▪ I. away, adv.
(əˈweɪ)
Forms: 1 onweᵹ, 1–2 aweᵹ, 2 aweiᵹ, 2–5 awei, awey, awai, (3 awæi, Orm. aweȝȝ), 4 owai (ewai), o wey, on-wai, on way, (a-vey, avay), aweie, aweye, 4–5 oway, 4–6 awaye, 6 awaie, 4– away. Sc. 8–9 awa.
[In its origin a phrase, on prep., and weᵹ, way, i.e. on (his, one's) way, ‘on’ (as in ‘move on’), and thus ‘from this (or that) place.’ Already in OE. reduced to a-weᵹ: cf. a prep.1: the 14th and 15th c. forms in o-, on-, were northern; in ME. and mod. dialects reduced to 'way (York Plays, do way = put away, Sc. co'way, c'way = come away), also in certain combinations, as way-going. So MHG. enwëc (for in wëc), mod.HG. dial. ewéck, mod.G. weg. In earlier Eng. used as a separable verbal prefix, standing before the vb., esp. in subordinate sentences, and compound tenses (as in G.), e.g. Sone se ich hit awei warp, soon as I threw it away: he wes awæi ifloȝen, he had flown away; still placed emphatically before the subject as ‘away he went,’ ‘away went hat and wig.’]
I. Of motion in place, removal.
1. On (his or one's) way; onward, on, along. Hence used also with come, as still in north. Eng. and Sc., where ‘Come away’ = ‘come along, come on,’ without reference to place left.
| Beowulf 534 ær he on weᵹ hwurfe. 921 O.E. Chron. (Earle 106) Þa forleton hie þa burᵹ and foron aweᵹ. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 810 Abram..ferde a-wei to mambre dale. a 1300 Cursor M. 8067 Wit þe king he ferd on-wai. c 1500 Rel. Ant. I. 45 The plowman cryed, Sirs, come awaye. 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. ii. iv. 55 Come away, come away death, And in sad cypresse let me be laide. |
2. a. From this (or that) place, to a distance.
| Beowulf 4199 He onweᵹ losade. 918 O.E. Chron., Hira feawa on weᵹ comon. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xix. 22 Þa eode he aweᵹ unrót [Rushw. awæᵹ, Hatton aweiᵹ]. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 21 Bute he hine driue a-wei. a 1300 Cursor M. 11262 Þir angels wited þam ewai. c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame 169 And bare hym on his bakke a way [v.r. awey]. 1436 Pol. Poems (1859) II. 156 The duk fled oway. 1526 Tindale John xvi. 7 That I goo a waye. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. i. ii. 16 Get thee away. 1699 Dryden Char. Gd. Parson 74 And hungry sent the wily fox away. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 136 ¶2 My Imagination runs away with me. 1854 Thackeray Newcomes xxiv. I. 224 They sail away each on his course. 1884 Pall Mall G. 9 Aug. 9/1 The bride's going-away dress. |
b. emphatically.
| 1583 Babington Commandm. (1590) 177 Making them ride and run, post and away. 1782 Cowper Gilpin xxv, Away went Gilpin, neck or nought; Away went hat and wig. 1821 Keats Isabel lx, Away they went. |
3. From actual adherence, contact, or inclusion; off, aside; fig. as in to fall away, to desert.
| c 1160 Hatton Gosp. Matt. xviii. 8 Awurp hine aweiᵹ fram þe. c 1220 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 189 Waschen a-wai alle folkes fulþe. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 393 He with his tayl awey the flye smyteth. 1481 Caxton Reynard (Arb.) 41 Scrape and dygge a way a lytyl the mosse. 1577 St. Aug. Manuell 18 To lay away the burden of fleshly desires. a 1711 Ken Poet. Wks. I. 361 His mournful Tears he clear'd away. 1873 Longfellow Eliz. 29 in Aftermath 51 She folded her work, and laid it away. |
4. From or out of one's personal possession, with sense of parting with, deprivation, loss; e.g. with put, give, take, throw, etc.
