▪ I. hug, v.
(hʌg)
Also 6–7 hugge.
[Appears late in 16th c.: origin unknown.
Not to be confounded with hugge v. to dread, shudder, shrink with fear or cold. Not connected with Sw. huka, Da. sidde paa huk to squat. In some shades of meaning it approaches Ger. hegen to foster, cherish, orig. to enclose or encompass with a hedge; but it is difficult to see how they can be connected.]
I. 1. trans. To clasp or squeeze tightly in the arms: usually with affection = embrace; but also said of a bear squeezing a man, dog, etc., between its forelegs.
| 1567 Drant Horace, Art Poetry (R.), And hugge, and busse, and culle, and cusse thy darling apishe fruite. 1589 Pappe w. Hatchet (1844) 39 Like an olde Ape, hugges the vrchin so in his Conceipt [etc.]. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, i. iv. 252 He bewept my Fortune, And hugg'd me in his armes. 1661 Lovell Hist. Anim. Introd., The love of apes is such towards their young, that they often kill them by hugging them. c 1705 Pope Jan. & May 813 He hugg'd her close, and kiss'd her o'er and o'er. 1786 Cowper Lett. 4–5 June, I could have hugged him for his liberality and freedom from bigotry. 1841 Dickens Barn. Rudge xli, Dolly..threw her arms round her old father's neck and hugged him tight. 1865 Baring-Gould Werewolves x. 165 Bruin turned suddenly on him and hugged him to death. |
b. transf. and fig. to hug one's chains, to delight in bondage.
| 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. iii. i. 214 Staine the Sun with fogge as somtime cloudes, When they do hug him in their melting bosomes. a 1661 Fuller Worthies (1840) I. ii. 8 Were many English plants as rare as they are useful, we would hug in our hands what we now trample under our feet. 1719 Young Busiris v. i, Now, from my soul, I hug these welcome chains Which shew you all Busiris. 1769 Gray Ode for Music 6 Servitude that hugs her chain. 1835 Willis Melanie 60 As the miser hugs his treasure. |
c. fig. To exhibit fondness for; spec. to caress or court, in order to get favour or patronage.
| 1622 Massinger & Dekker Virg. Mart. ii. D.'s Wks. 1873 IV. 30, I do hug thee, For drilling thy quick brains in this rich plot. 1634 Milton Comus 164, I..Wind me into the easy-hearted man, And hug him into snares. 1712 Arbuthnot John Bull iii. i, He..hugged the authors as his bosom friends. 1832 Austin Jurispr. (1879) I. v. 194 The general opinion of barristers condemns the sordid practice of hugging or caressing attorneys. 1836 Macaulay in Trevelyan Life I. 451 Mr. Longueville Clarke refused to fight, on the ground that his opponent had been guilty of hugging attorneys [cf. huggery]. |
d. fig. To cherish or cling to (an opinion, belief, etc.) with fervour or fondness.
| 1649 Jer. Taylor Gt. Exemp. Ep. Ded. 1 While all strive for truth, they hug their own opinions dressed up in her imagery. a 1718 Rowe (J.), Mark with what joy he hugs the dear discovery! 1817 Moore Lalla R., Veiled Prophet, Faith, fanatic Faith, once wedded fast To some dear false⁓hood, hugs it to the last. 1856 Emerson Eng. Traits, Race Wks. (Bohn) II. 23 The Briton in the blood hugs the homestead still. 1862 Goulburn Pers. Relig. v. ii. (1873) 84 There are some, who..hug a sort of spiritual selfishness. |
2. refl. † a. To cherish oneself; to keep or make oneself snug. Obs.
| 1642 Fuller Holy & Prof. St. v. xviii. 429 Here Andronicus hugg'd himself in his privacie. 1745 Proj. Manning Navy 10 We hug our Selves over a Glass of Wine, and a good Fire, in a Tavern. 1757 W. Thompson R.N. Advoc. 33 With a Salary of 150l. per Ann...to..hug himself comfortably at Night in his own House with his Bottle. |
b. fig. To congratulate or felicitate oneself.
| 1622 Massinger & Dekker Virg. Mart. v. D.'s Wks. 1873 IV. 77 As a curious Painter, When he has made some admirable piece, Stands off..and then hugs Himself for his rare workmanship. 1650 Fuller Pisgah ii. xiv. 301 Herod..huggs himself that he had fitted their new King with a short reign. 1731 Swift On his Death 115 They hug themselves, and reason thus; It is not yet so bad with us. 1843 Le Fevre Life Trav. Phys. I. i. x. 238 We hugged ourselves with the idea that we had done right. 1863 Mrs. Clarke Shaks. Char. viii. 206 He hugs himself upon his power over her. 1895 F. Hall Two Trifles 32 You..hug yourself as a good patriot for holding it in detestation. |
3. absol. (also in reciprocal sense). b. intr. To lie close, cuddle.
