▪ I. excuse, n.
(ɛkˈskjuːs)
Also 5–6 escuse, aphetic scuse, q.v.
[a. OFr. excuse, fem., f. excuser: see excuse v.
The pronunciation with (s), instead of (z) as in the verb, is due to the analogy of pairs of words like use, abuse vbs. and ns., advise and advice, etc., where the n. was in OF. masc., and ended in -s.]
1. The action of the vb. excuse. a. The action of offering an apology for a person, or in extenuation of an offence. Const. of or poss. case of pers. pron. Now rare exc. in phrase in excuse of. Also rarely the action of begging off from a duty or obligation.
| c 1374 Chaucer Anel. & Arc. 308 Yf þat I to yowe myne othes beede For myn excuse a scorne shall be my mede. 1460 J. Capgrave Chron. 227 Ser Robert..sent him mech tresoure, and than he cam to his excuse. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 149 For excuse of the saide socrates. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 76 b, After that folowed doublenes and excuse of his synne. 1608 Shakes. Per. ii. iii. 96 Come, gentlemen..Even in your armours..I will not have excuse. 1632 Massinger Maid of Hon. ii. i, Letters..in excuse Of these forces sent against her. 1637 Milton Lycidas 18 Hence with denial vain and coy excuse. 1792 Anecd. W. Pitt I. iv. 73 In excuse of their conduct it is said [etc.]. 1823 Lingard Hist. Eng. VI. 251 Henry pleaded the scruples of his conscience in excuse of his precipitancy. 1825 Lytton Zicci i. i, The old woman gave me a note of excuse. |
b. The action of looking indulgently upon an offender or an offence; consideration, indulgence, pardon.
| 1655–60 Stanley Hist. Philos. (1701) 24/2, I will..condemn without excuse those that deserve it. 1675 in Essex Papers I. 318 He begs your Excys Excuse that you doe not heare from him by this post. 1728 Morgan Algiers I. Pref. 23, I heartily crave the excuse and pardon of every Reader. a 1810 Tannahill Poems (1846) 25, I see my fau'ts..And now I'm come to beg for your excuse. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles iii. vii, He pray'd excuse for mirth broke short. |
† c. The action of releasing (a person) from an obligation; a dispensation, release. Obs.
| 1577 Hanmer Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619) 288 Supposing they had got their desired excuse, absented themselves. 1607 Shakes. Cor. i. iii. 114 Val. I pray go with vs. Virg. Giue me excuse good Madame, I will obey you in euery thing heereafter. |
2. That which is offered as a reason for being excused; sometimes in bad sense, a (mere) pretext, a subterfuge. a. A plea in extenuation of an offence; b. A plea for release from a duty, obligation, etc. Const. for, † from.
| a. c 1500 Melusine 260 Yf it might plese you to here my lord & husband & his escuse. 1579 Gosson Sch. Abuse (Arb.) 42 A bad excuse is better, they say, then none at all. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. iii. ii. 245 Stay gentle Helena, heare my excuse. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxvii. 156 Place..for Excuse, by which that which seemed a Crime, is proved to be none at all. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 853 To him she hasted, in her face excuse Came Prologue. a 1700 B. E. Dict. Cant. Crew, Lame Excuse, a sorry Shift or Evasion. 1754 Richardson Grandison III. xxii. 202 Excuses are more than tacit confessions. 1761 F. Sheridan Sidney Bidulph I. 305, I am weary of inventing excuses from absenting myself. 1858 Doran Crt. Fools 70 The excuse was worse than the crime. |
| Comb. 1850 Mrs. Stowe Uncle Tom's C. xviii. 175 Dinah was mistress of the whole art and mystery of excuse-making. |
| b. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon xlvi. 156 None excuse can auayle, for it must be thus. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 405 As for excuse, which peradventure you wil make by reason of the great showers, I meane to admitt none. 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. ii. iii. 173 Vlis. Achilles will not to the field to morrow. Ag. What's his excuse? 1758 Johnson Idler No. 19 ¶8 He..has only time to taste the soup, makes a short excuse to the company [etc.]. |
3. That which serves to excuse, or which tends to extenuate (a fault or offence); a cause, reason, or ground for excuse; esp. in phrase without excuse. Also, a ground for release from duty.
