▪ I. gaud, n.1 Obs. exc. Hist.
In quots. gaude. See also gaudy n.
[Of somewhat uncertain origin.
Du Cange cites an Anglo-Latin document of 1415 which has gaudia (pl. of gaudium joy) in this sense. It does not appear that gaudia was so used on the continent, and in this example it is prob. only a latinization of the Eng. word. At the same time, it seems likely that the L. gaudia is really the source, and that the ‘gauds’ were so called as serving to mark the fifteen mysteries (the first five of which are ‘joyful mysteries’) to be meditated upon in reciting the fifteen decades of aves. An AF. gaudes pl., app. in this sense, occurs in a document of 1381 (Nichols Royal Wills (1780) 100). Cf. also 17th c. F. gaudees, explained in Oudin's Fr.-It. Dict. as ‘prayers without attention’ (Godef.).]
One of the larger and more ornamental beads placed between the decades of ‘aves’ in a rosary. (Called in Fr. signaux or seigneaux.)
| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 372 A paire of bedes blacke as sable..Upon the gaudes all without Was write of gold pur reposer. 1531 in Weaver Wells Wills (1890) 134 A pere of beydes of jette with sylver gaudes. 1570 Durham Depos. (Surtees) 164 She saith that she occupied her gaudes as many thowsand dyd. 1874 Archæol. Assoc. Jrnl. Dec. 440 In all probability this large and once beautiful bead formed the Gaude or ‘Pater noster’ of a rosary of the sixteenth century. |
▪ II. gaud, n.2
(gɔːd)
Forms: 4–9 gaude, 4–7 gawde, 4–7, 9 gawd, 6– gaud.
[perh. an AF. n. f. gaudir to rejoice, make merry, to jest, scoff at, ad. L. gaudēre to rejoice.]
† 1. A trick, prank; often, a device to deceive, a piece of trickery, a pretence; also a game, sport, or pastime. Obs.
| 13.. Seuyn Sages (W.) 3957 For thi gaudes [printed gandes] and thy gilry I gif this dome that thou sal dy. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶577 Þay maken folk to laughe..as folk doon at the gawdes of An Ape. a 1400–50 Alexander 2732 Sire vanite & vayne-glori & vices of pride Þa ere þe gaudis, as I gesse þat all gods hatis. Ibid. 2966 Sone þis gouernour of grece is of þis gaude ware. c 1400 Destr. Troy xxii. 9279 Þat he..with no gawdes me begile. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. viii. x. 173 Bot þis King Edward all wyth gawdys Knakkyd Robert þe Brws wyth frawdis. c 1440 York Myst. xi. 37 What gawdes haue they begonne? 1513 Douglas æneis x. ii. 27 Quhat God amovit him with sic a gawd In his dedis to oys sik slychtis and frawd. c 1560 A. Scott Poems xxxiv. 85 Quhen thay begyn sic gawdis To leif thay ar most laith. 1576 Gascoigne Steele Glas (Arb.) 59 These Enterluds, these newe Italian sportes And euery gawde, that glads the minde of man. 1603 Harsnet Pop. Impost. 32 There was never Christmas Game performed with moe apish indecent slovenly Gawdes then your Baptising and Super-baptising Ceremonies are. a 1639 W. Whately Prototypes ii. xxvi. (1640) 22 Staying too long at your gawdes, following them such a space of time together, or with such great violence, that you be even tired and spent by them. a 1796 Pegge Derbicisms (E.D.S.) 26 Gawd; an ugly gawd, a habit or custom. [1882 Lanc. Gloss. s.v., Goad, a custom, a way of doing a thing.] |
† b. A jest, scoff; also, an object of mockery. Obs.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 188/2 Gawde or iape, nuga. 1538 Bale Thre Lawes 122 Without vayne gaudes or fables. 1563–83 Foxe A. & M. (1583) 2102 The sayde John Apowell mocked hym..with contrary gaudes and flouting wordes. 1650 Trapp Comm. Gen. xxi. 9 [Ishmael mocked] at that mystical name Isaac, as a gaud, or laughing-stock. |
† c. A festivity, rejoicing. Obs.
