briber
(ˈbraɪbə(r))
Forms: 4–6 bri-, brybour, 5 briboure, -bowre, -bur, 5–6 bryber, 6 bri-, brie-, brybor, brybar, 5– briber.
[a. AF. bribour = OF. bribeor, later bribeur: see bribe n.]
† 1. A vagabond, strolling vagrant; = F. bribeur, It. and Sp. bribon. Obs. (The last quot. belongs doubtfully here.)
| 1483 Cath. Angl. 43 A Bribur, circumforaneus, sicofanta. c 1500 Dunbar Flyting 49 Irsch brybour baird, vyle beggar with thy brattis! a 1600 Hist. Pieces in Peck Cromwell 30 He made his porter shut his gates To sycophants and briebors. |
† b. Hence: Scoundrel, wretch, rascal. (Cf. a similar use of beggar, vagabond, thief.) Obs.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden Rolls Ser. II. 313 Gentilmen, for to haue dyuersite and distinccioun from suche briboures made hem rynges of gold. a 1400 Cov. Myst. 183 If any brybour do bragge or blowe aȝens my bost. c 1440 York Myst. xxvi. 169 Say, bittilbrowed bribour. 1509 Barclay Ship of Fooles (1570) 39 Ye babbling bribers, endeuour you to amende. c 1550 Lyndesay Depl. Q. Magdalene 66 The potent Prince..Contrair that bailfull bribour [death] had no micht. |
† 2. A thief, purloiner, or robber; a taker of blackmail; an extortioner. Obs.
| 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xx. 260 Alle other in bataille ben yholde bribours [C. xxiii. 262 brybours] Pilours and pykehernois in eche a place ycursed. 1387 Trevisa Higden Rolls Ser. II. 147 So þese briboures were i-made men of þe lond [sicque de prædonibus accolæ effecti]. 1413 Lydg. Pylgr. Sowle iv. xxxiv. (1483) 83 To oppressen brybours and extorcioners. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 50 Brybowre, manticulus. 1461 J. Paston in Lett. 384 II. 4 To lette brybers that wold a robbed a ship undyr color of my Lord of Warwyk. 1525 Ld. Berners Froiss. II. x. 21 The bribours of the Countrey watched for them at the passages. 1548 Cranmer Catech. 100 b, Extorcioners, brybers, pollers, and piellers, deuourers of widowes houses. 1552 Huloet, Brybor. Vide in poller and thefe. 1563–87 Foxe A. & M. (1596) 145/1 By inward theeues and bribers. |
† 3. A judge or other official who levies ‘blackmail’ upon those to whom he should administer justice; one who exacts or accepts bribes; a bribee. Cf. bribe-taker. Obs.
| 1520 Whittinton Vulg. (1527) 13 He is a bryber, or a taker of brybes [is est largitionis capax]. 1549 Latimer Serm. bef. Edw. VI, iii. (Arb.) 97 A bryber, a gyft taker, a gratifier of rytche men. 1586 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. 372 Iustice ought not to be either a briber, or respecter of persons, that is, she must neither take any thing, nor judge for anie favour. 1599 Life Sir T. More in Wordsworth Eccl. Biog. (1853) II. 80 His chancellour was a great briber and extortioner. 1605 Bacon Adv. Learn. ii. xxiii. §6 (1873) 222 A judge were better be a briber than a respecter of persons; for a corrupt judge offendeth not so lightly as a facile. 1611 Rich Honest. Age (1844) 13 When euery vsurer, euery briber, euery extortioner..is an honest man. |
4. One who offers or gives a bribe.
| 1583 Babington Commandm. (1637) Have wee never suffered these hands to feele the weight of a bribers gift to drawe us to oppression? 1692 South 12 Serm. (1697) I. 271 Affection is still a Briber of the Judgment. [1721 Not in Bailey in this sense.] 1755 in Johnson. 1837 Lytton Athens II. 246 Themistocles the most expert briber of his time. 1863 H. Cox Inst. i. viii. 116 Bribery is a misdemeanor, punishable..in the briber and person bribed. |
† 5. A thing that bribes, a price paid. Obs.
| 1607 Shakes. Timon iii. v. 61 His seruice done at Lacedemon, and Bizantium, Were a sufficient briber for his life. |