▪ I. threat, n.
(θrɛt)
Forms: 1–3 þreat, (1 ðreot(t, ðreatt), 2 þreatt, 3 þræt, 3–4 þrat, 4 þret, thrett, 4–5 þret(e, thret(e, 6 thrette, 6– threat.
[OE. þréat masc. (With sense 2 cf. ON. þraut fem. struggle, labour, trouble):—OTeut. *þrauto{supz}, -ā, from ablaut-series *þreut-, þraut-, þrut- (cf. OE. þréotan to trouble, weary, Goth. us-þriutan to trouble, threaten, OHG. ir-drioȥan, MHG. ver-drioȥen, Ger. ver-drieszen, Du. ver-drieten to trouble, vex; cf. L. trūdĕre to press, thrust). Sense 1 has the same form as 2 in OE. and early ME., and is commonly considered the same word; it appears to go back, like ‘throng’ and ‘press (of people)’, to the radical sense ‘to press’.]
I. † 1. A throng, press, crowd, multitude of people; a troop, band, body of men. Obs.
| Beowulf 2406 Se wæs on ðam ðreate þreotteoða secg. a 800 Cynewulf Elene 329 Hio..Þrungon..on þreate. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Mark iii. 32 ᵹesætt ymb hine ðreat [c 975 Rushw. G. ðe ðreatt, L. turba]. Ibid. viii. 2 Ic milsa ofer ðreat [R. ðreott]. c 1205 Lay. 9791 Riden ut to-some..þritti þusend þe þræt wes þa mare. Ibid. 26294 Hit is feole ȝere þat heore þrættes [c 1275 þretes] comen here. |
II. † 2. Painful pressure, oppression, compulsion; vexation, torment; affliction, distress, misery; danger, peril. Obs.
| a 800 Cynewulf Juliana 465 Is þeos þraᵹ ful strong, þreat ormæte; ic sceal þinga ᵹehwylc þolian. 971 Blickl. Hom. 119 Hie seoþþan ealle worlde wean & ealle þreatas oforhoᵹodan. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 61 Listeð nu wich þreat dauid setted uppen us bute [we] lesten ure bihese. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 55 Þenne þrat moste I þole. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Prol. (1810) p. xcviii, With mykelle wo, In sclaundire, in threte & in thro. 13.. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. xliv. 36 And þretes—þo beoþ vuele þre, ffurst and hunger and þesternesse. c 1450 Lovelich Grail xiii. 606 They wenden han put him to gret thret. |
3. A denunciation to a person of ill to befall him; esp. a declaration of hostile determination or of loss, pain, punishment, or damage to be inflicted in retribution for or conditionally upon some course; a menace. Also fig. an indication of impending evil.
The radical sense appears to be ‘pressure applied to the will by declaration of the harm that will follow non-compliance’. It is thus indirect compulsion.
It is doubtful whether quots. c 1000 belong here or to sense 2.
| c 1000 ælfric Saints' Lives xxv. 220 Ac mathathias nolde..godes æ forgæᵹan for his [the king's] gramlican ðreate. Ibid. xxviii. 105 Ða hæþenan..heton hine secgan mid swyðlicum þreate hweþer he cristen wære. c 1200 Vices & Virt. 87 Oðerhwile cumeð maniȝe þohtes of godes þreatt of helle pines. a 1250 Owl & Night. 58 Ne recche ich nouht of þine þrete. c 1325 Song of Yesterday 148 in E.E.P. (1862) 137 Ȝif þi neiȝebor þe manas Oþer to culle oþer to bete..þou wold drede þi neiȝebores þrete. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 14 b, Wherby he myght scape the menasses and threttes of god. 1601 Shakes. Jul. C. iv. iii. 66 There is no terror Cassius in your threats. 1750 Gray Elegy 62 The threats of pain and ruin to despise. 1874 Green Short Hist. vii. §1. 348 He met the hostility of the nobles with a threat which marked his power. 1884 Manch. Exam. 19 Feb. 5/4 Clouds full of the threat of rain. |
4. Zool. Animal behaviour that keeps other animals at a distance or strengthens social dominance without physical conflict. Freq. attrib.
