10 Israheles eaᵹan þystrodon for þære micclan ylde. 1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1135 (Laud MS.) Þa þestrede þe dæi ouer al landes. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 143 Steorren sculen þeostren. c 1205 Lay. 4574 Þeostrede [c 1275 þustrede] þa wolcne. |
2. trans. To make dark, darken; to dim.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxviii. §5 Se dæᵹ blent & þiostrað heora eaᵹan. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Mark xiii. 24 Sunna bið ᵹe-ðiostrod. a 1225 Ancr. R. 94 Þet heo her þeostreð nu ham suluen. |