Artificial intelligent assistant

villain

I. villain, n.
    (ˈvɪlən)
    Forms: α. 4 vyleyn, 6 villein(e; 4 vilaine, 4–5 vylayn (5 vil-), 5–6 vylayne; 5 vyllayn, 6 -ayne, -aine, 5–7 villayne (7 -ayn), 6–7 villaine, 7– villain. β. 4 velaun, 6 vyl-, vilane (Sc. veill-, vill-, willane), villan, wellantt-, 7 villiane, 7–8 villian, 8 villin.
    [a. AF. and OF. vilein, vilain, villain (= Prov. vilan, It. and Sp. villano, Pg. villão):—pop.L. *villān-um, acc. sing. of *villānus (see villains a.), f. L. villa villa. See also villein.]
    1. Originally, a low-born base-minded rustic; a man of ignoble ideas or instincts; in later use, an unprincipled or depraved scoundrel; a man naturally disposed to base or criminal actions, or deeply involved in the commission of disgraceful crimes: a. Used as a term of opprobrious address.

1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 11557 Goddys treytour, and ryȝt vyleyn! Hast þou no mynde of Marye Maudeleyn. 1320–30 Horn Ch. (Ritson) 857 The begger answered in that tide, Vilaine, cunestow nought ride? c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 5471 Þanne he cryde and gan to sayn: ‘Whar art þow, Charlis, þow vylayn?’ 1501 Douglas Pal. Hon. i. lvii, Ane me fand, quhilk said, and greit disdenȝeit, ‘Auant veillane, thow reclus imperfite’. c 1590 Marlowe Faustus vi, Villaine haue I not bound thee to tel me any thing? 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. i. ii. 20 Now knocke when I bid you: sirrah villaine. 1622 Massinger & Dekker Virg. Martyr iv. iii, Theoph. It matters not, We can discharge this work without his help... Sap. Villain! 1663 Cowley Cutter Coleman St. v. xii, Villain, Rebel, Traitor, out o' my sight. 1764 H. Walpole Otranto i, Presumptuous villain! cried Manfred, dost thou provoke my wrath? 1821 Scott Kenilw. xli, Drunken villain,..thy idleness and debauched folly will stretch a halter ere it be long. 1855 Kingsley Westw. Ho! v, ‘Villain! give me your papers!’ cried Amyas.

    b. In descriptive use. (Common from c 1590.)

α c 1400 Rom. Rose 2183 Thise vilayns arn withouten pitee, Frendship, love, and alle bounté. I nyl resseyve unto my servise Hem that ben vilayns of emprise. 1474 Caxton Chesse iii. iii. (1883) 99 They..answerd to hym that he was a vylayne to requyre & desire of them thynge that was so peryllous. 1483G. de la Tour h vij, For he is a chorle and a vylayne that of his mouthe sayth ony vylony. 1509 Barclay Shyp of Folys (1874) II. 182 In all the worlde nought vyler can I fynde Nor wors, than is a fals unkynde vylayne. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) E vij b, The greateste vyllany in a villayne is to be gyuen in largesse of lyes. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. v. i. 29 Thou art a Villaine to impeach me thus, Ile proue mine honor, and mine honestie Against thee presently, if thou dar'st stand. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia iii. 84 The two most exact villaines in all the Country. 1719 De Foe Crusoe i. (Globe) 260 He told me there were two desperate Villains among them, that it was scarce safe to shew any Mercy to. 1769 Junius Lett. xv. (1788) 89 Every villain fancies himself a man of abilities. 1813 Byron Corsair i. xi, He knew himself a villain—but he deem'd The rest no better than the thing he seem'd. a 1842 Arnold Hist. Later Rom. Commw. (1845) II. 56 The soldiers..told him that..if he played the villain he might win the throne. 1869 Ruskin Q. of Air §128 They are not made villains by the commission of a crime, but were villains before they committed it.


transf. 1691 Hartcliffe Virtues 241 Thus they slander Human Nature, and make a Villain of it. 1832 Q. Rev. Mar. 234 Perchance one hound in ten may throw his tongue as he goes to inform his comrades, as it were, that the villain is on before them.