| 1494 in Eng. Gilds 188 Noo man then be absent w{supt}-oute a resonable and sufficiaunt excuse. 1533 Frith Answ. More Let. 9 Them am I bounde to beleve, and am dampned wythoute excuse yf I beleve them not. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, v. ii. 17 My Nephewes trespasse..hath the excuse of youth. 1632 J. Hayward tr. Biondi's Eromena 140 Wondring..why Eromilia would not be seene, for which he beleeved not her vow an excuse sufficient. a 1694 Tillotson Serm. cciii. (1743) X. 4631 The consideration of our own impotency is no excuse to our sloth and negligence. 1729 Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 129 They tell you for an excuse..that they did not think they were so much in debt. 1794 Paley Evid. iii. iv. (1817) 304 Seeking out some excuse to themselves for not receiving Jesus. 1814 Chalmers Evid. Chr. Revel. Advt. 5 The external testimony of Christianity..leaves infidelity without excuse. 1887 Times 29 Aug. 13/6 Charged with knocking without lawful excuse at the door. |
4. At Cards (in the game of Tarocco).
| 1816 Singer Hist. Cards 239 If a king is played, and you have not the queen to form a sequence, you play the fool, and this is called an excuse. |
▪ II. excuse, v.
(ɛkˈskjuːz)
Forms: 3–6 escuse(n, (4 excusi), 4–5 ascuse, -kuse, -kewse, -kewese, 4– excuse. Also aphetic scuse, q.v.
[ME. escusen, excusen, ad. OF. escuser, excuser, ad. L. excūsāre, f. ex- (see ex- prefix1) + causa cause, accusation.]
I. To offer, or serve as, an exculpation for.
1. trans. To offer an apology for. a. To attempt to clear (a person) wholly or partially from blame, without denying or justifying his imputed action. Chiefly refl.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 304 Mon schal..nout werien [v.r. escusen] him ne siggen, Ich hit dude þuruh oðre. 1340 Ayenb. 7 Ne he ne may habbe skele: þet he him moȝe excusi. 1382 Wyclif 2 Cor. xii. 19 Ȝe wenen, that we schulen excuse vs anentis ȝou. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 61 Whanne God asked her whi she had broke his comaundement..she beganne to excuse her. 1653 Walton Angler Ep. Ded. 6, I should rather excuse myself, then censure others. 1675 Crowne Country Wit. v. 84 My Lord has been to seek me in such a rage, that if you do not excuse me, it will be a parting quarrel. 1771 Junius Lett. xlix. 257 To excuse yourself, you publicly impeach your accomplice. |
b. To seek to extenuate or remove the blame of (an acknowledged fault). † Also rarely with sentence as obj.
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 12357 He [Adam] wulde haue excusede hys fame As who seyþ, ‘Gode was to blame’. 1340 Ayenb. 61 Þe blondere defendeþ and excuseþ..þe zennes of ham þet he wyle ulateri. c 1460 Towneley Myst. 77 For shame yit shuld she let, To excuse her velany by me. 1548 Hall Chron. 184 b, The Mayre sent the recorder..to excuse the matter. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. iii. i. 92 She will well excuse Why at this time the dores are made against you. 1660 Marvell Corr. Wks. 1872–5 II. 17, I had rather expose mine own defects..then excuse thereby a totall neglect of my duty. 1667 Milton P.L. iv. 394 So spake the Fiend, and with necessitie..excus'd his devilish deeds. 1751 E. Heywood Betsy Thoughtless I. 216 She..excused having made him wait. 1793 Gouv. Morris in Sparks Life & Writ. (1832) II. 372 He is driven to..excusing a step, which it is not possible to justify. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) II. ix. 368 It was a strange proceeding, to be excused only..by the pressure of the times. |
c. absol.
