amends
(əˈmɛndz)
Also 3–7 amendes, 4–5 amendis, 5 amendys, (6 amense), 6 mends.
[a. OFr. amendes pecuniary fine, penalties, pl. of amende reparation, f. amender to amend. The sing., common in Fr., is very rare in Eng., in which amends has been used as a collective sing. from the first, and is now always construed with sing. vb.]
† 1. The moneys paid, or things given to make reparation for any injury or offence, = L. pœnæ; a fine. Obs.
| 1340 Ayenb. 37 Bedeles, and seruons, þet steleþ þe amendes, and wyþdraȝeth þe rentes of hire lhordes. Ibid. 38 Kueade lordes..þet be-ulaȝeþ þe poure men..be amendes. a 1618 Raleigh Ess. (J.) Of the amends recovered, little or nothing returns to those that had suffered the wrong, but commonly all runs into the prince's coffers. |
† b. in sing. Obs. rare.
| 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 127 He quha is persewer..sall pay ane amande arbitrall to the Lords. c 1834 J. Hammer E. Efendi. in Southey Comm.-Pl. Bk. Ser. ii. (1849) 451 The Pashaw fixed immediately an amend of fifty thousand piastres. |
2. Reparation, retribution, restitution, compensation, satisfaction. esp. in phr. to make amends. a. pl. in form, collect. in sense.
| c 1314 Guy Warw. 156 Take the amendes after the gilt. 1330 R. Brunne Chron 291, I rede þou mak amendes of þat grete misdede. c 1450 Merlin v. 83 What amendes she required for the deth of hir lorde. a 1553 Udall Royster D. iv. vii, Bee not at one with hir, upon any amendes. 1594 Greene Look. Glasse (1861) 122 If I have wronged thee, seek thy mends at the law. 1611 Bible Lev. v. 16 Hee shall make amends for the harme that he hath done. a 1704 T. Brown Lett. Wks. 1730 I. 183, I hope to make you amends the next post. 1768 Blackstone Comm. III. 15 If tender of amends is made before any action is brought. 1783 Cowper Lett. 1 Aug., But to make amends we have many excellent ballads. 1870 Bryant Homer II. xix. 239 It dishonors not a king To make amends to one whom he has wronged. |
b. pl. in form, distinctly sing. in use. (Cf. a means.)
| c 1449 Pecock Repr. i. xviii. 110 To make a sufficient amendis. 1624 Massinger Parl. Love iii. iii, The ends I hope to reach shall make a large amends. 1650 Earl of Monmouth Man Guilty Ep. Ded., I have made an Amends by printing an Errata. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 530 ¶1 Very often make an honourable Amends. 1723 De Foe Col. Jack (1840) 15 The warmth of the glass-house fires above was a full amends for all the ashes..we rolled in below. 1821 Southey Corr. V. 86, I looked forward to an honourable amends. |
† c. sing. (See also amende.) Obs. rare.
| 1489 Caxton Faytes of Armes ii. xiii. 115 To make peas with hym and to make hym amende and restitucion. 1668 Marvell Corr. 103 Wks. 1872–5 II. 259 To make amend in time for this misscarriage. |
† 3. Means of obtaining satisfaction, or of amending; remedy. Obs. rare.
| 1606 Dekker in Knt's. Conjur. (1842) Pref. 15 Yf his answers be..bad, and like thee not, thou hast the amends in thine owne hands. |
† 4. Improvement, betterment, amendment. Obs.
| 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 351 What I now giue you in thankes, I will then requite with amends. 1699 Bentley Phal. 103 If our Examiner's Performance in the last Section was very poor..we may expect an amends in this. 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. I. i. xxvi. 314 This was like to the former with this amends, that, etc. |
† b. Improvement in health, recovery. Obs.
| 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. Induct. ii. 99 Now Lord be thanked for my good amends. 1671 Milton Samson 9 But here I feel amends. |
5. Comb. amends-making.
| 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong., Desdommagement, a repayring, an amends making. 1581 Marbeck Bk. Notes 904 Satisfaction or amends making..to mine neighbour whome I haue offended. |