▪ I. † thring, n.1 Obs.
Forms: α. 3–4 þring, þ-, thryng, 4 thring. β. 3 þrung (ü).
[f. OE. ᵹeþring neut. press, crowd, tumult, f. þring-an to press, crowd. The β-forms probably belong here.]
1. A crowd, press, or throng of people.
| [a 1000 Andreas 368 (Gr.) Þæt hi þe eað mihton ofer yða ᵹeþring drohtað adreoᵹan.] c 1205 Lay. 12448 Heo comen to hustinge mid alle heore þringe. Ibid. 27524 Amidden þan þrunge [c 1275 þringe] þer heo þihkest weoren. a 1225 Ancr. R. 160 Engel to mon ine þrunge ne scheawude him neuer ofte. c 1275 Wom. Samaria 72 in O.E. Misc. 86 Monye..vrnen vt of þe bureuh myd wel Muchel þrynge. 13.. K. Alis. 2533 Aboutyn heom they can go; Parforce smyten into the thrynge. 13.. Sir Beues (A.) 1365 Vnneþe i scapede among þat þring, For to bringe þe tiding! |
2. Pressure, tightness; some kind of disease.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 11821 (Cott.) Þe scab ouer-gas his bodi all, In his sides him held þe thring. |
▪ II. † thring, n.2 Obs.
[app. an altered or erroneous form of dring (also used by Layamon), dreng, perh. influenced by thring v.]
= dreng.
| c 1205 Lay. 6725 In to þere burh senden æfter þon hehste þringe [c 1275 after on eorl] Þat he comen to þen kinge. Ibid. 31455 Þa þringes norðerne makeden hine to kinge. Ibid. 31740 Þer weoren niȝe þusunde ðringes norðerne islaȝen. 1861 Pearson Early & Mid. Ages Eng. 201 Drenghs or thrings, owing special service to ride as couriers or to keep horses or dogs, were settled on certain estates. |
▪ III. thring, v. Obs. exc. dial.
(θrɪŋ)
Forms: see below.
[OE. þringan, þrang (pl. þrungon), þrungen. Com. Teut. = OS. thringan (MLG., MDu., Du. dringen), OHG. dringan (MHG., Ger. dringen), ON. þryngva, -gja (pa. tense þrǫng, þrungom, pa. pple. þrungenn), cf. Goth. þreihan (pa. tense þráih, þraihum, pa. pple. þraihans):—OTeut. *þriŋh(w)-: þriŋg(w)-; cf. Lith. trènkti to shake, strike, trànksmas uproar, scrimmage, Lett. treekt to shatter. The Gothic þreihan passed into a different conjugational class: cf. thee v.1 In ON. þryngva was displaced by the weak þr{obar}ngva, -gja: cf. Sw. tränga, Da. trænge.]
A. Illustration of Forms.
1. inf. and pres. stem. 1–5 þring- (2 dring-), 3–5 þryng- (3 þrung-), 4–6 thryng- (5 dryng-), 4–7 (dial. -9) thring.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xvi. §1 Ne þurfon ᵹe..him æfter þringan. a 1225 Ancr. R. 252 Dumbe bestes..hwon heo beoð asailed..heo þrungeð alle togederes. a 1250 Owl & Night. 796 An eiþer oþer faste þringe. c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 38 (66) He gan in thrynge. 14.. Lybeaus Disc. (Kaluza) 2187 (MS. C.) Þyder þey gonne þrynge. c 1450 Drynge [see B. 2]. 1570 Levins Manip. 135/39 To Thring, artare, stringere. 1606 tr. Rollock's Lect. on 1 Thess. 30 (Jam.) How men and wemen did thring in. 1871 Waddell Ps. ii. 9 Ye sal thring them wi' a gad o' airn. |
2. pa. tense. (α) sing. 1–5 þrang, 3–5 thrange, 7 (9 dial.) thrung, 4– thrang; pl. 1 þrungon, 2–3 -en.
| a 800 Andreas 126 (Gr.) Duguð samnade, hæðne hildfrecan heapum þrungon. c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 394 Þæt folc hine þrang. a 1225 Juliana 67 Þrungen euchan biuoren oðer. c 1375 Cursor M. 24359 (Fairf.) Þe nailis þat him þrange on rode. c 1400 Destr. Troy 11135 Two thawsaund full þroly, þai þrang out of lyue. 1470–85 Malory Arthur x. xli. 479 He thrange in to the thyckest prees. 1535 Thrang [see B. 5]. 1607 Dekker Knt.'s Conjur. (1842) 41 In therefore they thrung, some wading vp to the knees. 1904 Thrung [see B. 5]. |
(β) 1 þrǫng, 3–5 þrong(e, (4 pl. þrongen), 4–6 thronge, 4–7 throng.
