▪ I. stith, n.
(stɪθ)
Forms: 4 stiþ(e, (steyth), 4–7 styth, 5 stethe, stede, 5–7 stythe, 6–7 stithe, 4– stith.
[See stithy.]
1. = stithy n. 1. Obs. exc. north.
| c 1300 Havelok 1877 [They] beten on him so doth þe smith With þe hamer on þe stith. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1168 The Smyth That forgeth sharpe swerdes on his Styth. 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 10973 Wyth-inne an hevy styth off stel, A ffethre sholde entre as wel As any doctryne..Sholde entre in-to hys hed. 1465 in Finchale Priory Charters etc. (Surtees) p. ccxcix, ij stethes, ij foyrhamers [etc.]. 1494 Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot. I. 250 Item, for tussen of the stede to the smede viij d. 1584–7 Greene Carde of Fancie (1593) D 4 b, Valericus..determined to strike on the Stith while the yron was hot. 1586 Whitney Choice of Emblems 192 For there with strengthe he strikes vppon the stithe [rhyme-word pith]. 1609 Heywood Brit. Troy viii. xxi. 174 Most thinke Lame Vulcan on the Styth first wrought. 1787 Grose Prov. Gloss., Stith, an anvil. 1823 E. Moor Suffolk Words, Stith, a smith's anvil. 1866 W. Henderson Folk Lore N.C. i. 27 They placed a charge of gunpowder in the stith, or anvil of the blacksmith's shop, and fired it. |
† 2. = stithy n. 2. Obs. rare—1.
| 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. v. xliii, The first [bone] an Hammer call'd, whose out-grown sides Lie on the drumme; but, with his swelling end Fixt in the hollow Stithe. |
▪ II. stith, a. Obs. exc. Sc.
(staɪθ)
Forms: 1–3 stið, 4 stiþ, styþ, (3 stitth), 4–5 styth, 5 stythe, 5–7 stithe, (5 steyth), 3– stith; Sc. 8–9 styth, 9 stythe.
[OE. st{iacu}ð = OFris. stîth, ON. stinn-r (MSw. stind-er):—OTeut. *stenþo- (a type *stenþjo- appears in MLG. stîde, WFlem. stijde, stide).]
1. Of material things: Not bending or giving easily, unyielding, stout, strong. ? Obs. exc. Sc.
| Beowulf 1533 (Gr.) Hit [a sword] on eorðan læᵹ, stið and stylecᵹ. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 288 Ðeos wyrt..hafað lange leaf & stiþe. 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xii. (Mathias) 278 [He] went furtht & hyme-self can hynge with a cord bath styth & strange. 1375 Barbour Bruce x. 364 A cruk thai maid..Of irn, that wes styth and square. a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 5461 And all þe strands of þe streme stode full of stith reedis. c 1400 Destr. Troy 1997 Was no stightlyng with stere, ne no stithe ropes, Ne no sayle, þat might serue for vnsound wedur. Ibid. 13282. a 1420 Aunters of Arthur 591 Stiþe stapeles of stele þey strike done stiȝte. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 5005 He was taken, And in to stithe fettirs schakyn. 1513 Douglas æneis x. vi. 17 Bend vp ȝour ayris styth, and rays ȝour schippys. [1871 P. H. Waddell Psalms in Scottis xxxi. 4 Redd me frae the girns they hae happit for me; for yerlane are my stoop sae styth.] |
† b. Of a place of defence or confinement: Strong, stout; formidable, powerful. Obs.
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. lx. 2 Þu me ᵹelæddest mid lufan hyhte, wære me stranga tor, stið wið feondum. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 897 Tounes þai ȝold him skete And cites stiþe of stan. 1340–70 Alisaunder 91 They..turned tit to a towne þat Attanus hyght, A stiþ stede, & a strong. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xl. (Ninian) 946 [He was] put in pressone stith of stane. c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. vii. 3202 Þis Kynge..made hym for to duel In til Edynburgh þe stythe castel. |
2. Inflexible, rigid, stiff. † a. (OE. only.) Of the neck: = stiff a.
| c 897 ælfred Gregory's Past C. xxxiii. 228, & him ðone stiðan swioran [L. rigida colla] fortræde. |
b. Sc. Rigid (in death). ? Obs.
| 1755 R. Forbes Ajax' Sp., Jrnl. fr. Lond. to Portsmouth 30 An' the horses tak a brattle now, they may..ding me yavil, an' as styth as gin I had been elf-shot. 1768 Ross Helenore 8 Up by the lambie's lying yonder styth. 1808 Jamieson s.v. Stith 3 Sheet styth, shot dead, Aberd. |
c. Sc. Of a rope: Taut. ? Obs.
| 1825 Jamieson, Stith, Styth..3. Stiff, in consequence of being stretched; applied to a rope, Upp. Clydes. |
† 3. Hard, severe, stern, harsh, austere, cruel towards persons or things. Obs.
| c 897 ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xvii. 126 Sie ðær eac reðnes [in a ruler], næs ðeah to stið. a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 2848 (Gr.) Stiðum wordum, spræc him stefne to. a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1086, Ac he wæs swa stið þat he ne rohte heora eallra nið. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 95 He demað stiðne dom þam forsunegede on his efter to-come. |
† 4. Inflexible of purpose, immovable, steadfast; also, obstinately firm, stubborn. to stand stith, to stand firm. Obs.