| c 1400 Apol. Loll. 110 Þei tak a vey all þingis fro alle men. 1611 Bible Gen. xxvii. 36 Hee tooke away my birthright. 1653 Walton Angler 56 It shall be given away to some poor body. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 549 ¶3 Life..is thrown away when it is not some way useful to others. 1833 H. Martineau Loom & Lugg. i. vi. 93 This is not an air to take away one's appetite. 1873 Longfellow Emma & Eginh. 179 This passing traveller, who hath stolen away The brightest jewel of my crown to-day. Mod. Who gave the bride away? |
5. From the actual state or condition; from existence; into extinction or termination (in most cases gradual); to death, to an end, to nothing.
| 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 3769 Parchaunce þai er ille within, And passes away in dedely syn. c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame 1149 They were molte awey with hete. 1526 Tindale Luke ix. 12 The daye beganne to weare awaye. 1611 Bible Job xiv. 10 Man dieth, and wasteth away. Ibid. xxxiii. 21 His flesh is consumed away. 1641 French Distill. ii. (1651) 60 Let that..be vapoured away to the thicknesse of honey. 1714 Addison Spect. No. 565 ¶1 They faded away. 1816 Scott Old Mort. xxxvii, Their zeal..died gradually away. 1864 Longfellow Falc. Federigo 114 The petted boy grew ill, and day by day Pined with mysterious malady away. |
6. From its natural use with certain verbs in the preceding senses, away is extended to other transitive verbs, to express a specific application of the action to a. removal, parting with (cf. blow away, kiss away, boon away), b. doing away with, elimination (cf. boil away, refine away, analyse away, explain away); and finally also with similar force to c. intransitive verbs, which are thereby rendered transitive, as ‘to sigh away one's life,’ ‘to idle away one's time,’ ‘to sleep the day away.’ There are verbs which are scarcely or not at all used without it, as ‘to while the time away,’ ‘to fool one's money away’ (to part with it like a fool).
| a. c 1661 Argyle's Last Will in Harl. Misc. (1746) VIII. 27/1 What was got by Oppression, will be booned away by the King's Liberality. 1711 Steele Spect. No. 138 ¶3 Which can play away its Words. 1881 Blackmore Christowell xxxviii, He..kissed away the tears. |
| b. 1738 Johnson London 53 Explain their country's dearbought rights away. 1742 Richardson Pamela III. 75 To split hairs and to distinguish away the Christian Duties. 1751 Jortin Serm. (1771) VI. vii. 140 To purify their religion, till they refined it away. 1812 L. Hunt in Examiner 14 Dec. 785/2 To explain away some of the passages. 1865 Mill Utilit. 46 This..might be analysed away. |
| c. 1689 Sherlock Death iii. §7 (1731) 210 These Men have loitered away the Day. 1712 Spect. No. 527 ¶2 We had whiled away three hours after this manner. 1767 Wesley Jrnl. 27 July (1827) III. 284 Having a severe cold, I was in hopes of riding it away. Ibid. 31 Oct. 14/3 They had falsely sworn away the lives of their fellows. 1812 Byron Ch. Har. ii. l. Let..the loitering pilgrim..gaze..the morn..away. 1864 Longfellow Falc. Federigo 90 The lovely lady whiled the hours away. |
¶ Being used with verbs generally, like the L. prefix ab-, Gr. ἀπο-, G. weg-, ab-, hin-, F. en-, (cf. aufugĕre to flee away, ἀποτιθέναι to put away, wegnehmen, abnehmen, to take away, s'en aller to go away, enlever to take away), away enters into many idiomatic phrases, e.g. to do away (with), make away, give away (now give way), fall away, etc., which will be found under the verbs in question.