| 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. v. i. 363 Neuer excuse; for when the plaiers are all dead, there need none to be blamed. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xix. 97 To accuse, requires lesse Eloquence than to excuse. |
† d. [after L. excusare se esse, etc.] to excuse (a person or thing) to be, etc., to excuse oneself that, etc.: to allege by way of excuse or explanation, that (it is), etc. Obs.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xviii. 7 No man may excuse him ‘þat he ne is sum tyme stird fra synn to gode’. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxiii. 6 Couþest þou nat excuse þe..þat þow nome no more þan neode þe tauhte? a 1532 Ld. Berners Huon xcv. 309 The prouost..excusynge hym selfe that he knew nothynge of y⊇ trewes. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. i. iii. §10 Excusing himselfe that it was reason to yeeld to him, that commaunded thirtie Legions. 1668 Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. iii. i. 323 The Father excepts the Nerves of the Privity manifestly hollow, which nevertheless his Son excuses to have been meant of the hollow Ligaments of the Privity. |
† 2. a. To maintain the innocence of (a person); to defend from an accusation (of); to maintain the rightness of, seek to justify (an action). Obs.
| c 1315 Shoreham 40 The thef..escusede Jhesu Cryst, And hym gelty gan ȝelde. c 1350 Will. Palerne 4045 Sche of þat sclaunder excused hire al-gate. c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame i. 427 She desired no-thinge ellis But to excusen Eneas. 1481 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 323 John Mather askused hymsell..w{supt} ij men sworyn apon a boke. 1526–34 Tindale Rom. ii. 15 Their thoughtes accusynge one another or excusynge. 1531 St. German's Doctor & Stud. liv. 148 a, Howe may the playntyfe there be excused of an untruthe? 1577 Holinshed Chron. II. 140 To excuse him of the death of the archbishop Thomas. 1696 Stillingfl. Serm. ii. 66 To have excused these two commands from a palpable contradiction. |
† b. with complement, or to be (so and so). Obs.
| 1583 Golding Calvin on Deut. xlvii. 281 Is there not any of vs all that can excuse himselfe to bee vnsubject to such haughtinesse. 1587 Mirr. Mag., Porrex vii, Can I excuse my selfe deuoide of faut. |
3. a. To obtain exemption or release for; to allege reasons for the exemption of (a person) from a duty or obligation. Const. † for, from, in early use with that{ddd}not.
| 1340 Ayenb. 33 He him excuseþ þet he hit ne may do. 1389 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 4 Al þe oþ er schul comen to þe placebo and dirige..but ȝif he may hym excuse resonabely. 1460 J. Capgrave Chron. 141 He excused him be the werre that he had with Frauns. 1467 Mann. & Househ. Exp. (1841) 172, I promessed the Kenge I wolde make in al haste a new schepe..were fore, I pray ȝowe helpe to askewese me fore my komenge. 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, v. v. 46 Clarence excuse me to the King my Brother. 1697 W. Dampier Voy. (1698) I. 356 Captain Swan excused himself, and said..he would have nothing to do with it. 1712 Hearne Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.) III. 361, I excus'd myself upon account of my being oblig'd to return speedily to Oxford. 1788 Reid Aristotle's Log. iv. §5. 96, I am very willing to excuse myself from entering upon this great branch of Logic. |
| absol. 1382 Wyclif Luke xiv. 18 Alle bigunnen togidere to excuse [1388 excusen hem]. |
† b. To beg off from (doing something); to decline with apologies. Obs.
| 1548 Hall Chron. 204 Willing him..with all hast to repayre unto hym, which oftentymes he had excused by syckenes and debilitie of his body. 1588 R. Parke tr. Mendoza's China 162 They could not excuse to go vnto them to accomplish their commandement. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. i. iii. 71 To morrow be in readinesse, to goe, Excuse it not: for I am peremptory. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia i. (1629) 14 He did what he could to excuse it, yet their importunities would not cease till he undertooke it. 1709 Strype Ann. Ref. I. xiii. (heading of ch.), The Bishop of Ely excuseth his ministring in the chapel by reason thereof. 1754 J. Hildrop Misc. Wks. II. 123 He pressed me..to dine with him, which I excused. |
† 4. a. To screen, shelter. [Cf. late L. se a calore excusare Palladius).] To save from punishment or harm, esp. by suffering (in a person's stead); to exempt (a person) from a duty by taking his place. Const. of, from. Obs.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xviii. 7 He suffirs nan to be þat may excuse þaim of the hete of his luf. 1461–83 Liber Niger in Househ. Ord. 16 Every officer in unitie of love applyed to excuse other by servyce and attendaunce. Ibid. 82 Everye yoman to helpe to excuse others for his busyness in his absence. 1543 Sir J. Wallop in Maclean Carew 126, I wold wische to God the next kynesman I have..had excused him. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 426, I would her life might have beene excused by my death. 1653 H. More Antid. Ath. ii. xi, An Armature..often excuses the more useful parts of his head from harm. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 82 ¶3 At School, he was whipped thrice a Week for Faults he took upon him to excuse others. |
† b. To regard as exempt or safe from. rare.