| c 893 Þrong [see B. 2]. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 1775 Þay þrongen þeder. c 1374 Chaucer Anel. & Arc. 55 But [Mars] throng now here now there amongis hem both. c 1400 Song Roland 838 They preissid, and throng, And thrusten out. c 1400 Þronge, a 1440 thronge [see B. 5]. c 1520 Adam Bel, etc. 224 in Hazl. E.P.P. II. 147 To the gate faste he throng. 1526 Thronge [see B. 1 b]. |
3. pa. pple. (α) 1 þrunge, 3 i-þrunge, 3–4 thrungen (4 -un, 4–5 -yn, 4–6 -in(e); 5–7 thrung, 6 throung.
| a 1250 Owl & Night. 38 Wonne þu art to me i-þrunge. a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxxii. 21 [lxxiii. 22] And i am to noghte..Thrungen. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 517 A thousand of men þo thrungen togyderes Criede vpward to cryst. c 1400 Destr. Troy 11723 Twenty thowsaund thristy, þrungyn togedur. 1513 Throung [see B. 5 b]. |
(β) 4–5 þrong-en (-un), 5–6 throng(e.
| 1382 Wyclif Luke viii. 42 The while he wente, he was throngun of the cumpeny. c 1400 Þrongen [see B. 1 c]. c 1400 Hymns Virg. 13 Whanne þou were in þraldom þrong. 1435 Thronge [see B. 3]. a 1550 Throng [see B. 1 c]. |
(γ) 5 þryngid.
| c 1400 [see B. 5 (c)]. |
B. Signification.
† 1. intr. To press, crowd, throng; to move or gather in a crowd; to assemble. Also fig. Obs.
| a 800 [see A. 2 α]. a 1000 Phœnix 339 (Gr.) Ðonne fuᵹla cynn on healfa ᵹehwone heapum þringað..þone halᵹan hringe beteldað flyhte on lyfte. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 237 Of þe folce we siggeð þat hit..elce deȝie þicce þringeð. a 1225 [see A. 1]. a 1300 Cursor M. 24637 (Gött.) Quen mi sun ras..All till his graue [Cott. thrugh] þai thrang. ? a 1366 Chaucer Rom. Rose 656 For there was many a brid singing, Throughout the yerde al thringing. c 1400 Destr. Troy 470 Mony thoughtes full thro thrange in hir brest. 1513 Douglas æneis iv. vii. 58 The damecellis fast to thar lady thringis. |
† b. trans. To crowd around or upon, to throng (a person). Obs.
| c 1000 [see A. 2 α]. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Mark v. 24 Him fyliᵹde mycel meniᵹeo and þrungon [c 1160 Hatton Gosp. þrungen] hine. Ibid. Luke viii. 45 Þas meneᵹeo þe ðringað. 1382 Wyclif Luke viii. 45 Comaundour, cumpanyes thringen, and turmentyn thee. 1526 Tindale Mark v. 24 And moche people folowed hym, and thronge hym. |
† c. trans. To press or crowd together (persons or things). Chiefly in pa. pple. (which may belong to a). Obs.
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 5748 With seven thowsaund þro men þrongen to-gedur. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xii. 416 It was a mery song; I dar say that he broght foure & twenty to a long..so many he throng On a heppe. a 1550 Hye Way to Spyttel Ho. 171 in Hazl. E.P.P. IV. 30 Lyke as bestes togyder they be throng, Bothe lame, and seke, and hole them among. |
2. intr. To press or push forward, as against or through a crowd, or against obstacles; to push or force one's way hastily or eagerly; to press, rush, hasten, push on. Now dial.
| c 893 K. ælfred Oros. v. xii. §8 He for þære ondrædinge þæs þe swiþor on þæt weorod þrong. c 1205 Lay. 9421 Ouer þene wal heo clumben & binnen heo þrungen. c 1374 [see A. 1]. c 1400 Destr. Troy 2362 He þrong into þicke wodes, þester within. c 1450 Hymns Virg. 122 For alle the stonys grett and smale..All they schalle togedyr drynge, And euerychon to oþer dynge. c 1470 Henry Wallace iv. 454 Thrys apon fute he thrang throuch all the rout. 1470–85 Malory Arthur vii. xxxi. 262 He thrang here & there, & so with grete payne he gat out of the prees. 1607 [see A. 2 α]. 1638 Rutherford Lett., to Lady Robertland 4 Jan., That we may thring in, stooping low. 1823 Carlyle Let. in Froude Life (1882) I. xi. 194, I shall just thring on here till I get desperate. |
† 3. a. intr. To press hard, use oppression. b. trans. To oppress, harass, distress, afflict; to repress. Obs.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 43 He walde anuppon his underlinges mid wohe motien and longe dringan [? ðringan]. c 1205 Lay. 10652 Carrais him on þrong and mid spere him of-stong. a 1250 [see A. 1]. c 1375 Cursor M. 11821 (Fairf.) On his [Herod's] heued he has þe skalle, Þe scabbe ouer-gas his bodi alle, Fast þai be-gynne him to þringe. 1435 Misyn Fire of Love i. xviii. 40 Nouþer with resone it is restrenyd nor with drede it is thronge nor with dome tempyd. 1871 [see A. 1]. |
† 4. trans. To press together, squeeze, compress; to crush, bruise. Obs.