β 1535 Coverdale Job xxx. 8 They were the children of fooles & vylanes, which are deed awaye from the worlde. 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. (S.T.S.) xiii. 95 Wa worth ȝow Uillanis that slew that Prince maist wise. 1573 Nottingham Rec. IV. 154 For be-callyng the Constabelles knaves and wellanttes. 1593 Harvey Pierce's Super. Wks. (Grosart) II. 319 The Straunge Newes of the railing Villan. 1598 B. Jonson Ev. Man in Hum. (Q.1) v, Gui. I obey thee varlet; but for these villianes—. Mus. Keepe the peace I charge you sir. 1678 Bunyan Pilgr. i. 132 He hath not been afraid to rail on you, my Lord,..calling you an ungodly Villian. 1704 Blair in W. S. Perry Hist. Coll. Amer. Col. Ch. I. 132 Several of them of the most noted good preachers he affronted and abused with the most opprobrious & villifying names as Dog, Rogue, Rascal, Villin, Jesuit. 1727 Philip Quared. (1816) 66 Those villians had most sacrilegiously rifled and ransacked his habitation.

    c. Used playfully, or without serious imputation of bad qualities. Also applied to a woman.

1590 Shakes. Com. Err. i. ii. 19 A trustie villaine sir, that very oft..Lightens my humour with his merry iests. 1601Twel. N. ii. v. 16 Enter Maria... Heere comes the little villaine: How now my Mettle of India? 1606Tr. & Cr. iii. ii. 35 Ile fetch her; it is the prettiest villaine. 1815 Scott Guy M. i, Jock, ye villain,..are ye lying routing there, and a young gentleman seeking the way to the Place? 1837 Dickens Pickw. ix, ‘Where's that villain Joe?’ ‘Here I am; but I han't a willin,’ replied a voice. It was the fat boy's. 1908 R. Bagot A. Cuthbert xxiii. 300 If this afternoon's post does not bring me a letter from Jim,..I shall telegraph to the young villain.

    d. (Usually with the.) The character in a play, novel, etc., whose evil motives or actions form an important element in the plot. Also transf., esp. in phr. villain of the piece.

1822 Lamb Elia i. Old Actors, The fact is, you do not believe in such characters as Surface—the villain of artificial comedy—even while you read or see them. 1854 A. C. Mowatt Autobiogr. Actress vii. 133 Ayesha, the villain of the piece,..had received a great wrong. 1867 Freeman Norm. Conq. I. iv. 252 Arnulf, as usual, appears as the villain of the piece. 1879 D. Cook Nts. at the Play (1883) II. 222 Mr. Vezin represented the villain, a welcher, pretending to be a Russian count. 1928 Wodehouse Money for Nothing ix. 200 I'm sure you're on the right track. This bird Twist is the villain of the piece. 1937 Discovery May 163/1 Fascism, in its ultra-national aspect, is the villain of the piece. 1978 P. Sutcliffe Oxf. University Press v. i. 173 Ernest Barker and others took on Nietzsche and Treitschke, who could be regarded as the ultimate villains of the piece.

    e. A professional criminal. slang.

1960 [see bogy1, bogey1 4]. 1963 L. Deighton Horse under Water xxxi. 125 This villain is doing a nice Cabinet Minister's home. 1975 Sunday Tel. 7 Dec. 1/2 A flying squad officer said: ‘As far as we know these are no ordinary villains. We believe they are Irish IRA.’ 1977 L. Meynell Hooky gets Wooden Spoon xiii. 156 There'll be a getaway car..waiting close to the house with a villain in it... I don't like thieving villains.