| 1643 Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. i. §28, I excuse not Constantine from a fall off his Horse..upon the wearing those nayles on his bridle. |
5. a. Of things, circumstances, etc.: To serve as an excuse or exculpation for.
| 1538 Starkey England i. ii. 31 Such ignorance excusyth not errorys in mannys lyfe. 1685 Baxter Paraphr. N.T. Matt. iii. 4 Other men's superstition..will not excuse mens superfluity. 1702 Pope Wife of Bath 97 Shape excuses the defects of face. 1800 Addison Amer. Law. Rep. 13 The wife's presence will not excuse the husband. 1856 Froude Hist. Eng. (1858) I. v. 434 There are some acts of injustice which no national interest can excuse. |
| absol. 1658–9 Burton's Diary (1828) IV. 2 Ignorance will not excuse. 1736 Butler Anal. ii. i. Wks. I. 163 Ignorance..will..just as little, excuse in one case as in the other. |
b. In pass. To have a sufficient excuse; to be freed from blame.
| c 1340 Hampole Prose Tr. 27 If þou leue nedfull besynes of actyf lyfe..by-cause of desire..to gyffe þe to gastely ocupacyone, wenande þat þou arte thereby excusede..þou dose noghte wysely. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par., John 57 b, The common people and the vnlearned are to be holden excused, and may be forgeuen. a 1626 Bacon Max. & Uses Com. Law v. 26 If a warrant..come from the King to sell wood upon the ground whereof I am tenant..I am excused in waste. 1787 Minor 96 Cupid being blind was partly excused accompanying a counterfeit. |
II. To accept an excuse for or from.
6. a. To accept a plea in exculpation of (a person); to judge leniently on the ground of extenuating circumstances. Const. † of, for.
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. A. 281 To be excused I make requeste. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 908 Although his ire here gylt accused, Yet in his resoun he hem bothe excused. c 1450 Castle Hd. Life St. Cuthb. (Surtees) 7305 Þai were excused þan, for why þai did wrange vnwitandly.. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxvii. 157 He is totally Excused, for the reason next before alledged. 1862 Sir B. Brodie Psychol. Inq. II. iii. 85 We may excuse altogether those who labour under the illusions of actual insanity. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 179 The people may be excused for following tradition only. |
b. Phrase, Excuse me: used parenthetically in conversation as apology for an impropriety in speech, etc., or as a polite way of disputing a statement. Also used as a polite form in addressing a stranger, or in interrupting the speech of another. Hence as n. (in full, excuse-me dance), a dance in which one may ‘cut in’ (see cut v. 55 d).
| 1606 Shakes. Tr. & Cr. i. ii. 87 Pan. Hector is not a better man than Troylus. Cre. Excuse me. Pan. He is elder. 1814 Jane Austen Mansf. Park II. vi, Excuse me, your Ladyship must not see your cards. 1831 J. Banim Smuggler xii, Excuse me, sir; but though you have been my guest..this is the first time we have met. 1889 A. Lang Lett. Lit. iii. (ed. 2) 33 That infernal (excuse me) coward and villain. 1894 Home Chimes XVI. 353 ‘Excuse me, sir.’ Mr. Gill stopped, and addressed a passer-by. 1901 R. S. W. Bell Tales of Greyhouse 255 Excuse me—you are an old boy? 1902 Kipling Just So Stories 66 ‘'Scuse me,’ said the Elephant's Child most politely, ‘but have you seen such a thing as a Crocodile in these promiscuous parts?’ 1924 W. Deeping Three Rooms iii, Excuse me, but would you care to make up a four? 1940 Harrisson & Madge War begins at Home ix. 229 Whereas pre-war excuse-me's were almost always quicksteps, now fox-trots and waltzes are frequently included. 1942 A. P. Jephcott Girls growing Up v. 121 ‘Excuse me’ and ‘Buzz off’ dances give the girl an opportunity to go up to any couple and abstract the boy for her partner. 1953 E. Simon Past Masters ii. vi. 113 Jonquil..had emerged as mistress of ceremonies, decreeing now an excuse-me-dance, now a Paul Jones. 1965 J. P. Carstairs Concrete Kimono xv. 125 ‘You actually danced with Reba?’ ‘Is that so crazy?.. It was an Excuse Me, anyway.’ |
c. To admit apology for, overlook, condone (a fault, offence, impropriety, etc.); to regard indulgently, pardon the faults of (a performance). Also with indirect personal object.
