▪ I. dishonour, -honor, n.
(dɪsˈɒnə(r))
Forms: 4 des(h)onour, des-, dishonur, -oure, (4–5 dyshoner, dyssehonour, 5 disonowre, 5–6 dyshonowre, -oure, 6 -our), 4– dishonour, 6– dishonor.
[a. OF. deshonor, -ur, des(h)enor (11–12th c. in Littré), mod.F. déshonneur = Pr., Sp. deshonor, It. disonore; a Romanic formation f. L. dis-, dis- 4 b + honōrem honour. In this word, and its derivatives, the spelling dishonor is usual in U.S.]
1. The reverse of honour; the withholding of the tokens of esteem, respect, or reverence due to any one; the condition in which these are withheld or the contrary shown; a state of shame or disgrace; ignominy, indignity. to do (a) dishonour to: to treat with indignity, to dishonour, violate the honour of; to the dishonour of, so as to bring into dishonour.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 4412 (Gött.) Joseph souht on me in boure Forto do me dis-honoure. Ibid. 23644 (Gött.) Þe wicked..of all sal þai haue dishonur. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 563 Þys day he falleþ in deshonour. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxvii. 231 Suffre none yll to be done to that good lady..nor no dyshonour. 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI, 167 Many slaunderous woordes to the quenes dishonor. 1553 Short Catech. 26 b, He came downe from hiest honour to deepest dishonoure, even the dishonour..of the crosse. 1601 Shakes. All's Well iii. vi. 59 Some dishonor wee had in the losse of that drum. 1611 Bible Ps. lxix. 19 My shame and my dishonor. 1653 H. Cogan tr. Pinto's Trav. xii. 38 He would rather dye..then live in dishonor. 1718 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to C'tess of Bristol 10 Apr., They have invented lies to the dishonour of their enemies. 1769 Junius Lett. xii. 53 They cannot retreat without dishonour. 1821 Byron Mar. Fal. i. ii. 64 Wouldst thou..Harp on the deep dishonour of our house? 1870 Bryant Iliad I. vi. 192 Never bring Dishonor on the stock from which I sprang. |
b. with a and pl.: An instance of this, an infliction of disgrace; a piece of ignominious treatment, an indignity, an insult.
| c 1320 Seuyn Sag. (W.) 482 Who had the done this desonour? 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. (E.E.T.S.) 154 Thre dyshonoures in the same day he moste suffyre. 1673 Lady's Call. Pref. 2 Women, who could hardly have descended to such dishonours. |
2. A cause or source of shame, a disgrace.
| 1553 Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 34 They toke it for a dishonour, to..forsake theyr Captayne. 1561 T. Norton Calvin's Inst. i. 22 b, Images..displease [God] as certaine dishonors of his maiestie. 1755 Young Centaur i. Wks. (1757) 115 Who think it no dishonour to their understandings to credit their Creator. 1842 Tennyson Two Voices 255 His little daughter, whose sweet face He kissed..Becomes dishonour to her race. |
3. Commerce. Refusal or failure to ‘honour’ or pay (a bill of exchange, etc.).
| 1834 J. Chitty Law Contracts (ed. 2) 597 The creditor..upon dishonour of the instrument brings an action. 1866 Crump Banking v. 112 Notice of dishonour should be given to each indorser. 1885 Law Times 6 June 94/1 The payee of a cheque cannot bring an action for its dishonour against the banker on whom it is drawn. |
▪ II. dishonour, -or, v.
(dɪsˈɒnə(r))
Forms as in n.
[a. OF. deshonnore-r, desonurer (12th c. in Littré; mod.F. déshonorer) = Pr. desonorar, Sp. deshonrar, It. disonorare:—late L. dishonōrāre (in Du Cange), f. dis-, dis- 4 + honōrāre to honour.]
The opposite or reverse of to honour.
1. trans. To deprive of honour; to treat with dishonour or indignity; to violate the honour, respect, or recognition of position due to any one.
| 1388 Wyclif Ecclus. x. 23 This seed schal be disonourid, that passith the comaundementis of the Lord. 1411 Rolls of Parlt. III. 650/1 Hym to harme and dishonure. c 1450 Crt. of Love 1252 Love shal be contrarye To his availe, and him eke dishonoure. 1526–34 Tindale John viii. 49, I honour my father, and ye have dishonoured me. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. i. x. 42 To Value a man..at a low rate, is to Dishonour him. 1871 R. Ellis Catullus lxiv. 404 [She] fear'd not unholy the blessed dead to dishonour. |
2. To violate the honour or chastity of; to defile.
| 1393 Gower Conf. II. 322 Which sigh her suster pale and fade And specheles and deshonoured. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon clix. 614 To the entente to haue dyshonored her & to haue had her to his wyfe. 1841 Elphinstone Hist. Ind. I. 510 She exclaimed that she was now unworthy of his notice, having been dishonoured by Cásim. |
3. To bring dishonour or disgrace upon, by one's conduct, etc.; to disgrace.
| 1568 Tilney Disc. Mariage B iv b, He was faine to please, and content her, least she should dishonour him. 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, iv. i. 21 Shall I so much dishonor my faire Starres, On equall termes to giue him chasticement? 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 76 Friendly usage..which we had not in the least dishonoured. 1727 ― Syst. Magic i. i. (1840) 14 To find he had dishonoured, by his example, the doctrine of sobriety. 1848 W. K. Kelly tr. L. Blanc's Hist. Ten Y. II. 217 America..dishonours herself by tolerating slavery. 1854 Ruskin Lect. Archit. iii. 170 The water is not dishonoured by that thirst of the diseased, nor is nature dishonoured by the love of the unworthy. |
† 4. To strip of what is an honour. Obs.
| 1654 Gayton Pleas. Notes iv. ii. 180 As if you should..dishonour a cock of his spurrs. a 1700 Dryden tr. Ovid's Met. xv. (T.), His scalp..dishonour'd quite of hair. |
5. Commerce. To refuse or fail to accept or pay (a bill of exchange, etc.); to make default in meeting (a promissory note).
| 1811 P. Kelly Univ. Cambist II. 285 Dishonour, a term used when the acceptance or payment of bills of exchange, etc., is refused. 1837 Lockhart Scott lxvii. (1839) VIII. 226 He found..that Hurst & Co. had dishonoured a bill of Constable's. 1887 Stevenson Underwoods I. xxiv. 51 Nor leave Thy debts dishonoured. 1894 Baring-Gould Kitty Alone II. 97 The man to whom he had given the bill that was dishonoured. |
Hence disˈhonouring vbl. n. and ppl. a.
| 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. xcii. [lxxxviii.] 278 To come..on payne of dishonourynge. 1564 Brief Exam. A iv, Horrible..sacriledges and dishonorynges of God. 1843 Lytton Last Bar. iv. vi, I had deemed it dishonouring in a noble nature to countenance insult to a noble enemy in his absence. 1875 Poste Gaius i. Comm. (ed. 2) 68 Any dishonouring outrage. |