     2. A bird (esp. a hawk) of a common or inferior species. Obs.

1480 Caxton Myrr. ii. viii. 85 Ther ben popengayes..of whom, as men saye, they that haue on eche foot fyue clawes ben gentyl, and the vylayns haue but thre. 1575 Turberv. Faulconrie 123 Of all kinde of hawkes.., as Sacres, Gerfalcons, peregrine Falcons, and Vilanes. Ibid. 124 The Vyllaine and the Lanerette may be sette vpon the stone incontinently, as soone as they be made.

    3. A person or animal of a troublesome character in some respect. Const. to with inf.

1895 J. G. Millais Breath fr. Veldt (1899) 201 The sable is a villain to run.

    4. Comb., as villain-like adv.

1605 Shakes. Lear v. iii. 98 He..that names me Traitor, villain-like he lies. 1611Cymb. v. v. 218 Villain-like, I lye.

II. villain
    variant of villein.
III. villain, a. Now rare.
    (ˈvɪlən)
    Forms: α. 4 vilein, 4–5 vil-, 5 vyleyn, 4 vyl-, 6 vileyne, villeine, 7 -ein; 5–6 vyl-, 6 vilayne, 5–6 vylayn, 6 vylaine, vilane; 5–6 vyllayne, 6 villayne, 6–7 -aine; 5 Sc. villayn, 5 Sc., 7– villain. β. 5 veleyne, velaine, 6 velayn, velen.
    [a. AF. and OF. vilein, vilain: see prec. and cf. villains a.]
     1. Deficient in courtesy or good-breeding; boorish, clownish. Obs.

1340 Ayenb. 194 Zome þer byeþ zuo uyleyne to þe poure huanne hi ham yeueþ enye elmesse..þet wel is worþ þet zeluer. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 319 Will seith..That such an herte is to vilein, Which dar noght love. c 1407 Lydg. Reson & Sens. 1508 And she [Venus] kan also, in certeyn, Hertys which that be vileyn Disposen hem to gentilesse.

    2. Base in character or disposition; given to committing vile or criminal acts.

1340 Ayenb. 18 Vor-zoþe he is wel vileyn and ontrewe auoreye his lhord þet alle guod him heþ y-do,..and [he] yelt him kuead uor guod. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 282 And whanne he hadde hem so forlein, As he the which was al vilein, He dede hem out of londe exile. 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys (Roxb.) 226 To a cros of tre..naylyd was he And hangyd up betwyx thevys tweyne As mayster of hem and most veleyne. c 1450 Merlin xxxiii. 690 Thou art the moste vileyn knyght that euer I mette in my lif. c 1489 Skelton Death Earl Northumbld. 24 Vilane hastarddis in their furious tene, Fulfylled with malice of froward entente. a 1500–34 Cov. Corpus Chr. Pl. i. 802 Owt! velen wrychis, har apon you I cry! 1540–1 Elyot Image Gov. 170 Ye villaine generacion, full of pestiferous malice. 1598 Min. Archdeaconry Colchester (MS.) 211 b, He sayd that Thomas Reinoldes, senior, dyd call hym theefe and villaine thefe in the Church. 1605 Rowlands Hell's Broke Loose (Hunter. Club) 23 So these leawd wretches, sprung from Villain race, That had all Pietie in detestation. 1611 Shakes. Cymb. iv. ii. 71 Soft, what are you That flye me thus? Some villaine-Mountainers? 1727–46 Thomson Summer 269 Where gloomily retired The villain spider lives, cunning and fierce, Mixture abhorred! c 1750 Shenstone Love & Hon. 269 No! may the deep my villain corse devour. 1812 Shelley Mexican iii. 8 Thousands wake to weep Whilst they curse a villain king. 1897 Gunter Ballyho Bey x. 123 Go, leave me, villain-girl!


transf. 1591 Spenser Visions Bellay xii, A troupe of Satyres in the place did rout, Which with their villeine feete the streame did ray.