| c 1391 Chaucer Astrol. Prol. 2, I prey..every discret pesone..to have my rewde endytyng for excused. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. 107 Some tymes we excuse a fault and accuse the reporter. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iv. i. 54 We cite our faults, That they may hold excus'd our lawlesse liues. 1607 ― Cor. iv. vii. 11, I must excuse, What cannot be amended. 1702 Eng. Theophrast. 125 It is a very dangerous mistake to excuse these vile inclinations upon the tenderness of their age. 1737 Pope Hor. Epist. ii. i. 215 (Excuse some courtly stains) No whiter page than Addison's remains. 1775 Sheridan Rivals i. i, Excuse my glove, Thomas. 1825 Macaulay Milton Ess. (1854) I. 13/2 If ever despondency and asperity could be excused in any man, they might have been excused in Milton. 1857 Robertson Serm. Ser. iii. xvii. 217 The boldest heart may be excused a shudder. |
7. a. To set free (a person) from a task, duty, obligation; dispense from payment, attendance, etc. Const. † for, from; also with double obj.
| 1382 Wyclif Luke xiv. 19, I preie thee, haue me excusid. 1839 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 7 That they come to þe dirige..but he haue a resonable cause to be excused. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, v. i. 3 Shal. You shall not away to night. Fal, You must excuse me, M. Robert Shallow. 1647 Clarendon Hist. Reb. i. (1843) 33/1 Laud attended..throughout that whole journey, which he..no doubt would have been excused from. 1697 C'tess D'Aunoy's Trav. (1706) 85 She sent word to all the Ladies of Brussels and Antwerp, she would excuse them for their Visits. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 295 He would not be excused..from going back with us. 1777 Sheridan Sch. Scand. ii. ii, Your ladyship must excuse me; I'm called away by particular business. 1817 M. Edgeworth Two Guardians iii. iv, Beauchamp. Come, shake hands, and be friends. St. Albans. Excuse me, Mr. Courtington. Mod. The jury were excused from attendance for the rest of the week. He was excused the extrance-fee. |
b. to excuse oneself: to ask permission or apologize before leaving.
| 1926 T. E. Lawrence Seven Pillars (1935) vii. lxxxix. 496 After an hour he excused himself, because he had just married a Shobek wife. 1964 B. Malamud Idiots First 69 The waiter brought drinks and when Mary Lou had finished hers she excused herself, went to the ladies' room. |
c. to be excused: to be allowed to leave a room, esp. a schoolroom; spec. to go to the lavatory. colloq. (chiefly in school language).
| 1954 Harrap's Stand. Fr. & Eng. Dict. Suppl. (ed. 2) 55/2 Sortir... Est-ce que je peux sortir?, May I be excused? 1963 S. Marshall Exper. in Education ii. 60 He could not tie up his own shoe, put on his own coat, or even ‘be excused’ without help. 1968 ‘P. Hobson’ Titty's Dead xiii. 138 ‘Please may I be excused?’ she said. |
8. ‘To remit; not to exact’ (J.); to grant excuse for the want or absence of; to dispense with.
| 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. i. ix. 35 If any man shall from hence conclude, the Moone is second in magnitude unto the Sun, he must excuse my beliefe. 1726 Chetwood Adv. Capt. R. Boyle 58, I must beg you to excuse my waiting on you for a little while. 1814 Byron Note in Orig. MS. Wks. (1846) 90/1 note, He will excuse the ‘Mr.’―we do not say Mr. Cæsar. 1836 Lytton Duchess de la Vallière v. v, From our royal court We do excuse your presence. |