▪ I. discomfit, v.
(dɪsˈkʌmfɪt)
Forms: pa. pple. 3 deskumfit, 4 desconfit, -cumfit(e, -coumfit, -confet, 4–6 discumfit, -fyt, -comfit, -fyt, -confit(e, dyscumfyt, 5 -dis, dyscounfite, -comfyd, -fid. pres. 4 discounfit, dyscumfyte, 4–6 disconfit(e, -fyte, discomfite, -fyte, 5 dyscowmfytyn, 5–6 dyscomfyt, 5– discomfit (6 -feit).
[ME. desconfit, -cumfit, etc., a. OF. desconfit, -cunfit, -cumfit (:—L. type *disconfectus), pa. pple. of desconfire, mod.F. déconfire to discomfit:—late pop.L. disconficĕre (Du Cange), f. dis- + L. conficĕre to put together, frame, make ready, accomplish, complete, finish; also, to finish up, destroy, consume; f. con- together + facĕre to do, put. In Romanic, conficĕre, confectāre, retained the constructive sense, as in F. confire, Sp. confeitar, while disconficĕre, from dis- 4, has that of ‘destroy, undo’ (so Pr. desconfir, It. disconfiggere). The OF. desconfit was first taken into Eng. in its proper sense as a participle, and used to form a passive voice, as ‘he was desconfit’, i.e. completely undone; whence it was subsequently taken as the stem of a verb, desconfit-en. The pa. pple. (and pa. tense) continued to be disconfit (also -confid) till end of 15th, and occasionally till end of 16th c., but discomfited from the verb is found from 15th. For the Sc. form, see prec.]
1. trans. To undo in battle; to defeat or overthrow completely; to beat, to rout.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 250 Þeo ne muwen beon deskumfit ne ouer⁓kumen, o none wise. a 1300 Cursor M. 7799 (Cott.) Þai er discumfit [Gött. scumphited] wit þair fas, Saul es slan and ionathas. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 4986 Þey ordeynede hem..Aȝens þe Phylystynes for to go, And hem dyscumfyte and slo. c 1330 ― Chron. Wace (Rolls) 1003 Schamely..ar we desconfit! a 1375 Joseph Arim. 61 And þei discounfitede him han and scaþet ful ofte. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. i. 108 Þei were disconfit in bataille. c 1400 Mandeville (Roxb.) xiii. 55 Gedeon and ccc. men with him discoumfit three kynges. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 122/1 Dyscowmfytyn, confuto, supero, vinco. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 5900 Þai wer all discomfyd. 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV, 204 b, Hys men..which wer in maner disconfit, and redy to flye. 1587 Mirr. Mag., Brennus viii, In the ende I was discomfit there. 1596 Shakes. 1 Hen. IV, iii. ii. 114 Thrice hath this Hotspur Mars in swathing Clothes..Discomfited great Dowglas. 1678 Wanley Wond. Lit. World v. i. §78. 466/2 He went after to the Holy Land, where he discomfited the Turks in three great Battels. 1792 Anecd. W. Pitt I. 305 Her [France's] arms had been discomfited in every quarter. 1852 C. M. Yonge Cameos II. ii. 20 ‘Come, and we shall discomfit them!’ |
| fig. 1651 Biggs New Disp. ¶281 Farre lesse able..to discomfit, overcome, and expell diseases. |
2. gen. a. To defeat or overthrow the plans or purposes of; to thwart, foil. b. To throw into perplexity, confusion, or dejection; to cast down utterly; to disconcert.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce iii. 197 And fra the hart be discumfyt, The body is nocht worth a myt. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 1349 A sari man than was Sir Kay..Al descumfite he lay on grownde. 1530 Palsgr. 518/1, I discomfyte, I put one out of comforte..je desconfys. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. ii. i. 164 Wel go with me, and be not so discomfited. 1639 Fuller Holy War i. xvii. (1647) 26 Many secretly stole away, whereat the rest were no whit discomfited. 1660 Sharrock Vegetables 149 Not impeded by those wants that usually discomfit private persons in such enquiries. 1848 Dickens Dombey i, Dombey was quite discomfited by the question. 1872 Black Adv. Phaeton ix. 132 Bell, conscious of past backslidings, seemed rather discomfited. |
† c. To frustrate or defeat of. Obs. rare.
| 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VI (1809) 155 The Capitain discomfited of al releve and succour rendered the fortresse. |
Hence disˈcomfited ppl. a.; disˈcomfiting vbl. n., discomfiture.
| c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1861 Ne ther was holden no disconfitynge But as a Justes or a turneiynge. 1535 Coverdale 1 Macc. iv. 35 Lysias seynge the discomfetynge of his men and the manlynesse of the Iewes. 1603 Knolles Hist. Turks (1638) 170 The rest of his discomfited army flying headlong back again to Constantinople. 1877 Mrs. Oliphant Makers Flor. 255 The shamed and discomfited ambassadors..went hastily away. |
▪ II. † disˈcomfit, n. Obs.
[f. discomfit v.]
The act of discomfiting, or fact of being discomfited; undoing, defeat, rout, discomfiture.
| 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. (E.E.T.S.) 216 The Sterrys makyth many mewyngys in the coragis of mene, and of that comyth..victories, and dyscomfites. c 1425 Engl. Conq. Irel. (E.E.T.S.) 30 The other weneden that thay departed yn dyscomfyte. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, v. ii. 86 Vncureable discomfite Reignes in the hearts of all. 1671 Milton Samson 469 Dagon must stoop, and shall e're long receive Such a discomfit, as shall quite despoil him Of all these boasted Trophies won on me. 1834 Medwin Angler in Wales II. 314 'Twere slight to boast The foul discomfit of that felon-host. |
▪ III. discomfit
obs. pa. pple. of discomfit v.
See in the verb.