II. Of action. [Immediately from sense 1.]
7. Onward in time, on, continuously, constantly; with idea of continuance of action and progress; e.g. to work away = to go on working.
| 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 90, I with ale, and ale with me wag away. 1570 R. Ascham Scholem. i. (Arb.) 29 As you perceiue your scholer to goe better and better on awaie. 1737 M. Green Spleen, While Pan melodious pipes away. 1804 Naval Chron. XII Sailors have a knack, ‘Haul away! yo ho, boys!’ 1821 Scott Kenilw. xxxiii, ‘Scream away if you like it.’ c 1826 R. Macnish Barber of Gött. in Mod. Pythag. (1838) II. 101 ‘Brush away, my old boy—nothing like it.’ 1833 H. Martineau Brooke F. ix. 112 The young folks tripped it away on the grass. 1855 Thackeray Rose & Ring v. (1866) 23 She capered away on her one shoe. Ibid. xiv. 89 He sat down and worked away, very, very hard. 1875 Helps Anim. & Mast. v. 132 And kept ‘pegging away,’ to use a presidential expression, with all my might. |
8. Straightway, forthwith, directly, without hesitation or delay; chiefly colloquial in imperative sentences, as Fire away! = proceed at once to fire, begin immediately, Say away = say on, and U.S. and Eng. colloq. right away = straightway, directly.
| 1535 Coverdale John xvi. 12, I haue yet moch to saye vnto you, but ye can not beare it awaye. 1676 Shadwell Virtuoso ii. Wks. 1720 I. 332 Come..pull away. 1842 Dickens Amer. Notes ii. 14 ‘Dinner, if you please,’ said I to the waiter..‘Right away?’ said the waiter..I saw now that ‘Right away’ and ‘Directly’ were one and the same thing. 1883 Pall Mall G. 27 Sept. 10 She told him ‘to report away,’ that she was not afraid. |
III. Of position. [From senses 2–5.]
9. Of direction: (Turned) from this (or that) direction; in the other direction.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 53 Hi beoð iturnid away from heom. c 1383 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 8 Þat turneþ a wey his eris. c 1440 Apol. Loll. 68 Turniþ away ȝour facis fro al ȝour folthis. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 514 ¶3, I turned away from this despicable troop with disdain. 1879 Lockyer Elem. Astron. iii. xii. 72 The axis of rotation is inclined away from the Sun. |
10. Appended to where, there, here, with sense of: In the direction of, about; e.g. there away = in that quarter, there about. (Now only dial.)
| 1564 Brief Exam. iij b, The Gentiles there away had their..common bankettes. 1641 Hinde J. Bruen xlvii. 152 The Witch will not looke one in the face, but shee will looke here a way and there a way. 1755 Guthrie's Trial 210 (Jam.) Confirming the same by many mighty works in scripture tending there away. 1815 Scott Guy M. i, The three miles..extended themselves into ‘four miles or there awa.’ Mod. Sc. Where away did you lose it? He lives here-away. |
11. a. Of the position attained by removal in place: In another place; at a distance; at (a stated) distance, off. spec. In reference to games or matches played away from the home ground. Hence as adj.; also as quasi-n., a win away from home.
| 1712 Spect. No. 502 ¶5, I shall not be able to stay away. c 1835 C. H. Bateman Hymn, There is a happy land Far, far away! 1850 Sears Athan. vi. 53 They can see the city away through the hot and stifling air. 1866 G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. i. (1878) 14 Away in the distance..glittered a weathercock. 1881 Blackmore Christowell xxxix, His home was some miles away. 1893 Abingdon Sch. Football Club Fixture Card, Oct. 18. St. John's School. Away. 1907 Daily Chron. 14 Jan. 9/1 Thirteen drawn games and three away wins. 1923 Daily Mail 11 Jan. 9 West Ham have played so well in recent away games. 1939 M. Dickens One Pair of Hands iii. 40. He was a pools maniac... ‘When I won shixteen poundsh by a lucky shot with me four awaysh’ was an anecdote I never got tired of hearing. 1962 P. Van Greenaway Crucified City x. 107 Men dreamed opium dreams spun out of eight draws or four aways. 1968 Sunday Express 3 Mar. 31/4 No claims are wanted on the Eight Aways Treble Chance. |
b. Used with intensive force, chiefly with advs., as away back, away down, away up, etc., = far. orig. and chiefly U.S. Cf. way adv. 2 b.
