▪ I. rely, v.1
(rɪˈlaɪ)
Also 4–7 relie, relye, 5 Sc. rele-.
[ad. OF. relier to bind together, etc.:—L. religāre, f. re- re- + ligāre to bind: cf. religate.]
† 1. trans. To gather (soldiers, followers, etc.) together; to assemble, to rally. Obs.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 1001 His folk he relyed [v.r. relied þam] hym to, For to assay eft what þey might do. ― Chron. (1810) 317 Of knyght & of burgeis an oste he did relie. 1375 Barbour Bruce iii. 34 His men till him he gan rely. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 16889 Pan[ta]salye hir men relies. c 1450 Merlin 553 The Duke..cried his signe with high voyce, and relyed his peple a-boute hym. 1481 Caxton Godfrey cxxiii. 186 Rogier relyed his lytil felawship And cam deffendyng hym toward the toun. 1591 Troub. Raigne K. John i. (1611) E, To armes in hast, K. Iohn relyes his men. 1608 Heywood tr. Salust's Iug. War (1609) 50 He gathered his troopes into one battallion, he relieth the rankes and faceth the adverse footmen. |
† b. refl. To come together (again); to rally; also, to betake (oneself) to a place (cf. 3 b). Obs.
| c 1330 [see 1]. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 3094 Þe Sarsyns relied hymen ageyn & meteþ with our barouns. 1577–87 Holinshed Scot. Chron. (1805) II. 238 The manfull courage of the earl of Warwike..whereby he caused them to stay and relie themselves again. 1596 Danett tr. Comines (1614) 44 A few of the Liegeois after they were put to flight relied them⁓selues together at their cariage. 1641 Earl of Monmouth tr. Biondi's Civil Warres v. 148 The King and Queene were perswaded to relie themselves to Killingworth. |
† 2. intr. To assemble, to rally. Obs.
| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 224 To Lyncoln þei drowe, & þer þei suld relie. 1375 Barbour Bruce xx. 440 All the chassaris turnyt agane; And thai relyit with mekill mayne. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 1882 Thane relyez the renkez of the Rounde Table. c 1450 Merlin 393 Whan these saugh hem comynge thei relien and closed hem to-geder. |
† b. Hunting. (Meaning not clear.) Obs. rare.
| c 1410 Master of Game (MS. Digby 182) xxxiii, As ofte as he fyndeth þe fues..he sholde saye lowde: . sy . va . sy . va. sy . va., and relie with his. Ibid. xxxiv, If þe houndes fynde what so it be, he shall relye and jopeye, till he haue seen it. c 1420 Anturs of Arth. 58 And tille þaire riste raches relyes [v.r. releues] one þaire raye. |
† 3. a. To rally to (attack) an enemy. Obs.—1
| c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 12620 The Troyens sone that aspied, And to the Gregeis thei sone relied. |
† b. To rally or retire to one's friends or to a certain place. Obs. rare.
| ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 1391 Than a ryche mane of Rome relyede to his byerns. c 1450 Merlin 281 And eche hadde a baner wher-to thei sholde relye whan thei were medled with the saisnes. 1600 W. Watson Decacordon (1602) 18 [Priests] destitute of all place of relying vnto [errata upon]. |
† c. To trust to a person or thing. Obs.
| 1571 Campion Hist. Irel. (1623) 67 About the young Earle were servants and counsellours..to whom he most relyed. a 1604 Hanmer Chron. Irel. (1809) 335 Cambrensis (herein whom I must relie unto) being then in Ireland. 1616 S. Ward Balm fr. Gilead Serm. (1862) 107 Instead of apologies and captation of good will, he relies to this fort, passeth not for man's day. |
† d. To be devoted to, to pertain or belong to, a thing or person. Obs.
| 1582 Stanyhurst æneis ii. (Arb.) 57 A man too pietee, to iustice whoalye relying. Ibid. iii. 72 Theare stands a plentiful Island Too the dame of myrmayds, too Neptune Princelye relying. Ibid. 78 Anchises..On Gods heunlye cryeth, to ther hest with duitye relying. |
† 4. a. (Also refl.) To adhere to, associate (oneself) with, another. Obs. rare.
| 1586 J. Hooker Hist. Irel. in Holinshed II. 82/1 Kildare cleauing to Yorke, and Ormond relieng to Lancaster. 1600 Hakluyt Voy. (1810) III. 320 My purpose was to have relied myselfe with Menatouon. |
† b. To hold of, be a vassal or subject of, another. (Cf. relieve v. 8 a.) Obs. rare.
