thriven, ppl. a.
(ˈθrɪv(ə)n)
Forms: see thrive v. A. 3.
[pa. pple. of thrive v. Cf. ON. þrifinn.]
1. Advanced in growth, grown; grown up. Now only in comb., as ill-thriven (Sc. ill-three'n).
| 13.. Cursor M. 14806 (Cott.) And said, ‘Fast es he throd and thriuen [Fairf. Þis man is wele þriuen], And mikel grace ai es him giuen’. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 298 Hym watz þe nome Noe,..He had þre þryuen sunez. c 1400 Destr. Troy 13760 The child..Wex & wele threvan in winturs a few. a 1400–50 Alexander 2709 A heuy As..A thing threuyn is & thike. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 743 The thriven Calves in Meads their Food forsake. 1806, 1843 Ill-thriven [see ill- B.]. 1907 Daily Chron. 8 May 5/7 The pretensions of a neurotic, ill-thriven youth. |
† 2. As an epithet of commendation, esp. in the alliterative phrase thriven and thro (see thro a.2): ? Eminent, excellent, worthy, honourable, noble. Cf. thrifty a. 2. Obs.
| 13.. in Wright Lyric P. 23 Ȝef he beth thryven ant thowen in theode. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 1191 Þe perle me prayed þat watz so þryuen. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1740 Hir þryuen face & hir þrote þrowen al naked, Hir brest bare bifore, & bihinde eke. a 1400–50 Alexander 1326 (Ashmole MS.) He laschis out a lange swerde.., Threschis doun in a thrawe many threuyn dukis. Ibid. 3307 Twa hundreth thousand..all of threuen kniȝtis. |
3. That has thriven; successful, prosperous.
| 1863 Hawthorne Our Old Home (1879) 114 The careful, thrify, thriven man of property. |