| 1818 J. Palmer Jrnl. Trav. U.S. 130 Perhaps away up in Canada. 1825 Neal Bro. Jonathan III. 145 A..he-yankee, from ‘away down east’. Ibid. II. 78 The family were in a bustle, with some news about a rising ‘away up, in the back settlements’. 1882 Sweet & Knox Texas Siftings 45 Lawler..shot a deer, away back in 1840, on the spot where the capitol now stands. 1895 G. H. Haswell Maister i. 35 The ‘Kelers’ of Tynemouth were a recognised class away back in the days of the early charters. 1903 Sun (N.Y.) 26 Nov. 5 Turkeys are away up in price. 1906 N.Y. Even. Post 28 Apr., Manufacturers of all good cars are away behind in their deliveries. 1910 W. M. Raine B. O'Connor 217 That..pony in front belongs to sheriff Forbes, or I'm away wrong. 1935 Punch 25 Sept. 342/3, I can remember your father away back in eighty-five, long before you were born. 1958 Times Rev. Industry Aug. 85/1 Large towns like Liverpool..are away down in the list [of bankruptcies]. |
12. Of the state or condition resulting from removal: Gone (from a place); absent; wanting.
| c 1300 Cursor M. 9702 What is wisdome be pees awaye? c 1350 Will. Palerne 2095 And turned agein..and told he was a-weie. c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 336 The Rokkes been aweye. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 53 Three maie kepe counsayle, if two be away. 1647 Cowley Mistr., Spring ii, How could it be so fair and you away? 1816 Scott Antiq. xxvii, He was like a man awa frae himsell. a 1885 Mod. I called at his office, but found him away. |
13. Of the condition resulting from deprivation, loss, or extinction: Gone (from existence); vanished, destroyed, consumed; dead; fainted. (Now chiefly dial.)
| c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 2504 Our bred, our wyn ys al away. c 1430 Lydg. Bochas iv. ii. (1554) 102 A blase of fire, now bright, and now away. 1535 Coverdale Jer. xxxi. 15 Rachel mournynge for hir children, and wolde not be comforted, because they were awaye. 1787 Burns Wks. III. 119 Your mortal Fae is now awa',—Tam Samson's dead! 1818 Edin. Mag. Dec. 503 (Jam.) My dochter was lang awa [= in a swoon], but whan she cam again, she tauld us, etc. Mod. Here's a health to them that's awa'. |
IV. Elliptical uses, with a verb suppressed: simulating an imperative or (rarely) infinitive.
14. = Go away.
| c 1250 Meid. Margr. xxxvi, Awei ye euele consilers. 1375 Barbour Bruce xviii. 367 Otherwayis mycht thai nocht avay. 1393 Gower Conf., Away the tyranny! 1562 Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 91 Whither awaie with my hens, foxe? 1594 2nd Pt. Contention (1843) 177, I will a⁓waie to Barnet presently. 1611 Bible Ex. xix. 24 Away, get thee downe. 1623 Bingham Xenophon 28 We must..away euery man to his lodging. 1762–9 Falconer Shipwr. ii. 907 Away there! lower the mizen-yard on deck. 1872 W. Butler Gt. Lone Land iii. 25 Meantime we must away. |
15. = Go or get away with, take away.
| 1526 Tindale Matt. xix. 15 Awaye with him, awaye with him, crucify him. [Wyclif, Take awey, take awey.] 1549 Latimer Serm. bef. Edw. VI, vii. (Arb.) 193 Awaye with these auowryes. 1577 Test. of XII Patr. 122 My children, away with hatred out of your hearts. 1583 Babington Commandm. (1590) 81 Yea, wee would..bid away with it, and not abide the sight of it. 1865 Dickens Mut. Fr. 191 In his honest indignation he would reply, ‘Away with it!’ |
16. a. = Get on or along with, put up with; tolerate, endure, bear.