| 1595 Shakes. John v. ii. 142 To hug with swine, to seeke sweet safety out In vaults and prisons. 1687 Good Advice 39 Now Ridly and Hooper hug, and are the dearest Brethren..in the World. 1695 Congreve Love for L. iii. v, I love to see 'em hug and cotton together like down upon a thistle. 1733 Pope Hor. Sat. ii. i. 87 Tis a Bear's talent not to kick but hug. |
4. trans. (orig. Naut.) To keep as close as possible to (the shore, etc.); to ‘cling to’.
| 1824 Heber Narr. Journ. (1828) I. 167 The naval tactics of Bengal..always incline to hug the shore as much as possible. 1829 Marryat F. Mildmay v, Hugging the Spanish coast. 1856 Kane Arct. Expl. II. xv. 155 It was a lofty headland, and the land-ice which hugged its base was covered with rocks. 1861 Hughes Tom Brown at Oxf. ii, He was hugging the Berkshire side himself, as the other skiff passed him. 1873 Browning Red Cott. Nt.-cap 26 Be sure I keep the path that hugs the wall. 1882 B. D. W. Ramsay Recoll. Mil. Serv. II. xiii. 24 We hugged the land as we rounded, and dropped anchor outside the bay. 1898 Daily News 27 June 4/6 There was no panic, no hugging of cover, such as overtook the troops at Bull Run. |
II. north. dial. [It is not clear that this is the same word.]
5. trans. To carry.
| 1788 W. Marshall Yorksh. II. Gloss. (E.D.S.), Hug, to carry; especially a cumbrous load. 1825 Brockett, Hug, to carry, especially if difficult. 1891 Atkinson Last Giant-Killers 60 Pokes big enough to hold two or three pigs each, to ‘hug’ them in. 1893 Snowden Tales Yorksh. Wolds 135, I hugged her box up fro' t' station. |
(In most dialect glossaries from Northumberland to Lincolnshire: not in Sc.)
Hence hugged, ˈhugging ppl. adjs.; also ˈhuggingly adv.
| 1841 Dickens Barn. Rudge lix, Who could look on..and not desire to be..either the hugging or the hugged? 1870 W. Morris Earthly Par. IV. 25 Into..a hugging bear He turned him. 1879 S. Lanier Poems (1884) 41 The hugged delusion drear. 1891 G. Meredith One of our Conq. I. xii. 234 There was an obstacle to his being huggingly genial, even candidly genial with her. |
▪ II. hug, n.
(hʌg)
[f. prec. vb.]
1. A strong clasp with the arms; an embrace of affection; also, a close or rough grasp; the clasp or squeeze of a bear.
| 1659 Lady Alimony ii. Prol. in Hazl. Dodsley XIV. 288 Apt for a spousal hug. 1727 Bailey vol. II, A Hugg, an Embrace. a 1732 Gay (J.), Why these close hugs? I owe my shame to him. 1773 Garrick in Boswell Johnson Apr., Johnson gives you a forcible hug, and shakes laughter out of you, whether you will or no. 1828 Scott F. M. Perth vi, Keep at arm's-length, then..I will have no more close hugs. 1839–40 W. Irving Wolfert's R. (1855) 201 Bruin raised one arm, and gave the dog a hug that crushed his ribs. 1880 M. E. Braddon Just as I am xxxi, She gave his lordship a hug. |
2. A squeezing grip in wrestling; esp. Cornish († Devonshire) hug, a special ‘lock’ of Cornish wrestlers; hence fig. (see quot. 1661).
| 1617 Middleton & Rowley Fair Quarrel ii. ii, I'll show her the Cornish hug. c 1626 Dick of Devon. iv. iii. in Bullen O. Pl. II. 80 Onely a Devonshire hugg, sir. a 1661 Fuller Worthies, Cornwall i. (1662) 197 The Cornish are Masters of the Art of Wrestling..Their Hugg is a cunning close with their fellow-combatant, the fruits whereof is his fair fall, or foil at the least. It is figuratively appliable to the deceitfull dealing of such, who secretly design their overthrow, whom they openly embrace. 1705 Char. Sneaker in Harl. Misc. (1808) XI. 29 His St. Maw's Muse has given the French troops a Cornish hug, and flung them all upon their backs. 1754 Foote Knights i. Wks. 1799 I. 67 We don't wrestle after your fashion..we all go upon close hugs or the flying mare. 1827 Hone Every-day Bk. II. 1009 In the ‘Cornish hug’, Mr. Polwhele perceived the Greek palæstral attitudes. |