| 1933 R. W. G. Hingston Meaning of Animal Colour v. 119 Whenever a bird has threat-colours on the crown, it either lowers its head so that the colours can be seen, or erects the feathers..to make them visible above the level of the beak. Ibid. x. 291 Song is an exhibition of threat. 1943 D. Lack Life of Robin iii. 26 It is..a threat display, serving to intimidate a trespassing robin. 1949 Brit. Birds XLII. 234 One female called a peculiar, low, harsh, single note..similar to a harsh growling threat-note. 1966 N. Tinbergen Animal Behaviour viii. 177 The signalling movements of higher animals, particularly those used in threat and courtship. 1978 P. Marsh et al. Rules of Disorder v. 127 Certain threat signals are evolved such that intra-specific conflicts became ceremonial in character. 1981 Oxf. Compan. Animal Behaviour 563/2 The opening of the mouth that precedes biting has evolved into a ritualized baring of the teeth that is characteristic of threat in many mammals. |
▪ II. threat, v. arch. and dial.
(θrɛt)
Forms: see below.
[OE. þréatian weak vb., pa. tense þréatode, f. þréat, threat n.:—OTeut. type *þrautôjan.]
A. Illustration of Forms.
1. pres. stem. (α) 1 þreatian, 3 -en, in, þretie(n, þræten, þreat, 3–5 þrete, 5 þreete, 5–6 threte, 6 threete, 6–7 threate, 6– threat.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxvii. §1 Þa..þreatiað eal moncynn mid hiora þrymme. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 623 Me ham walde þreatin & leaden unlaheliche. a 1225 Juliana 13 Nulle ich þe her onont þreate se þu þreate buhe ne beien. a 1250 Owl & Night. 1609 Me myd stone & lugge þreteþ. 1483 Cath. Angl. 385/2 To Threte, minari. 1530 Palsgr. 755/2, I threete, or I thretten one to do hym harme, je menasse. 1600 Threat [see B. 5]. |
(β) 4–6 thret, thrette, 4–7 thrett.
| 13.. Cursor M. 18247 Nu þai thrett [v.r. thret] vs sare. Ibid. 19181 Þar-for sal we thret þam herd. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xlii. (Agatha) 147 Gyf be fyre þu threttis me. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. clx. 194 Whan ye be at Parys..ye do thret thenglysshmen. a 1533 ― Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) Gg iij b, She..thretteth them that be absent. |
(γ) 3 þrattien, -en.
| c 1205 Lay. 20341 Swiðe heo gunnen þrattien [c 1275 þretie] Arður þene king. Ibid. 18738 Þrattest [see B. 4 a]. |
2. pa. tense. (α) 1 th-, þreatade, -ode, 2 -ede, 3 þreated, þræted, þret-, þrætt-, þrettede, 4 þreted, 5–6 thretid, 6– threated.
| c 725–c 1000 [see B. 1]. c 1160 [see B. 2]. c 1205 Lay. 504 Þe king þræted [c 1275 þretede] Brutun. Ibid. 27131 Summe þrætteden [c 1275 þrettede] heore ueond. c 1250 Ðreated [see B. 3]. 13.. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. liv. 33 Harde þei þreted me in her þouȝt. c 1440 Thretid [see B. 3]. a 1529 Skelton Wofully Araid 13 The Jewis me thretid. 1673 Wood Life 14 July (O.H.S.) II. 266, I threated to geld the translator. |
(β) 3–4 þrette, 4 þret, 4–5 thrett, 4–6 thret, thrette, 5 threte, (thred).
| c 1250 Ðrette, c 1300 Þrette [see B. 5]. 13.. Cursor M. 19603 Saulus..thrett [v.rr. þrette, þret] All þe cristen. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 44 Þe corsaynt & þe kirke he thrette for to brennyng. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 10493 He chased the Troiens & thret. c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 81 And þan he thred hur. c 1440 Generydes 500 She threte hym sore. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccclxxxiii. 645 They thret them of London. |
(γ) 2–4 þratte, 4 þrat, 5 thrat(t, 5–6 thratte, 6 thrate.
