▪ I. assure, v.
(əˈʃʊə(r))
Also 4 aseure, asseure, (Sc. assower), 5 asure, 6 assurre.
[a. OF. aseürer (mod. assurer), cogn. with Pr. assegurar, It. assecurare:—late L. adsēcūrāre, f. ad to + sēcūrus safe: see assecure, secure, and sure.]
† 1. trans. To render safe or secure (from attack or danger); to secure. Obs.
| 1413 Lydg. Pylgr. Sowle iv. xxx. (1483) 80 He hath no more to care fore..but his propre persone . whiche he wil assuren as ferforth as he may. c 1500 Lancelot 1573 Yhour cuntre and yhour lond he will assurre. 1595 Bedingfield Hist. Florence 2 Neither was..Bretagne..assured from suche invasion. 1614 Raleigh Hist. World v. i. §6. 564 The Romans, the better to assure themselves, cut a deep trench. |
† b. To secure to oneself, make sure of. Obs.
| 1581 Savile Tacitus' Agric. (1622) 191 Being of opinion rather to keep and assure the places suspected. a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. II. vi. 26 To assure that City to his Service. |
c. To make safe from or against (of obs.) risks; to insure. esp. in mod. usage to assure life: to secure the payment of a specified sum in the event of death. Also absol. (Cf. assurance 5.)
| c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1629 Of whiche no creature Save only she ne myghte hys lyf assure. 1481 Caxton Myrr. iii. viii. 147 The fruytes..ben..more assured of tempestes and other greuaunces. 1852 M{supc}Culloch Comm. Dict. 755 Persons assuring their own lives. Ibid. 756 Those who assure with this Company will participate in the profits. 1884 Manch. Exam. 26 June 5/1 If they could be assured against any unpleasant consequences. |
2. To make secure against change or overthrow; to make stable, establish securely.
| 1494 Fabyan ii. xxx. 22 The whiche condicions well and suerly vpon the Dukes partie..assured. 1586 T. B. La Primaud Fr. Acad. 621 Force, feare, and the multitude of his gard, assure not the estate of a prince so well, as the good-will..of his subjects. 1678 Dryden Œdipus Epil. 29 As weak States each other's Pow'r assure, Weak Poets by Conjunction are secure. 1848 Lytton Harold (1862) 102 The two chiefs who most assured his throne. |
† 3. To secure or make sure the possession or reversion of; to convey property by deed. Obs.
| 1572 Act 14 Eliz. xi. §5 in Oxf. & Camb. Enactments 33 All such Houses and Groundes may bee granted dimised and assured. c 1590 Marlowe Faustus v. 54 And with my proper blood Assure my soul to be great Lucifers. 1611 Bible Lev. xxvii. 19 He shal adde the fift part of the money of thy estimation vnto it, and it shall be assured to him. 1670 Cotton Espernon i. i. 41 He assur'd to himself the whole Countrey of Champagne. |
† 4. To make sure for marriage, affiance, betroth, or engage. Obs.
| 1393 Gower Conf. I. 190 He wol her wedde, and upon this Assured eche til othir is. 1494 [see assurance 2.] 1581 Savile Tacitus' Agric. 242 He assured to me his daughter. |
5. To make certain the occurrence or arrival of (an event); to ensure.
| 1622 T. Scott Belg. Pismire 4 To assure a better life hereafter. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. i. 284 Yet is not the Success for Years assur'd. 1863 Mrs. C. Clarke Shaks. Char. i. 10 Nothing which shall assure the accomplishment of her purpose. 1878 B. Taylor Deukalion i. ii. 27 Forever shall betray it and assure My coming triumph. |
6. To make certain (a thing doubtful). arch.
| 1682 Dryden Relig. Laici 6 Not to assure our doubtful way. 1832 Lewis Use & Ab. Pol. Terms Introd. 2 Assuring the results or detecting the fallacies. |
† 7. trans. To guarantee: a. (a thing to a person); to promise as a thing that may be depended on. Obs.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy xix. 8001 All þo couenandes to kepe..This he sadly assurit at the same tyme. 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys 31 They hym assuryd with scrypture and seel Evere cloos to kepyn al hys counseel. c 1450 Merlin xxvi. 482 Assureth me youre feith to holde me companye. 1624 Capt. Smith Virginia (1629) 74 The President assuring the King perpetual love. 1680 Life Edw. II in Harl. Misc. (1793) 36 He assures a reformation. |
b. a person from a thing. rare.
| 1820 Scott Ivanhoe iv, I will assure you from all deaths but a violent one. |
† c. absol. or with subord. clause. To give a guarantee, promise, pledge oneself. Obs.