| 1571 Campion Hist. Irel. ii. vi. (1633) 89 Therefore at the decease of the Lord Iustice..Bonfires and gawdes were solemnized in all the Land. |
2. concr. A plaything, toy. Also (now always), something gaudy; a showy ornament, a piece of finery; a gewgaw. Now rhetorical. [Perh. influenced by gaud n.1]
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems 92 Where he [Sardanapalus] with wymmen satte and made his gawdes. 1550 Bale Apol. 119 b, A wonton gyglot maye cal men to sorrowfull repentaunce, whils she is yet in her gawdes, and the maystre of the stewes maye persuade men to chastyte. 1587 J. Harmar tr. Beza's Serm. 82 To disburden her [the Church] of those stincking and defiled gawdes, to restore her vnto her natiue beuty. [Cf. ante, Which disguised hir with prophane trimmings & tifflings vp of her.] 1591 H. Smith Trump. of Soul A vij b, Why Solomon maketh us fooles and giueth us gaudes to play withall. 1650 Jer. Taylor Holy Living ii. §4 (1727) 96 Or should study hard and labour to cozen a child of his gauds. 1666 Dryden Ann. Mirab. ccvi, Some bound for Guinny, golden sand to find, Bore all the gawds the simple Natives wear. 1768 Beattie Minstr. i. xvi, Dainties he heeded not, nor gaude, nor toy. 1823 Praed Troubadour Poems 1865 I. 121 A dazzling gaud of twisted gold. 1842 F. Trollope Vis. to Italy I. xxii. 363 The gaud that most delights the ladies..is the old lace. 1883 Sat. Rev. LV. 497 Otherwise than as gauds for a procession they [umbrellas] are not held in any great estimation. |
| fig. 1656 Baxter Reformed Pastor 23 All the Rhetorical jingling writers they could meet with, were prest to serve them for the adorning of their stile, (and gawds were oft their chiefest ornaments). a 1839 Praed Poems (1864) I. 308 And blazon honour's hapless wreck With all the gauds of guilt. 1850 Whipple Ess. & Rev. (ed. 3) I. 235 They spurned at the old tricks and gauds of diction. |
3. pl. Showy ceremonies, ‘pomps and vanities’; gaieties. Now rhetorical.
| 1650 W. Brough Sacr. Princ. (1659) 66 The gawds and glories of an earthly court. c 1800 K. White Poems (1837) 36 How insignificant do all the joys, The gaudes, and honours of the world appear! 1853 Motley Corr. (1889) I. v. 157, I had hoped that Mary would have mustered up energy to send you a description of these fine doings..I am not good at these gauds. 1866 Felton Anc. & Mod.Gr. I. xiii. 249 Its bishops and patriarchs surrounded themselves with the pomps and gauds of this world. |
b. sing. Idle display; showy ceremony.
| 1800–24 Campbell Poems, Poland 93 Public Murder!—that with pomp and gaud And royal scorn of Justice walks abroad. 1835 Lytton Rienzi iv. i, The pomp, the gaud..strongly contrasted the patriarchal simplicity which marked his justice court. |
4. Comb., as † gaud-glorious a. [cf. the phrase to gawde and glory, gaud v.2], very showy.
| 1555 W. Watreman Fardle Facions ii. viii. L ij a, In their Toumbes..very plaine and nothyng costlie: But in trimming and arraieng of their bodies, to, to, gaude glorious. |
▪ III. † gaud, v.1 Obs.
[f. gaud n.1 (? and n.2)]
1. trans. To furnish with ‘gauds’ (see gaud n.1, gaudy n. 1).
| c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 159 A peire of bedes gauded al with grene. 1500 Will of Strudy (Somerset Ho.), A payre of Corall bedys of fifty gawded with bedis of syluer and gilt. 1527 Inv. Goods T. Cromwell (Pub. Rec. Off.), ij payer of corall beds gauded with xxxviij gaudyes of sylver and gylte. 1552 Bury Wills (Camden) 144 My beades gauded gold. |
2. To ornament, adorn, make showy.
| 1554 Bury Wills (Camden) 146 My best cassocke gawded w{supt} velvet. 1559 Becon Displ. Pop. Mass Wks. 1563 iii. 36 b, Thys your fooles cote, gayly gawded, signifieth youre pleasaunte fynenesse and womanly nicenesse. |
Hence ˈgauded ppl. a.
| 1607 Shakes. Cor. ii. i. 233 Their nicely gawded Cheekes. |
▪ IV. † gaud, v.2
[? ad. OF. gaudir to rejoice, jest; or perh. f. gaud n.2]
intr. To make merry; to sport, jest; to scoff (at).
| 1532 More Confut. Tindale Wks. 366/2 And yf [the battle] walke on your syde then [you] gawde and glory. 1563 Homilies ii. Cert. Places H. Script. i. (1859) 373 More reasonable it were for vain man to learn and reverence the form of God's words, than to gaud at them to his damnation. 1566 Painter Pal. Pleas. I. 60 In carping, gauding, and iesting at young gentlemen, and specially olde men. 1570 Levins Manip. 43/32 To Gaude, scoffe, scommari, nugari. 1579–80 North Plutarch (1676) 435 He was sporting and gauding with his Familiars. |
Hence ˈgauding vbl. n.
| a 1553 Udall Royster D. iii. iv. (Arb.) 49 What gaudyng and foolyng is this afore my doore? |
▪ V. gaud
Sc. form of gad n.1