| 13.. Cursor M. 900 (Cott.) Þou sal waite womman for to sting, And sco sal yiet þi hede thring. 13.. St. Mergrete 220 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 231 Sche set hir fot in his nek, to þe erþe sche him þrong. |
5. To thrust or drive with pressure or violence; to cast, throw, or fling violenty; to hurl, dash, knock; usually with prep. or advb. extension as in, on, out, through, up. Now dial.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter lxxvii[i]. 59 God herd..And to noghte he thrange swythe Iraele. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 52 Þei did his iȝene out þring. c 1400 Rom. Rose 7419 In his sleve he gan to thringe A rasour sharpe & wel bitinge. c 1400 Destr. Troy 6516 Thretty of þe þroest he þronge out of lyue. a 1440 Sir Eglam. 1023 He to the erthe theme thronge. c 1470 Henry Wallace xi. 621 About he turnd, and wp his armys thrang; On thai traytours with knychtlik fer he dang. 1483 Cath. Angl. 386/1 To Thrynge owte, expremere. 1500–20 Dunbar Poems lxxii. 46 Vneiss..he mycht sustene That crowne, on thrungin with crueltie. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. (Rolls) II. 247 Ilk ane of thame out throw him thrang a knyfe,..Thair he la deid syne. 1557 Peebles Burgh Rec. (1872) 237 To thring him self throw the mercat becaus it wes thrang,..and [he] culd na vther wayis evaid vntuichit. 1584 T. Bastard Chrestoleros (1880) 97 Nature which headlong into life doth thring vs. 1904 M. Hewlett Queen's Quair ii. x. 321 She..just let all go, and thrung herself face to the wall. |
b. With down: To throw down by force, thrust or knock down, overthrow (lit. or fig.); to bring to ruin. (See also down-thrings s.v. down adv. 36.)
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxvii. (Machor) 1141 For sperer of his maieste fra his Joy sall donne thrungine be. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 199 Thay threip that I thring doun of the fattest [deer]. 1513 Douglas æneis iii. viii. 141 Doun throung vndir this mont Enchelades body..lyis half bront. 1549 Compl. Scot. i. 19 The souerane consel of the diuyne sapiens..doune thringis them fra the hie trone of ther imperial dominations. 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xix. 35 Idolatrie but reuth he did down thring. 1584 T. Hudson Du Bartas' Judith i. in Sylvester's Du B. (1620) 695 The vassels of that onely King, That Thunder sends and scepters down doth thring. 1871 Waddell Ps. xlvii. 3 He sal thring down the folk aneth us. |
† c. To thrust or crush (into a confined space); to shut up, confine, bind; fig. to confine, restrict (quot. c 1374); in quot. c 1400, to bind tightly. Obs.
| c 1250 Death 176 in O.E. Misc. 178 Þu schal in þe putte faste beon iþrunge. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. ii. pr. vii. 44 (Camb. MS.) Yowre glorye þat is so narwh and so streyte Ithrongen in to so lytul bowndes. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxxvi. (Baptista) 930 Herrod..petre gert in presone thring. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 319 Disciples of crist..weren not þringen in siche couentis. c 1400 Song Roland 290 His kneys coueryd with platis.., his thies thryngid with silk. c 1440 Bone Flor. 1370 They bonde the false..And in pryson caste them,..And ther yn can them thrynge. |
† 6. intr. To make way (through something) by pressure; to pierce, penetrate; to burst out. Obs.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 16438 Þai crond him wit thorn, Þat thoru his hefd thrang. 13.. Guy Warw. (A.) 1509 Þat gode swerd þurchim þrang, Gwichard wald abide nouȝt lang. c 1400 Destr. Troy 9641 The ledis on the land..thrappit full throly, thryngyng thurgh sheldis. c 1460 Towneley Myst. xvi. 240 My guttys will outt thryng Bot I this lad hyng. |
† b. trans. To pierce. Obs.
| c 1485 Digby Myst. iv. 672 Se how his hede with thornys is thronge! |
Hence ˈthringing vbl. n.; also ˈthringer, one who ‘thrings’ (downthringer, an overthrower).
| 1483 Cath. Angl. 385/2 A Thryngyn[g] downe, articulus, pressura. a 1572 Knox Hist. Ref. Wks. 1846 I. 73 The down thringars of God his glore,..doctouris in idolatrie. a 1584 Montgomerie Cherrie & Slae 935 With wringing and thringing, His hands on vther dang. 1637 Rutherford Lett., to J. Gordon 14 Mar., There is no little thrusting and thringing to thrust in at Heaven's gates. |