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. cxlvii. 6 For andwlitan celes, þær æni ne mæᵹ him standan, stiðe mode. c 1205 Lay. 10083 Þes wes ræh þes wes strong Þes wes stið æn þonke. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1591 Esau wifuede us to dere Quan he..Toc of kin ðe canaan bi-gat, For-ði he maked him stið & strong. a 1300 Cursor M. 61 (Cott.) He þat stitthest wenis at stand [c 1375 (Fairf.) stiþest to stande], Warre hym his fall is nexst his hand. 1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1725) 194 My broþer Safadyn Is riche of tenement, his sonnes strong & stith, Þer wille wille not be went. 1375 Barbour Bruce viii. 384 A lord..so veill bowrdand, And in battale so stith to stand. |
5. Intense in degree or quality; not mild or weak; severe, violent, strong. † a. of a conflict, contest, etc. Obs.
| c 1000 Battle of Maldon 301 Þær wæs stið ᵹemot. a 1300 Cursor M. 3461 Þair strut it was vn-stern stith. 1375 Barbour Bruce ix. 343 Thar wes oft bikkyrring stith & stout. c 1400 Destr. Troy 9679 The store was full stith. |
b. of the weather, a storm, etc. ? Obs.
| c 1100 O.E. Chron. (MS. D.) an. 1048, Her wæs se stiþa winter. Ibid. an. 1052, He..feng swa stið weder þat he uneaðe a wæiᵹ com. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3266 Ðhunder, and leuene, and rein ðor-mong, God sente on ðat hird, stið and strong. c 1400 Sc. Trojan War i. 413 And wedderis styth [wald] Baith ger fall rayn and haile. c 1420 Sir Amadace (Camd.) xlviii, Stithe stormes me ore-drofe. 1801 W. Beattie Fruits of Time Parings (1871) 24 Perforce of endrift styth He is oblig'd to seek a lyth Amo' the byres. |
† c. of a stream. Obs.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce x. 84 Ane vattir..That ran doun by the hillis syde, And wes rycht styth, bath deip & wyde. 1513 Douglas æneis v. 64 Quhair that Ionium clepit is the see, And als forgane the stith stremis of Malee. |
† d. of things affecting the taste or smell. Obs.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 156 Ᵹenim þysse wyrte sæd..ᵹe⁓mencged mid stiþum ecede. c 1400 Destr. Troy 932 Iason..Dange on the deuyll..Tyll the stremys of stynke & of stythe venum Past out in the place pyne to be-holde. 1674 Ray N.C. Words 45 Stithe Cheese, i.e. strong Cheese. |
† e. of the voice, a noise. Obs.
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. liv. 17 Þæt þu bliðe me, mine stefne, stiðe ᵹehyre. a 1300 Cursor M. 22527 All bestes..cri sal wit stiþer steuen þan nu mai do ten or elleuen, All for dred. a 1400–50 Wars Alex. 1251 Sa stithe a steuyn..As it was semand to siȝt as all þe soyle trymblid. |
† 6. Stout, stalwart, valiant, mighty. Obs.
Chiefly in alliterative phrases in ME. poetry.
| a 1300–1400 Cursor M. 18181 (Gött.) Sua stith [Cott. stijf] in sture, and king of bliss, Dede and alsua liuand [þou] es. c 1320 Sir Tristr. 66 A turnament þai ches Wiþ kniȝtes stiþe on stede. c 1325 Metr. Hom. (1862) 10 [John the Baptist] said a stither gom than I, Efter me sal com in hy. c 1330 Amis & Amil. 1303 On stedes that were stithe and strong, Thai riden togider with schaftes long. c 1400 Rowland & Otuel 485 Þis was a stythe stroke of a knyghte, & no thynge of a childe! c 1440 Pallad. on Husb. iv. 912 A staloun asse ybolked, brawny, sadde And large ylimed, stronge & steyth. c 1450 Holland Howlat 697 In flesche tyme, quhen the fische war away flemyt, Quha was stewart bot the Stork, stallwart and styth. c 1470 Gol. & Gaw. 678 Right styth, stuffit in steill, thai stotit na stynt, But buskit to battaille. |
| absol. c 1400 Destr. Troy 21 But olde stories of stithe þat astate helde, May be solas to sum þat it segh neuer. |
▪ III. † stith, adv. Obs.
Forms: 1–2 stiðe, 4 stith(e, styth.
[OE. st{iacu}ðe, f. st{iacu}ð stith a.]
Strongly, stoutly, firmly; violently; harshly, severely.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. xlii. 30 (Gr.) And hu stiðe se land⁓hlaford spræc wið hiᵹ. a 1122 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1006, Forþan þe hi hæfdon ælce scire on West Sexum stiðe ᵹe marcod mid bryne. a 1310 in Wright Lyric P. 99 Bote er aȝeyn the [God] stith y stod, Er ant late, loude ant stille. 1325 Metr. Hom. (1862) 4 Hou thai mai..stithe stand igain the fend. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 3173 He says..Þat ay þe styther þat ilk man here Gyves his lykyng..Til veniel syns,..Þe langer sal he pyned be In purgatory. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 631 Hure strokes fulle so styþ & sare þay schulde so doþ þe þonder. |
b. Comb. In Layamon prefixed to adjs. of ppl. form, forming combs. equivalent to parasynthetic derivatives of stith a.: stith-bewalled, strongly walled; stith-imained, having a strong force; stith-imoded (cf. OE. st{iacu}ðmód), stout-hearted.
| c 1205 Lay. 25820 And forð he gon steppen stið imainede eorl. Ibid. 26022 Arður gon step vorð stið imoded kempe. Ibid. 30697 Eorð-hus heo hureden stið biwaled on eorðen. |
▪ IV. † stith, v. Sc. Obs.
[f. stith a. (OE. had ᵹest{iacu}ðian intr., to become strong).]
trans. To set firmly, to cause to remain immovable.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xliv. (Lucy) 242 Þe haly gast had sa stithit hire, þat nane of þai mycht of þat place a fute hire stere. Ibid. 270 It is of criste þe benyfice, þat stithis me on þis wyse. |
▪ V. stith
obs. form of stythe.