| c 1386 Chaucer Doctor's T. 143 This juge..made him to assure He schulde telle it to no creature. c 1400 Destr. Troy xxvi. 10475 He assentid full sone, asurit with hond. c 1450 Merlin x. 145 Than thei swore and assured to-geder that neuer shulde thei be gladde till thei were avenged. |
8. trans. To give confidence to, confirm, encourage.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce vi. 225 His gentill hert and vorthy Assurit him intill that neide. c 1386 Chaucer Clerk's T. 37 Youre humanité Assureth us and giveth us hardynesse. 1477 Earl Rivers Dictes 83 His corage, by the whiche he shalbe the more assured in all his nedis. 1591 Spenser Bellay's Vis. vii, By more and more she gan her wings t' assure. 1611 Bible 1 John iii. 19 And hereby we..shall assure our hearts before him. 1853 Robertson Serm. Ser. iii. v. 76 A pure man forgives, or pleads for mercy, or assures the penitent. |
† b. refl. (in sense of c.) Obs.
| 1370 Lay-Folks Mass-Bk. App. iv. 223 In Marie · I me a⁓seure. 1625 Bacon Ess., Atheism (Arb.) 339 Man, when he resteth and assureth himselfe, vpon diuine Protection. 1641 Warmstry Blind Guide 18 To assure our selves upon that promise of our Lord Jesus. |
† c. intr. To have confidence, trust, rely. Obs.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xi. 309 In hys hey cheualry Thai assoweryt rycht soueranly. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 681 As frend fullich yn me assure, And tel me plat what is thencheson. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. v. 185 Towarde nyght in restyng thai assure. |
† d. refl. and intr. To be so bold as, dare, venture.
| c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 908 Late no gentyl woman hyre assure To pottyn hire in swich an aventure. 1513 Douglas æneis xi. xv. 95 He na langar durst..Assure for to debait hym with his speir. |
9. trans. To make (a person) sure or certain (of a fact, or that it is).
| 1393 Gower Conf. III. 186 That ye me wolde assure and say With such an othe, as ye woll take. a 1555 Latimer Wks. (1845) II. 491 By him I could assure you, if I had time. c 1590 Marlowe 1st Pt. Tamburl. ii. iii, Thy words assure me of kind success. 1611 Bible 2 Tim. iii. 14 Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and hast been assured of. 1658 Whole Duty Man iv. §2 (1684) 38 The use of oaths being to assure the persons to whom they are made. 1843 Mill Logic iii. xvii. §1 To consider how we are to assure ourselves of its truth. 1879 M. E. Braddon Vixen III. 287 What can I do to assure you of my love? |
b. refl. and pass. To feel certain or satisfied.
| 1484 Skelton Death Edw. IV, 17 Who to lyue euer may himselfe assure? 1538 Starkey England 154 Of thys we may be assuryd. 1596 Spenser F.Q. i. vii. 52 Assure your selfe, I will not you forsake. 1767 Fordyce Serm. Yng. Wom. I. i. 9 Be assured it proceeds from real regard. 1826 Scott Woodst. iv, Assure yourself, sir..that his sagacity saw in this man a stranger. 1870 Bryant Homer iv. I. 105 Be at least assured That all the other gods approve it not. |
10. To tell (a person) confidently as a thing that he may trust (that it is, or of its being).
| 1513 More Rich. III Wks. 43/1, I assure him quod the Archebishoppe..it will neuer bee soo well as wee haue seene it. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. ii. ii. 109 Quick. I think you have charms..Fal. Not I, I assure thee. 1704 Hearne Duct. Hist. (1714) I. 439 Thucydides assures us 't was built 5 years after Syracuse. 1712 Steele Spect. No. 508 ¶5, I assure you these are things worthy your consideration. 1876 Green Short Hist. viii. §2 (1882) 477 The Spanish ambassador..was assured that no effectual aid should be sent to the Palatinate. Mod. He assured us of his own willingness to go. |
† b. with second object. Obs.
| 1644 Sir H. Slingsby Diary (1836) 127 The man..that assured me the truth of it. a 1718 Penn Life Wks. 1726 I. 22 Their Age no Antiquary living can assure us. |
† 11. trans. To state positively, to affirm. Obs.
| 1535 Coverdale Jer. xxix. 23 This I testifie and assure. 1587 Fenner Def. Ministers B ij b, When the people is..secure, to bee more diligent in assuring threatninges. 1598 Greenwey Tacitus' Ann. iii. ii, I will not assure either of those things. a 1677 Barrow Serm. Virt. Faith, About which neither Socrates nor Seneca could assure anything. |
† b. with subord. clause or inf. phr. Obs.
| 1509 Fisher Wks. (1876) 293 Whether slepynge or wakyng she could not assure. 1638 Heywood Wise Wom. iv. i. Wks. 1874 V. 329 If hee assure to know mee, I'le out face him. 1708 Swift Predict. for 1708 Wks. 1755 II. i. 150, I cannot..so confidently assure the events will follow exactly as I predict them. |
▪ II. † aˈssure, n. Obs.
[f. prec. vb.]
Assurance.
| c 1374 Chaucer Anel. & Arc. 331 To profre a newe assure. 1658 Ussher Ann. vi. (1683) 745 Not taking any meat without assure. |