▪ I. boar, n.
(bɔə(r))
Forms: 1–3 bár, 3–7 bor, 4–7 boor, boore, bore, 5–7 boare, 7– boar. Also 3 Lay. bær, ber; north. 4 bar, 4–6 bare, 6 baire, bayre.
[Known only in W.Ger.: OE. bár = OS. bêr (-swîn), MDu. and Du. beer; OHG., MHG. bêr, mod.G. bär, on OTeut. type *bairo-z. Ulterior etymology unknown; cf. Russ. borovŭ boar.]
1. The male of the swine, whether wild or tame (but uncastrated).
| c 1000 ælfric Gram. viii. 27 Aper, bar. a 1121 O.E. Chron. an. 1086 He forbead þa heortas swylce eac þa baras. a 1300 Havelok 1989 Was neuere bor þat so fauht so he fauht þanne. c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 55 For my boles & my borez arn bayted & slayne. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xv. 294 Noyther bere, ne bor ne other best wilde. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xviii. lxxxvii. (1495) 836 The wylde male swyne ben callyd Boores. 1513 Douglas æneis xiii. iii. 21 As quhen that the fomy bayr hes bet With his thunderand awfull tuskis gret. 1523 Fitzherb. Husb. §121 Let them be bores and sowes all, and no hogges. 1607 Shakes. Timon v. i. 168 Who like a Bore too sauage, doth root vp His Countries peace. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 625 The bristled Rage Of Boars. 1820 W. Irving Sketch-Bk. II. 114 The old ceremony of serving up the boar's head on Christmas day. |
b. The flesh of the animal.
| c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 489 in Babees Bk. (1868) 147 Venesoun bake, of boor or othur venure. 1878 Morley Diderot II. 9 Savoury morsels of venison or boar. |
c. spec. wild boar: usual name of the wild species (
Sus Scrofa) found in the forests of Europe, Asia, and Africa.
| c 1205 Lay. 16094 Þat beoð a wilde bar [c 1275 bor]. a 1225 Ancr. R. 280 Þe wilde bor ne mei nout buwen him. c 1400 Destr. Troy 6523 As wode as a wild bore. 1595 Duncan Append. Etymol. (E.D.S.) Verres, porcus non castratus, a baire; aper, a wilde baire. 1671 Milton Samson 1138 Bristles..that ridge the back Of chaf'd wild boars. 1863 Lyell Antiq. Man 23 The tame pig..had replaced the wild boar as a common article of food. |
d. fig. (or
heraldically) applied to persons.
| 1297 R. Glouc. 133 Cornewailes bor..þat was Kyng Arthure. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, iv. v. 2 In the stye of the most deadly Bore, My Sonne George Stanley is frankt vp in hold. 1651 Proc. in Parl. No. 122 The Wild Boare of Antichristianity. |
2. Comb., as
boar-dog,
boar-hound,
boar-hunt,
boar-hunting,
boar-pig,
boar-skin;
† boar-cat, a male cat, a tom-cat;
boar's-ears (a corruption of
bear's ears), a plant
= auricula 3;
boar's-foot, a plant,
Helleborus viridis (
cf. bear's-foot);
† boar-frank (see
quot.);
boar-seg (
dial.)
= boar-stag;
boar-spear, a spear used in boar-hunting;
† boar-staff (
= boar-spear);
boar-stag (
dial.), a castrated boar;
boar-thistle, (?) a corruption of
bur thistle, common name of
Carduus lanceolatus, the Spear Thistle, also of
C. arvensis.
| 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 87 The males will kill the young ones, if they come at them like as the *Bore cats. |
| 1797 Brydges Homer Travestie II. 293 Scratch and bite and tear and kick Like two *boar-cats hung 'cross a stick. |
| 1792 Osbaldistone Brit. Sportsm. 431 All dogs whatsoever, even from the terrible *Boar-dog to the little Flora, are all one in the first creation. |
| 1880 Harting Ext. Brit. Anim. i. 96 In olden times the enclosure in which the Boars used to be fattened was termed a *‘Boar-frank.’ |
| 1884 A. Brassey in Gd. Words May 316/1 Close by her was an enormous *boarhound. |
| 1843 Mrs. H. Gray Tour Sepul. Etruria iv. 193 There are friezes representing *boar-hunts. |
| 1768 Hamilton in Phil. Trans. LIX. 20 His Sicilian Majesty takes the diversion of *boar-hunting. |
| 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, ii. iv. 250 Thou whorson little tydie Bartholmew *Bore-pigge. |
| 1747 Scheme Equip. Men of War 36 A strong, fat, well-grown *Boar Pig. |
| 1686 Lond. Gaz. No. 2114/4 A large black *Boar Skin, lined with new Canvas. |
| 1465 Marg. Paston Lett. 503 II. 189 Imprimis, a peyr briggandyrs, a salet, a *boresper. 1600 Holland Livy xxv. ix. 552 k, Nicomenes thrust him through with his borespeare [venabulo]. 1816 Scott Antiq. xviii. 123 Snatching his boar⁓spear from the wall..Martin Waldeck set forth. |
| 1579 North Plutarch 400 Perswading them to use the pyke and shielde, in steade of their litle target, speare, or *borestaffe. |
| 1714 Let. in Phil. Trans. XXIX. 64 A Thistle call'd the *Boar-Thistle; very short and prickly. |
▪ II. † boar, v. Obs. [f. prec. n.] Of swine: To copulate, to be in heat.
trans. and intr.| 1528 Paynell Salerne Regim. G ij, Hogges..that hath nat boorred a sowe. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts 523 In years that will prove moist, they will ever be boring. Ibid. 519 We in English call it ‘Boaring’. |
▪ III. boar obs. f. bore,
boor.