† aˈppair, aˈpair, v. Obs.
Forms: 4 ampayr-i, anpayr-i, apayr-i, -eir-i, 3–6 apeyre, 4–5 apeire, 4–6 apayre, 5 apaire, -eyer, appeare, appere, 5–6 appayre, -peyre, -paire, -peir(e, -pare, 6–7 -air(e. Also aphetic pair.
[ad. OF. empeire-r, ampeire-r (mod. empirer), to worsen, f. em- = en- into + *peire-r:—L. pēiōrā-re to make worse, f. pēiōr- worse: cf. Pr. apejurar. The prefix of the early ampayre, anpayre, was subseq. treated like the native an- before a consonant, and reduced to a-, which was in 15th c. erron. spelt ap- by form-assoc. with words like ap-pear: see ap- prefix1. As early as 1300 a-paire was aphetized to paire, peire. Caxton restored the Fr. form empeyr, empayr, empair, which, early in 16th c., began to be refashioned after L. as impair, now the current form. Ampayr, anpayr, apayr, appair, enpayre, empair, impair, are thus variants of the same word.]
1. trans. To make worse, less valuable, weaker, or less; to injure, damage, weaken; to impair.
| 1297 R. Glouc. 279 Destrude and apeyrede Cristendom. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 1517 Bakbyters..apeyryn many mannys lyfe. 1340 Ayenb. 10 To ampayri his guode los. Ibid. 237 Þe kueadnesse of þe ministre may anpayri þe oþre. c 1450 Merlin vii. 110 Haueth pite of cristen feith that it be not a-peired thourgh yow. 1528 More Heresyes iii. Wks. 1557, 226/2 Sacramentes..the goodnes whereof his noughtinesse can not appayre..That sacred sacrifice.. can take none empayryng by the fylthe of his synne. 1561 T. N[orton] Calvin's Inst. i. xvii. (1634) 90 For fear of appairing his feeble health. 1643 Prynne Power Parl. ii. 71 The ancient lawes..be greatly appaired. |
2. intr. (by omission of refl. pron.) To grow or become worse, less valuable, weaker, or less; to deteriorate, fall off, or decay.
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 1475 Als þis lyfe es ay passand, Swa es þe worlde, ilk day, apayrand. c 1450 Lonelich Grail li. 300 This piers, that hurt was so sore, Every day gan apeyren more and more. 1496 Dives & Paup. (W. de W) vii. xxvi. 315/1 Yf the beste dye or appeyre, he that hyreth it shall stande to that losse. a 1509 Henry VII in Ellis Orig. Lett. i. 21 I. 46 My syghte..will appayre dayly. 1534 Whittinton Tullyes Offices iii. (1540) 154 He that wetingly sellyth wyne that is apayring. 1581 W. Stafford Exam. Compl. iii. (1876) 80 As the coyne appayred, so rose the prices of thinges. |