| c 1200 Ormin 15514 He þratte stirne wind o sæ & itt warrþ stille & liþe. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 937 Þe aungelez hasted þise oþer & aȝly hem þratten. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1980 Fele þryuande þonnkkez he þrat hom to haue. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 6907 Thei thrat him alle, tho he was tan. 1589 R. Robinson Gold. Mirr. (Chetham) 37 Albion Isle he thrate. |
3. pa. pple.: 3 i-ðrat, 4–5 þret, -tt, -tte; 4–6 threted, 7 threat, 5– threated.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 304 Ich was ined [MS. T. iðrat] þerto. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1725 Þer he watz þreted, & ofte þef called. a 1400–50 Alexander 707 Þik & þrathly am I thret. 1470–85 Malory Arthur x. lxii. 520 Ful sore are we threted. 1472 Sir J. Paston in P. Lett. III. 38 That poor woode is soor manashed and thrett. 1631 Threat [see B. 3]. |
B. Signification.
† 1. trans. To press, urge, try to force or induce; esp. by means of menaces. (With clause or inf.)
| c 725 Corpus Gloss. (O.E.T.) 1275 Maceratus, þreatende. Ibid. 2169 Urguet, threatade. a 900 O. E. Martyrol. 18 Apr. 58 Adrianus se caser[e hine] þreatade þæt he Criste wiðsoce. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. v. 42 Ðæm nedende vel ðæm ðreatende [Vulg. uolenti] huerfa ðec ne acerre. c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 416 Þa cempan..hine ðreatodon þæt he ðære deadan anlicnysse his lac offrian sceolde. a 1225 Ancr. R. 248 Ne mei he [the devil] buten scheawe þe uorð sumhwat of his apeware, & oluhnen, oðer þreaten þet me bugge þerof. 13.. [see A. 2 γ]. c 1470 Ashby Dicta Philos. 308 Who that wol nat be feire entreted, Must be foule & rigorously threted. 1501 Plumpton Corr. (Camden) 157 Ever they thratte me that I shold goe to London. 1638 Hamilton Papers (Camden) 4 They..thrett privatt men to singe the Covenatt. |
† 2. To rebuke, reprove. Obs. Cf. threap v. 1.
| a 1000 Ags. Ps. (Th.) lxvii. 27 [lxviii. 30] On wuda þu wildeor wordum þreatast. c 1160 Hatton Gosp. Luke ix. 55 And he be-wente hine and hyo þreatede. c 1200 [see A. 2 γ]. a 1300 E.E. Psalter vi. 1 Lauerd, ne threte me in þi wreth. |
3. To hold out threats against; = threaten 2.
| a 1000 Ags. Ps. (Th.) ix. 29 [x. 8] And þreatað þone earman mid his eaᵹum. c 1205 Lay. 641 He..þreateð þene castel & þat folc þer inne. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 4125 And wrot an canticle..Ðat ðreated ðo men bitter-like Ðe god ne seruen luue-like. 1428 in Surtees Misc. (1888) 3 Wham he thret with bodily harm. c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 439 Sho apperid vnto hym & thretid hym att he was ferd for hur. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon xvii. 390 It becometh not to suche a knighte as ye be, for to threte me thus. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 66 He that thretteth a dogge for his barkyng prouoketh hym to more felnesse. 1631 R. H. Arraignm. Whole Creature x. §2. 84 The Apostles glad, that they were threat, and beat for the Name of Christ. 1781 Hist. Europe in Ann. Reg. 25/2 The Spaniards sent out so great a force..as seemed sufficient..to threat the British fleets and islands with the most imminent danger. 1848 Lytton Harold i. iv, Send for me if danger threat thee. |
b. With inf. or clause as complement.