    3. Marked by baseness or depravity; partaking of the nature of villainy.

1340 Ayenb. 59 Þe zenne of yelpynge..is wel grat and wel uoul, wel uals and wel vileyn. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1824 (Camb.), Allas of the this was a vileyn ded. 1474 Caxton Chesse iii. vi. (1883) 134 To thende that they shold kepe them and defende them fro that vyllayne and horrible synne. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. lxxvii. 99 God y⊇ father glorious be your conduct, and put you out of all vylayne thoughtes. Ibid. ccxxix. 308 To wasshe, clens, and purge hym of suche vyllayne dedes as he was gyltye in. 1689 Prior Ep. F. Shephard 118 When Lobb had sifted all his Text,..‘Now to apply,’ has plagu'd me more, Than all his Villain Cant before. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. cxi, Narrowness or spite, Or villain fancy fleeting by. 1869 Blackmore Lorna D. xv, This villain job shall not have ending here.

     b. Bringing or casting opprobrium. Obs.

1338 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 53 He did a grete outrage, His broþer a foule despite, him self vileyn skandre. c 1440 Jacob's Well 154 A vyleyn woord is scharpere þan a rasour, & more peryschande þan an allys-poynt. a 1450 Knt. de la Tour (1868) 128 Thre thinges distrained her for to eschewe diuerse plesauncez,..and tho were loue, drede, and shame;..shame, to be auised and saued from velanie [read velaine] reproche. c 1530 Ld. Berners Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814) 374, I ensure you I wyll shewe him these vylayne wordes that ye say of hym.

    4. a. Of occupations: Low, mean. Obs.

1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 114 He suld nocht..be na stewart, na procuratour, na advocate, or ony othir villayn craft. a 1533 Ld. Berners Gold Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) Dd vij, Cursed bee soo vylaine an office.

    b. Low or mean in respect of birth or position; belonging to the common herd.

1483 Caxton Cato c v, Thou art of vylayn blood by the fadres syde. Ibid. i vj, Thou oughtest not to doubt neyther old nor yonge, pouer ne ryche, ne noble ne vylayne. c 1500 in Hazl. E.P.P. III. 36 Who can than holde hym selfe fro loue, nother fre nor vilayne? 1513 Bradshaw St. Werburge i. 949 Nother of duke, erle, lorde, by auncetre, But of vylayne people. 1528 Roy Rede Me (Arb.) 106 This is a grett presumpcion For a villayne bochers sonne. 1816 Scott Old Mort. xxxv, Sweeping from the face of the earth some few hundreds of villain churles, who are born but to plough it.

     c. Of disposition: Mean-spirited, base. Obs.

1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xii. (Percy Soc.) 48 The vylayne courage they do much refuse That is boystous and rude of governaunce. 1534 More Comf. agst. Trib. iii. Wks. 1234/1 That seruante could skante be founden that were of suche an vnkynde vyllayne courage, that [etc.].

    5. Of bad quality; vile. rare.

1607 Cowell Interpr., Villein fleeces, are fleeces of wolle that are shorne from scabbed sheep. 1851 D. G. Mitchell Fresh Gleanings 161 And carters shout to their mules in such villain patois Lyonnais.

IV. ˈvillain, v. Obs.
    Also 5 vileyn-, 6 vilayn-, villan-.
    [ad. OF. vilainer, vil(l)aner, etc., f. vilain villain n.]
    1. trans. To debase or degrade; to insult.

1412–20 Lydg. Chron. Troy i. 2492 For..it is to hygh a routhe A man tappere or dare do shewe his head When he hath ones his honour vyllanede. 1475 Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.) 74 Suffre ye not the prelates of the Chirche of that lande..to be oppressed, revaled, ne vileyned. 1532 More Confut. Tindale Wks. 344/1 When they haue once vilayned the sacrament of matrimonye, then woulde they make vs vyolate the sacrament of the aulter too.

    2. To call villain; to address as a villain.

1609 Rowlands Crew Kind Gossips E 2, Some Rascall told my wife,..And I was villaind for it sound at night.

Oxford English Dictionary

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