▪ I. † recure, n. Obs.
Forms: 5 recur, -cuer, -cuire, -keur, 5–7 recure.
[f. next, perh. on analogy of recover n.; very common in the 15–16th c.]
Recovery; remedy, succour; cure.
| 1414 Brampton Penit. Ps. (Percy Soc.) 28 Whan I do ony forfeture,..Accepte this, Lord, for ryȝt rekure. c 1480 Henryson Test. Cres. 335 To thy seiknes sal be na recure. 1545 Surrey Epit. T. Clere in Camden Rem. (1605) Epit. 50 Hopeles of all recure, Thine Earle halfe dead gaue in thy hand his will. 1591 Lyly Endym. iii. i, I haue seene him to my griefe, and sought recure with despaire. 1626 T. H. tr. Caussin's Holy Crt. 166 It is a lamentable thing, to put purposely the disease into despayre, for feare of recure. |
b. In phr. but recure, past recure, or without recure: past or without hope or possibility of recovery.
| 1423 Jas. I Kingis Q. xcv, The thrid [arrow], of stele, is schot without recure. c 1470 Golagros & Gaw. 1203 It war syn, but recure, The knightis honour suld smure. a 1542 Wyatt in Tottel's Misc. (Arb.) 80 Fierce Tigre, fell, hard rock without recure. 1587 Churchyard Worth. Wales (1876) 96 An eating worme, a Cancker past recure. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1621) 610 Whatsoever fell into the enemies hand, was lost without recure. |
▪ II. † recure, v. Obs.
Also 5 Sc. recuir.
[ad. L. recūrāre, f. re- re- + cūrāre to cure v.1, but also in part repr. recover v.1
The contracted form of recover is properly recour v.; the use of recure for ‘recover’ in sense 4 is prob. due to the fact that senses 1–3 are common to both verbs.]
1. trans. To cure (one) of or from a disease, wound, trouble, etc.; to restore to health.
| 1389 in Eng. Gilds (1870) 41 He shal han..eueri woke iij pens til þat he be recured. 1430–40 Lydg. Bochas viii. xiii. (1558) 7 Howe Constantine..was recured of his lepre. c 1540 Heywood Four P.P. 716 Wherefore this woman to recure It was more harde ye may be sure. 1566 Drant Horace, Sat. i. i. A v b, Theyle treate the fyne physition..thy corps for to recure. 1594 Kyd Cornelia iv. ii. 143 Nor hath Chyron powre or skill To recure them of their ill. 1621 Quarles Argalus & P. (1678) 32 Drink as thou lov'st me, and it shall secure thee From future dangers, or from past, recure thee. 1628 Feltham Resolves ii. lix. 170 It [opinion] can cast a man into speedy diseases, and can as soon recure him. 1647 H. More Song of Soul ii. i. iii. xx, This bow..Of causelesse grief, I hope, shall thee recure. |
| absol. 1557 Tottel's Misc. (Arb.) 183 As she hath beauty to allure, So hath she a hart that will recure. 1590 Greene Never too late (1600) Q 2 b, Thou hast lent youth..Achilles sword to cut and recure. |
| refl. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 193 He has free leaue to recure himselfe. |
b. To bring back to a normal state or condition; to restore after loss, damage, exhaustion, etc. Also const. to (a better state).
| 1382 Wyclif Ecclus. ii. 6 Ȝif feith to God and he shal rekure thee; and dresse thi weye and hope in to hym. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. i. 313 So that, if mysauenture ffordo thyn hous, a yeer or too [may] recure Hit atte mest. c 1430 Lydg. Reas. & Sens. 170 Her lignes to sustene, And to Recure..Ageyn the harmys and gret damage, That wynter wrought. 1590 Spenser F.Q. i. ix. 2 When their powres, empayrd through labor long, With dew repast they had recured well [etc.]. Ibid. ii. i. 54 Through wise handling and faire governaunce, I him recured to a better will. 1606 J. Carpenter Solomon's Solace viii. 33 They were so ready to inuestigate that, whereof being once certified they did much maruaile at..and could scarsely ease or mitigate, much lesse salue and recure. a 1667 Cowley Constantia & Philetus Wks. 1711 III. 11 No Physick can recure my weaken'd State. |
