▪ I. † venge, n. Obs.
[f. venge v. Cf. avenge n.]
Vengeance.
| 1587 T. Hughes Misf. Arthur i. ii, Why shunst thou feare⁓full wrath? Adde coales afreshe—preserve me to this venge. 1632 Chapman & Shirley Ball ii. D 2 b, You must Lay in betimes to prevent mutinie Among the small guts, which with winde of venge else Will breake your guarde of buttons. |
▪ II. venge, v. Now arch.
(vɛndʒ)
Forms: 4–5 vengyn (5 vengy), 4– venge (4 venie, uenge); 4–5 wenge, 4, 5 Sc., weng.
[ad. OF. vengier, venger (mod.F. venger, = It. vengiare, Sp. vengar, Pg. vingar):—L. vindicāre vindicate v. Cf. avenge v.]
1. a. refl. = avenge v. 1 b.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 5345 For þat þai na wight drightin dred, He wenged him o þam ful sare. a 1340 Hampole Psalter ii. 5 When he venges him, his vengaunce is cald woednes. c 1386 Chaucer Melib. ¶45 But lete us now putte, that ye han leve to venge yow; I say ye ben nought of might ne power as now to venge you. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 31 Be nat to hasty to venge the on thi foo. c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun (Roxb.) 72 He vengid hym on his enemys horribly. 1509 Fisher 7 Penit. Ps. vi. Wks. (1876) 18 Grete laude and prayse is in wylde beestes lackynge reason, that they wyll forgyue and not venge themselfe vpon other weyker beestes. 1581 A. Hall Iliad ii. 29 Til that ech one here of vs al, at wil and ease be plast With Troyan Dames..to venge vs of Paris. 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, i. ii. 292 Tel you the Dolphin, I am comming on, To venge me as I may. 1817 Scott Harold ii. xv, Thou shalt know, If I can venge me on a foe. 1914 Contemp. Rev. April 578 To venge themselves they pursued a policy of obstruction in the Diet. |
b. trans. = avenge v. 1.
| c 1325 Metr. Hom. 137 Ef thou prai Godd that he Apon thi fais venge the. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 5533 Haly Loverd,..How lange sal be ar þow venge our blude Of our enemys þat in erthe duelles. c 1440 Gesta Rom. x. 29 (Harl. MS.), Do vs to knowe, if þer be ony þat þretenith þe; For we ben redy to venge þe. c 1450 Lovelich Grail lvi. 435 Thus owre lord venged kyng Lawncelot certayn. 1581 A. Hall Iliad i. 16, I greatly dread, hir sonne to venge, obtainde some suit she hath. 1590 Greene Orlando Furioso 1093 Now let vs seeke to venge the Lampe of France That lately was eclipsed in Angelica. 1613 Heywood Braz. Age ii. ii, I sweare..to..venge the Gods that gouerne Sea and Sunne. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles iii. xxix, With this he cross'd the murderer's path, And venged young Allan well! 1887 Bowen æneid iv. 656, I have..Venged a beloved one, meted a brother measure for guilt. |
c. pass. = avenge v. 1 c.
| c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 24 For to plede, for to fiȝtte and..to be vengid on men þat don aȝenst here wille, worschipe, or profit. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 202 Bot I wol make this beheste, I schal be venged er I go. c 1400 Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton) ii. lvii. (1859) 55, I myght haue ben fully venged vpon the. 1480 Cov. Leet Bk. ii. 441 Be-cause þe seid Laurens..feyned maters to þentent to haue be venged for þe due punysshement yeven to hym be þe seid Maire. 1489 Caxton Faytes of A. i. i. 7 They that gretly be vengid on their enemyes. 1611 B. Jonson Catiline ii. i, I should be right sorry To have the means so to be venged on you. |
† d. intr. = avenge v. 1 d. Obs.
| 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 201 [He] Ne venged for no vilte of vice ne synne,..Ne neuer so sodenly soȝt vnsoundely to weng. Ibid. 559 Felly he uenged Quen fourferde alle þe flesch þar he formed hade. c 1400 Destr. Troy 7333 Achilles..Of þo kynges, þat were kild,..Wold haue vengit of þe velany, & þe vile harme. 14.. in Arnolde Chron. (1811) 208 A priest ought to be swete and softe more rather to foryeue than to vengy. a 1500 Ratis Raving 3540 Traist nocht thine honore in a fulle, Na weng nocht quhil thi blud be cule. |
2. trans. = avenge v. 2.
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 3806 Þys yche chylde toke hym to rede For to venge hys fadrys ded. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 62 (Harl. MS.), In dyverse wise..The ravysshyng to vengyn of Heleyn, By Paris done, they wroughten all hir peine. a 1450 Mirk's Festial 44 The thre oþer also deyden on spytues deþes, so þat, wythyn þre ȝere aftyr, Thomas deth was thus venget. c 1489 Caxton Sonnes of Aymon ix. 244, I praye god that I maye venge your deth vpon theym or ever I deceasse. 1538 Starkey England 141 That hys ennemy may not pluke hym out at hys lyberty, nor yet in such place to venge hys iniury. 1587 Turberv. Trag. Tales (1837) 160 To venge which deede, and cursed cruell acte, He slue them all. 1620 Pyper tr. Hist. Astrea i. ii. 13 Venge not my death vpon this faire Lady. 1638 Sanderson Serm. (1681) II. 111 We find our selves ready to fret at any cross occurrent, to venge every injury, to rage at every light provocation. 1802 Leyden in Life & Poems (1875) 39 Thine the mighty boast..To venge each ancient violated bust. 1851 C. L. Smith tr. Tasso xviii. xlviii, And much he hoped with such a fiery brood To venge the felling of the precious wood. |
† b. To punish (wrongdoing). Obs.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xxix. 5 Wreth, þat is vengaunce, þat he vengid in ȝow þe first syn with ded. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxv. (Julian) 116 Syk wykyt wordis of dyspyt In þat dekine ware wengyt tyt. 1401 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 111 Thou seist..that charite is chacid, to vengyn oure defautis, and mende us of oure mysse. |
† 3. = avenge v. 3. Obs.—1
| a 1470 Harding Chron. lxv. iii, The Scottes and Peightes he venged & ouercam. |
† 4. To execute (vengeance); to wreak (anger) by vengeance. Obs. rare.
| 1382 Wyclif Jer. li. 36 Lo! Y shal deme thi cause, and venge thi vengyng. a 1470 H. Parker Dives & Pauper (W. de W. 1496) iv. xv. 179/2 He is goddes mynystre, to venge the wrath of god in hym that dooth amys. |