astony, v. arch.
(əˈstɒnɪ)
Forms: 3 astoney, 3–5 astonie, -ye, 6 astunnye, 6– astony.
[A variant of astone, of difficult explanation; perh. the ending is due to OF. pa. pple. estoné, estonné. The instance in the Ayenbite may be only the inf. in -ie of astone: it has pr. tense aston-eth.]
1. trans. = astone; to stun, paralyse, astound, amaze.
| 1340 Ayenb. 126 Hou it ssolde ous ssende and astonie. Ibid. 257. c 1375 Wyclif Serm. Sel. Wks. 1871 II. 113 Þes wordis astonyeden hem. 1386 Chaucer Clerk's T. 260 This soden cas this man astonyed so [So 2 MSS.; astoneyd—l, astoned—3]. 1388 Wyclif Isa. xxi. 4 Myn herte fadide, derknessis astonieden me [1382 dercnesses stoneid maden me]. 1401 Pol. Poems (1859) II. 51 With her sterne stounes [they will] astonye al the erthe. 1526 Tindale Matt. xxviii. 4 The kepers were astunnyed. 1557 K. Arthur (Copland) i. xvi, A myghty stroke upon the helme whyche astonyed hym sore. 1593 Nashe Christes Teares (1613) 10 O Ierusalem..that stonest, and astoniest thy Prophets with thy peruersnesse. 1646 H. Lawrence Comm. & Warre w. Angels, His word was with power, which astonied the auditours. [Later instances, see astonied.] |
2. intr. (? or absol.) (Cf. astone 5.) rare.
| 1850 Mrs. Browning Poems I. 195 She stares at the wound where it gapes and astonies. [A rhyme to Adonis.] |