whinyard Now Hist.
(ˈhwɪnjəd)
Forms: 5 whyneherd, whyneard, 6 whynarde, whinyeard, winniard, 7 whineyard, -yeard, whineard, whyniard, whinniard, 7–8 whiniard, 6– whinyard.
[Of obscure origin; cf. whinger n.1]
A short-sword, a hanger.
| 1478 Nottingham Rec. II. 296 Cum quodam armicudio vulgariter nuncupato Anglice ‘a whyneherd’. 1499 Will of Love (Somerset Ho.), A whyneard with a chape of siluer. a 1529 Skelton Bouge of Court 363 And by his syde his whynarde and his pouche. 1653 Gataker Vind. Annot. Jer. 136 We shall not need to borrow great Alexanders whiniard to cut this Gordian knot. 1663 Butler Hud. i. iii. 480 His Pistol next he cockt anew, And out his nut⁓brown Whiniard drew. 1719 D'Urfey Pills III. 320 Who wav'd his Whinyard o'er her Loyn, as if he'd gone to Knight him. 1810 Scott Lady of L. i. viii, The hunter..For the death-wound..Muster'd his breath, his whinyard drew. 1856–9 R. Buchanan Trag. Dramas, Wallace i. viii, I'd liefer Plunge this Scots whinyard in thy felon breast, Than in the heart of Turk or Saracen. |
† b. ? A subtle ‘blade’. Obs. nonce-use.
| 1611 Chapman May-Day i. i, Lor. It is not Hector but Paris, not the full armefull, but the sweet handfull that Ladies delight in. Ang. O notable old whyniard. |