Judas
(ˈdʒuːdəs)
Also 6 -ace.
[a. L. Jūdas, a. Gr. Ἰούδας, ad. Heb. y'hūdāh Judah, name of one of the sons of Jacob, whence a common name among the later Jews, e.g. of Judas Maccabæus, and two of the disciples of Christ, of whom one is in Eng. commonly called (St.) Jude, Judas being retained for Judas Iscariot. Cf. F. Judas, with transferred uses as in Eng.]
1. The name of the disciple who betrayed Jesus Christ; hence allusively (cf. Iscariot): One who treacherously betrays under the semblance of friendship; a traitor or betrayer of the worst kind.
| c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon ix. 209, I..shall be ther⁓fore taken all my lyffe as a Iudas [for betraying the sons of Aymon]. 1539 Taverner Erasm. Prov. (1545) 150 Inwardly very Iudasses. 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, iii. ii. 132 Three Iudasses, each one thrice worse then Iudas. 1643 Prynne Sov. Power Parl. App. 216 Such unnaturall monsters, such trayterous Judasses, such execrable infamous Apostates as these. 1898 J. Arch Story of Life xvi. 385 Those who were no better than Judases. |
2. (More fully
Judas of the Paschal): see
quot. 1877. Now
Hist.| [1402–3 Mem. Ripon (Surtees) III. 212 Et in j Judas de novo facto ad serviendum in choro per iij dies..3s. 4d.] 1453 Acc. in Sharp Cov. Myst. (1825) 190, iiij newe torches & iiij judasses. 1476 Ibid. 189 A new bolle to the Judas ij{supd}. 1511 Churchw. Acc. St. Mary at Hill (Nichols 1797) 107 Mem. that the judas of the pascal [printed pastal], i.e. the tymbre that the wax of the pascal [pr. pastel] is driuen upon weigheth 7 lb. 1520 Churchw. Acc. St. Giles, Reading 10 For makyng a Judas for the Pascale 1{supd}. 1566 in Peacock Eng. Ch. Furn. (1866) 77 Item albes paxes Iudaces with suche trifelinge tromperey—made awaie wee knowe not howe. 1877 Acc. Ld. H. Treas. Scot. I. Gloss. 421 The paschal candlestick in churches, which was usually of brass, had seven branches, from the seventh or middle one of which a tall thick piece of wood, painted like a candle, and called the Judas of the Paschal, rose nearly to the roof, and on the top of this was placed at Eastertide the paschal candle of wax. |
3. A small lattice or aperture in a door (in some old houses, or in prison cells), through which a person can look without being noticed from the other side; a peep-hole.
| 1865 [see Judas-hole in 4]. 1883 Century Mag. Nov. 74/2 A thick oaken door with a judas. 1888 Ibid. Feb. 523/2 This contrivance..known to the..prisoners as the ‘Judas’, enables the guard to look into the cell at any time without attracting the attention of the occupant. Ibid. 527/2 The..guard peeped through the ‘Judas’ and discovered what the prisoner was doing. |
4. attrib. and
Comb. a. Like Judas Iscariot or his character or conduct, traitorous, as
Judas attack,
Judas Jew,
Judas kiss,
Judas trick, etc.
b. Special
Combs.:
Judas-blossom, the blossom of the
Judas-tree (
q.v.);
† Judas candlestick (see 2);
Judas-colour,
Judas-coloured a. (of the hair or beard) red (from the mediæval belief that Judas Iscariot had red hair and beard);
† Judas cup, an ornamental cup used in mediæval times on Maundy Thursday;
Judas goat, an animal used to lead others to destruction; also
transf.;
Judas-hole = sense 3;
Judas-like a. and adv., like Judas, treacherous, treacherously;
Judas priest int., a euphemism for
Jesus Christ in an oath;
Judas-trap = sense 3 above.
| a. c 1400 R. Lavynham Litil Tretys (1956) 11 Hate of herte is whan a man spekyth litil & menyth moche malyce..& at þe laste w{supt} a iudas kesse schewith a love y fayned. c 1590 Robin Conscience 134 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 235 That yov haue giuen him many a Jvdas kisse. 1655 H. Vaughan Silex Scint., Rules & Lessons 45 Who sels Religion, is a Judas Jew. 1860 Geo. Eliot Mill on Fl. III. vi. i. 15 A woman who was loving and thoughtful for other women, not giving them Judas-kisses with eyes askance. 1875 Dental Cosmos (U.S.) XVII. 533 The convention..had outlived all the Judas attacks which had been made upon it. 1942 ‘G. Orwell’ Diary 28 Sept. in Coll. Ess. (1968) II. 449 A special prayer ‘for the people of Stalingrad’—the Judas kiss. 1947 E. Sitwell Shadow of Cain 18 When the last Judas-kiss Has died upon the cheek of the Starved Man Christ. 1973 R. Lewis Blood Money ix. 146 Candour shone from his eyes, as insincere as a Judas kiss. |
| 1566 in Peacock Eng. Ch. Furniture (1866) 118 Item one sepulcre and one *Judas candlestick—sold. |
| [c 1594 Kyd Sp. Trag. in Hazl. Dodsley V. 121 And let their beards be of *Judas his own colour.] 1695 Motteux St. Olon's Morocco 124 Observations on the Judas-colour of his Beard and Hair. |
| 1673 Dryden Amboyna i. i, There's treachery in that *Judas-coloured beard. 1879 Dowden Southey iv. 97 An ugly specimen of the streaked-carroty or Judas-coloured kind. |
| 1593 Anc. Mon. Durham (Surtees) 68 A goodly great Mazer, called *Judas cup..used but on Maunday Thursday at night in the Frater House. |
| 1941 Amer. Speech XVI. 236/1 Sheep are led to the shackling pen by a Tony or Judas goat. 1964 Punch 19 Feb. 283/2 Irene only used Billy as a ‘*judas goat’ to catch Des. 1972 D. Anthony Blood on Harvest Moon xxv. 220 Not dead. Not me as the Judas goat. |
| 1865 Daily Tel. 9 Nov. 6/6 The man..you may see through the *Judas-hole when you make a round of the Model Prison with the visiting magistrates. |
| 1914 ‘High Jinks, Jr.’ Choice Slang 13 *Judas Priest, an exclamation of surprise. 1922 S. Lewis Babbitt ix. 126 Judas Priest, I could write poetry myself if I had a whole year for it. 1972 J. D. Buchanan Professional xi. 123 Judas Priest! What the hell are you saying? |
| c 1675 Roxb. Ball. (1891) VII. 353 He gave me a *Judas-like kiss. 1677 A. Horneck Gt. Law Consid. vi. (1704) 318 Shall I, (Judas-like), kiss thee and betray thee? |
| 1886 Illustr. Lond. News 4 Dec. 598/3 The small *Judas-trap in a window. |
Hence (
nonce-wds.)
Juˈdasian a., of the character of Judas;
ˈJudasite, a follower of Judas (opprobriously used for ‘Jesuit’).
| 1605 Willet Hexapla Gen. 184 Some rebellious and traiterous popish preists and Judasites. 1877 Ruskin Fors Clav. VII. 326 Learn what these mean, Judasian Dives, if it may be. |