| 1477 Sir J. Paston in Lett. 802 II. 199 My charges be gretter than I maye a weye with. 1526 Tindale Matt. xix. 11 All men can not awaye with that saynge. 1530 Palsgr. 419/1, I agre with meate or drinke. I can away with it. 1577 Holinshed Chron. II. 45 He..could well awaie with bodilie labour. 1606 G. W[oodcocke] Hist. Justine 85 b, They might enure themselues..to away with hardnesse and sparing. 1621 Sanderson Serm. Ad. Cl. ii. (1674) 24 He being the Father of lyes..cannot away with the Truth. 1642 Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. 98 Some..can with greater patience away with death. 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) IV. 183 That saucy fleer I cannot away with. 1840 Carlyle Heroes (1858) 275 Idolatry..is a thing they cannot away-with. 1869 M. Arnold Cult. & An. (1882) 42 Jacobinism..cannot away with the inexhaustible indulgence proper to culture, the consideration of circumstances, etc. |
† b. with inf. Obs.
| 1580 North Plutarch (1676) 183 Notwithstanding the People..could well away to live like Subjects. 1598 R. Bernard Terence' Andr. i. ii, Men that be in loue, can ill away to haue wiues appointed them by others. |
17. and away (= and going away again), denoting discontinuance, in once and away (now, once in a way) = once, but not continuously.
| 1583 Golding Calvin on Deut. i. 3 Not..for once and away, but wee haue our eares beaten with it euery day. Ibid. xvi. 96 It is not for a pang and away. 1655 W. Gurnall Chr. in Arm. (1669) 125/1 Short hints and away, may please a Scholar. |
V. Comb. Formerly in many separable compound verbs, as away-bear, away-draw, away-go, away-put, away-take, away-warp. Of these the ppl. adjs. and vbl. substantives were retained longest, and some, as away-going, are still in use.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. John iv. 50 Gelefde ðe monn, & aue⁓ᵹeade. 1297 R. Glouc. 398 Þys Cristynmen..gred preye Awey bere. a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxxxviii. 14 Whar-to, Laverd, awai-puttes þou bede mine? 1588 A. King Canisius' Catech. I j, Pairtly be ye away taking of thre dayes in 400 ȝeres. 1865 Macm. Mag. July 275 Away-stretching leagues of brick and mortar. Mod. The away-going crop. |
¶ Formerly sometimes used in error for way.
| 1600 Hakluyt Voyages (1810) III. 481 ‘We set sayle, but made but little away all the day.’ 1755 Smollett Quix. (1803) II. 193 On these considerations Sancho arose, and went aside a good away to another tree. |
▸ away goal n. (in team sports, esp. Association Football) a goal scored by a team while playing at the opposition's ground, esp. in the context of awarding a knockout tie drawn over two legs to the team with most such goals; freq. in away-goals rule.
| 1966 Times 17 Mar. 4/6 Within a trice West Ham had equalized, and that was as good as two goals, because in this competition *away goals count extra. 1973 P. Arnold & C. Davis Hamlyn Bk. World Soccer 176/1 Both legs were drawn but Leeds came out on top on the away-goals rule, having twice come from behind to equalize in Turin. 1989 Guardian (Nexis) 13 Sept. Rangers went out..in the third round of the UEFA Cup on away goals after two draws, 1-1 and 0-0. 1998 Herald (Glasgow) (Nexis) 4 July 13 Kilmallie are odds on to make the step up to shinty's highest grade and..[they] have four away goals in the bank that they could find very handy if the tie is even at the end of 90 minutes. |
▪ II. away(e, -ment
north. var. of avay, -ment.