| a 1330 Otuel 736 Hou þei..þratten roulond to die. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 8294 [The Britons] þretten Hengist to wake hys wough. c 1440 Alphabet of Tales 32 Þe devull come aforn hym with a byrnand stake, and thretid hym þat he sulde þruste itt in at his mouthe. 1461 Paston Lett. II. 25 She is thret if that she myght be take, she shuld be slayne. a 1517 in G. P. Scrope Castle Combe (1852) 295 He..thret hym that he schulde make hyme aper before my lordys grase. 1611 Coryat's Crudities Panegyr. Verses c iij, All the Sophists he did threat Their problemes to confound. 1642 J. Eaton Honey-c. Free Justif. 475 It would be a foolish part to set it [a kettle] beside the fire, and then charge it to be hot, and to threat it that else it shall be spilt. |
c. fig. Said of things; = threaten 4.
| 1422 [see threating vbl. n.]. c 1590 Marlowe Faust. vii. 18 A sumptuous temple..That threats the stars with her aspiring top. 1634 Milton Comus 39 This drear Wood, The nodding horror of whose shady brows Threats the forlorn and wandring Passinger. a 1717 Parnell Bookworm 70 To see what dangers threat the year. 1800 Coleridge Piccolom. i. iii. 46 This tempest, which..threats us from all quarters. 1832 Fraser's Mag. IV. 764 The fate which threats kingdoms. |
4. To hold forth (something) by way of a threat; = threaten 3. a. with inf. or clause as obj.
| c 1205 Lay. 17300 He gon þretien swiðe þat al he wolde heom to-driue. Ibid. 18738 Þu..þrattest hine to slænne. c 1250 Lutel Soth Sermun 82 in O.E. Misc. 190 Hire sire & hire dame þreteþ hire to bete. 1375 Barbour Bruce vi. 536 Vmbeset With fayis þat to slay hym thret. c 1557 Abp. Parker Ps. D ij, If the adversaries flocke to-gether..and threate to destroy the house of God. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, O.T. 413 Who is this..that threats to sweep all before him? 1681 Dryden Abs. & Achit. 801 If ancient fabrics nod and threat to fall. 1724 Ramsay Royal Archers 25 And seems to threat,..‘No man unpunish'd shall provoke my rage’. |
b. With n. or pron. as obj.
| c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶572 He threttith more þan he may parfourme. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (1531) 61 What payne & turment is thrette to the wycked & euyll lyuers. 1581 Mulcaster Positions vi. (1887) 47 Where thickning threates harme, there thinning fines the substance. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, v. iii. 205 Euery one did threat To morrowes vengeance on the head of Richard. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 17 Let the Tyrants..threat what they please. 1795 Burns Dumfries Volunteers i, Does haughty Gaul invasion threat? 1821 Clare Vill. Minstr. I. 4 Where black neglect..threats her constant winter cold and chill. |
5. absol. or intr. To offer threats; = threaten 5.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2023 Often ȝhe ðrette, often ȝhe scroð. c 1300 Havelok 1163 Sho was adrad, for he so þrette. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 57 Bot they with proude wordes grete Begunne to manace and threte. c 1491 Chast. Goddes Chyld. 14 She..spekyth somtyme sharply somtyme she threteth. a 1541 Wyatt Penit. Ps. vi. 30 That drede of deathe, of deathe that ever lastes, Threateth of right. 1600 Holland Livy viii. xxxii. 304 Some were heard to intreat, others to threat. 1605 Shakes. Macb. ii. i. 60 Whiles I threat, he liues. 1725 Pope Odyss. ii. 231 Threat on, O prince! elude the bridal day, Threat on, till all thy stores in waste decay. 1822 Byron Werner ii. ii. 266 Threat'st thou? 1901 G. F. Savage-Armstrong Ball. 64 (E.D.D.) Whun danger threats, return. |
Hence † threat ppl. a., obtained by threats, forced, compulsory.
| c 1375 Cursor M. 26944 (Fairf.) Wiseli loke þou be shriuin & noȝt wiþ strenght þer-to driuen For þret shrift mai haue na mede. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xi. (Symon & Judas) 1338 God wald one na wyse Of ony man haf thret seruice. |