2. To cure (a disease, sickness, etc.); to heal, make whole (a wound or sore).
| c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 50 My lord may al my sorowe recure. 1430–40 ― Bochas viii. xxv. (1558) 17 b, To staunche his woundes & hurtes to recure. 1509 Hawes Conv. Swearers viii, Grace..recured my sekenes. 1545 T. Raynalde Byrth Mankynde 79 The cause knowen, the dysease maye the more readely be recured. 1596 Lodge Marg. Amer. 60 Thou hast rubbed the gall, but not recured the wound. 1613 Heywood Silver Age iii. i, There teares my griefes recure. 1667 Milton P.L. xii. 393 Thy deaths wound Which hee, who comes thy Saviour, shall recure. |
b. To remedy, redress, repair, retrieve (a wrong, defect, etc.).
| 1536 Exhort. to North 138 in Furniv. Ballads fr. MSS. I. 308 The englysch commontie..your purposse will aide, thes wronges to Rekure. 1579 E. K. Ded. to Spenser's Sheph. Cal. ¶1 Which default when as some endeuoured to salue and recure, they patched vp the holes with peces & rags of other languages. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. x. 23 Which blott his sonne succeeding in his seat,..Right well recur'd, and did away that blame. 1631 Quarles Samson Medit. viii. 48 Faire language may recure A fault of youth, whilst rougher words obdure. |
3. intr. Of persons: To become whole; to regain health or a former state.
| c 1420–30 Compl. 93 in Lydg. Temple of Glas (E.E.T.S.) App. i. 60 That I ne schulde..To helthe neuere a-geyn recure, But euere in maledy endure. c 1440 Jacob's Well 293 Thruȝ schryfte he may rekure aȝen. a 1510 Douglas K. Hart i. 254 King Hart sair woundit was, bot..weill he traistit that he suld recure. a 1547 Surrey in Tottel's Misc. (Arb.) 32 Yet Salomon sayd, the wronged shall recure. |
b. Of a wound: To heal.
| 1616 J. Lane Cont. Sqr.'s T. xi. 100 His woundes..closd all vp, and instantlie recurd. |
4. trans. To recover (something lost).
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 5124 For tyme lost, as men may see, For no-thyng may recured be. 1432–50 tr. Higden (Rolls) II. 263 Artaxerses,..expellenge Nectanabus,..recurede that realme ageyne. c 1470 Henryson Mor. Fab. vi. (Sheep & Dog) i, Ane certane breid fra him for to recuir. 1530 Palsgr. 681/2, I recure, I get agayne... I have recured it, but it was with moche a do. 1590 Spenser F.Q. iii. v. 34 By this he had sweet life recur'd agayne. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. i. lvii, So hard was this lost Isle, so hard to be recur'd. [1746 W. Thompson Hymn to May xliii, Full suddenly the Seeds of joy recure Elastic spring, and force within empight.] |
b. To get, obtain, win.
| c 1403 Lydg. Temple of Glas 1226 In signe þat ȝe haue recured Ȝoure hole desire. c 1430 ― Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 174 With cormerawntys make thy nekke long, In pondys deepe thy prayes to recure. c 1450 Cov. Myst. x. (Shaks. Soc.) 93 Be prayour grett knowleche men recure. 1509 Hawes Conv. Swearers vii, Hope at laste to recure this scyence Exorteth me ryght hardely to wryte. |
c. To preserve, save. rare—1.
| c 1430 Lydg. Hors, Shepe & G. 248 Thus, bi a Gandre recured was the toun. |
Hence † reˈcurable a., that may be cured. Obs.
| 1608 Dod & Cleaver Expos. Prov. xi–xii 15 Neither is it an ordinary euill that is recurable, but a desperate ruine that is remedilesse. |