| 1586 T. B. La Primaud. French Acad. (1589) 587 Princes, Dukes..who possesse..Townes, Castels, with vassals holding and relieng of [F. releuans de] them by fealtie and homage. 1591 Harington Ariosto, Life 418 For countries sake, and of his gratefull nature he was euer relying of the duke of Ferrara. |
5. To depend on a person or thing with full trust or confidence; to rest upon with assurance.
| 1574 R. Scot Hop Gard. 2, I, for my part, relye not upon other mens opinions. 1596 Bp. W. Barlow Three Serm. iii. 102 The Iewes relyed much vpon the prayers of the faythfull. 1638 Junius Paint. Ancients 34 Such as relie too much upon them, imitate..what is worst in their workes. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 373 Go in thy native innocence, relie On what thou hast of vertue. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. ii. 452 The tender Twig shoots upward to the Skies, And on the Faith of the new Sun relies. 1748 Anson's Voy. iii. x. 404 None of the Chinese..employed as Linguists, could be relied on. 1769 Junius Lett. xxxv. (1788) 180 Upon what part of your subjects would you rely for assistance? 1837 Dickens Pickw. ii, Can I rely upon your secrecy? 1856 Stanley Sinai & Pal. Advt. (1858) 11 On his accurate observation and sound judgement I have constantly relied. 1885 Clodd Myths & Dr. i. iv. 65 The only authority on which the Chroniclers relied was tradition. |
b. With reference to facts or statements. (Cf. depend 5 and 5 b.)
| 1809 Germain Lavie in G. Rose's Diary & Corr. I. 260 You may rely that any communications you may be pleased to make to me shall be held sacred. 1844 Gladstone Glean. (1879) V. 144 For Mr. Ward may rely upon it that, whether or not he will allow belief to appeal to understanding, unbelief will appeal to it. 1858 Dickens Lett. (1880) II. 83 You and it will travel thither in company, rely upon it. |
† c. To rest upon a support. Obs.
| 1609 J. Davies Holy Roode E j, Ah see how his most holy Hand relies Vpon his knees, to vnder-prop his Charge. 1631 Quarles Samson xxiii, Two sturdy Pillers..whereon, relied The weighty burthen of her lofty pride. 1683 Norris Wks. (Grosart) 67 So to th' unthinking boy the distant sky Seems on some mountain's surface to rely. |
| fig. 1611 Speed Hist. Gt. Brit. ix. xxiii. (1623) 1143 [His] life vntill this time, wee will briefly run ouer—so many dependances of story relying vpon him. 1639 J. Saltmarsh Policy Ded. 6 There your designes, your projects, may rest and relie. |
6. To put trust or confidence in a person or thing. Somewhat rare.
| 1606 G. W[oodcocke] Hist. Ivstine v. 24 Those aides and asistances..in which they for the most part trusted and relyed. 1654–66 Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 186 Asdrubal placed his Gauls (in whom he least rely'd) in the Left Wing. 1875 G. W. Dasent Vikings III. 312 If there was anyone in whom he might think he could rely, it was Kark, his thrall. |
† b. To rest, consist, in something. Obs. rare.
| 1594 Carew tr. Huarte's Exam. Wits (1616) 300 The naturall Philosophers..hold, that a man receiueth the conditions of his soule, at the time of his forming..; but not his substance, wherein the whole life relieth. 1642 J. Eaton Honey-c. Free Justif. 60 Therein relies the very glory of the Godhead of Christ. |
† 7. refl. and trans. To repose (oneself, one's soul, faith, etc.) on, upon, or in some person or thing. Obs. (freq. in early 17th c. use.)
| 1598 R. Bernard tr. Terence 194 Who, relying himselfe vpon your judgement, hath made me an actor. 1612 ? Breton Pasquil's Nt.-cap 96 No faith her husband doth in her relie. 1617 R. Fenton Treat. Ch. Rome 38 Should wee relye our soules upon so narrow, so new, and so perplexed a divine? a 1641 Bp. R. Montagu Acts & Mon. (1642) 503 Not to rest upon bare words, wee must proceed to enquire what moved them to..rely themselves upon that answer. |
† b. To rest (a proceeding) on something. Obs.—1
| 1627 E. F. Hist. Edw. II (1680) 78 A ground work on which he might rely his false proceedings. |
Hence reˈlying ppl. a.
| 1836 Browning & Forster Life Strafford (1892) 155 His more relying friend the archbishop of Canterbury. |
▪ II. † reˈly, v.2 Obs.—1
[perh. ad. ONF. *releier:—L. relēgāre to relegate.]
trans. ? To assign.
| a 1400 St. John 6 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 467 To life ay in lykynge þat lorde þe relyede That in Bedleme was borne. |