▪ I. eft, n.1
(ɛft)
Forms: 1 efeta, -e, 2–4 euete, 2–7 evete, 4 auete, 4–6 ewt(e, (5 eefte, 6 ewft, euit), 6–8 euet, (8 eff, 9 dial. effet, evvet), 7– eft. See also newt.
[OE. efeta, of unknown origin. The form newt (a newt corruptly for an ewt) is more frequent in literary use, and in some dialects has superseded the older form.]
A small lizard or lizard-like animal. Now (like newt) chiefly applied to the Greater Water-Newt (Triton cristatus) and to the Smooth Newt (Lophinus punctatus), of the order Salamandridæ.
| c 1000 ælfric Gloss. in Wr.-Wülcker 122 Lacerta uel stilio, efete. a 1100 Voc. ibid. 321 Lacerta, efeta. a 1200 Moral Ode 273 in Cott. Hom. 177 Þeor beð naddren and snaken, eueten and frude. c 1300 K. Alis. 6126 Evetis, and snakes, and paddokes brode. 1388 Wyclif Prov. xxx. 28 An euete enforsith with hondis, and dwelleth in the housis of kingis. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xii. xxix. (Tollem. MS.), Venimouse bestes and auetes [1535 lisardes]. c 1400 Mandeville v. 61 In that Abbeye ne entrethe not no Flye ne Todes ne Ewtes. 1480 Caxton Descr. Brit. 48 Eeftes that doon none harme. 1572 J. Bossewell Armorie ii. 52 b, [The Cameleon] beyng like to y⊇ Ewte in the bodye. 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 315 All things that breede in the mudde are not Euets. 1613 W. Browne Brit. Past. i. ii, May never euet, nor the toade, Within thy banks make their abode. 1679 Plot Staffordsh. (1686) 251 Animals somewhat like Evets or Newts. 1750 W. Ellis Mod. Husbandman iii. ii. 79 (E.D.S.) Eff, an eft. 1763 Churchill Proph. Fam. Poems I. 112 In quest of food, Efts strove in vain to crawl. 1800 J. Hurdis Favorite Vill. 153 Wriggles the viper and the basking eft. 1875 Parish Sussex Gloss., Effet, a newt or eft. 1876 A. B. Buckley Short Hist. Nat. Sc. xxiv. 201 Aquatic salamanders, which resemble our newts or efts. 1878 Besant & Rice Celia's Arbour I. xiv. 195 We used to hunt as boys for..the little evvet, the alligator of Great Britain. |
▪ II. † eft, n.2 Obs. rare.
[Of obscure origin; cf. OE. æfest, æfst, malice, which freq. occurs in connexion with n{iacu}ð.]
? Malice.
| c 1325 Metr. Hom. 35 Jowes havis eft and nithe At me for the ferlikes that I kithe. Ibid. 125 Eft and nythe and felonny. |
▪ III. † eft, a. Obs. rare—1.
In 6 superl. eftest.
[? A blunder ascribed to Dogberry; but it is not clear what word is alluded to.]
? Ready, convenient.
| 1599 Shakes. Much Ado iv. ii. 38 Yea, marry, that's the eftest way. |
▪ IV. † eft, adv. Obs. or arch.
(ɛft)
Also 3–5 efte, (3 heft, Orm. efft).
[OE. ęft = OS., OFris. eft, ON. eptir, eftir, eft:—OTeut. *aftiz adv. compar. deg., f. stem aft: see aft. Cf. OE. lęng, compar. deg. of lang, long adv.]
1. A second time, again; back.
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter lxx[i]. 20 Of neolnisse eorðan eft ðu alædes mec. c 1000 ælfric Gen. viii. 10 Noe..asende ut eft culfran. c 1200 Ormin 16638 Hu maȝȝ ald mann ben borenn efft. c 1205 Lay. 15081 Nu was Vortigerne æft [c 1275 heft] king. a 1300 Cursor M. 24403 He cried ans and eft. 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 105 Ontille Inglond eft he turned ouer þe se. c 1386 Chaucer Man of Law's T. 694 Eft were his lettres stolen everichon. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. xii. 267 Again the goode [chestnuts] under gravel be do, and tried efte and thries preve hem so. 1589 Puttenham Eng. Poesie (Arb.) 160 Many a word yfalne shall eft arise. 1607 T. Walkington Opt. Glass 145 Hee..vanished eft away. |
b. eft and eft: again and again. eft{ddd}eft: first{ddd}then.
| 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xvi. 145 Ȝif hym eft and eft euere at his neede. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. i. 416 And as it drieth, efte and efte it dight. 1583 Golding Calvin on Deut. clxxviii. 1108 Eft at one side and eft a tother. |
2. Indicating sequence or transition in discourse: Again, moreover, likewise.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xviii. 19 Eft [c 950 Lindisf. eft sona] ic eow secᵹe. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 107 Ne eft he ne mei on his welan..modegian. 1340 Ayenb. 133 Yet eft þer is a stape huerinne is þe uolle of perfection of þise uirtue. 1432–50 tr. Higden (1865) I. 327 Meny nyȝtes in þe somer..þe sonne goþ nouȝt doun..and eft as many dayes in þe wynter..the sonne ariseþ nouȝt. 1533 Act 25 Hen. VIII, c. 13 §12 It is efte declared by this presente acte, that, etc. 1651 Gataker Ridley in Fuller Abel Rediv. 195 It pleasing God eft..to imprint in the face..a living portraiture of those endowments. |
3. Afterwards.
| O.E. Chron. an. 685 (Parker MS.) Þone [sc. Mul] mon eft on Cent forbærnde. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 85 Sume men leden erest iuel liflode, and turnen eft to god. c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. A. 332 He hit schal efte with tenez tyne. 1430 Lydg. Chron. Troy i. vii, First with right make our selfe strong; And efte our force manly for to shewe, Of knyghtes chose taken out a fewe. 1528 More Heresyes iv. Wks. 269/2 Dauid fell..fyrst in aduoutrie & eft in manslaughter. a 1559 Cavill in Mir. Mag. (1563) B 2 b, Whom fortune brought to boote and efte to bale. |
b. with never, if ever.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 49 He ualleð in to helle pine þer neuer eft ne cumeð of bote. c 1230 Hali Meid. 11 Beo ha eanes fulliche forcoruen ne spruteð ha neauer eft. c 1314 Guy Warw. (A.) 2776 Ȝif þou haue euer eft nede to me. c 1325 Seven Sag. (P.) 302 Hys hert scholde to-breke, Ne schold he never eft more speke. 1513 Douglas æneis ii. xii. [xi.] 99 Neuir syne with ene saw I hir eft. |
4. Comb. eft-sithe v. (in 2 efts{iacu}ðian) to return; eft-sith, -sithes adv., another time, once more; also, from time to time, often (cf. oftesithes). Also eftsoons.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 119 Þet ure saule moten eft-siðian to him. a 1300 Cursor M. 1901 Noe..sent þe dofe eftsith. a 1547 Earl of Surrey æneid ii. 588 Which way eft-sithes..Andromache alone Resorted to the parents of her make. 1875 Whitby Gloss. (E.D.S.), Eftsith, often. |