▪ I. swink, n. arch.
(swɪŋk)
Forms: 1, 3–4 swinc, 2–3 swink-, 3 swinck-, swunk, Orm. swinnc, 3–5 swynk, swynke, 3, 6–7 swinke, 4 suink(e, suinc(k, suynk, (squink, squynk(e, 5 suenk), 6 swinck(e, 3–7 (9 arch.) swink.
[OE. swinc str. n. (1) trouble, chastisement, (2) labour, toil (cf. swincfull swinkful, swincléas swinkless, swincl{iacu}c laborious), also ᵹeswinc i-swinch, i-swink, nouns of action to swincan to swink, q.v.; cf. swinch and swing n.1]
† 1. Trouble, affliction. Obs. rare.
| c 1000 Sax. Leechd. III. 198 Erian se þe hine ᵹesihð swincu mæste him onᵹean cumað. 1154 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1137 On al þis yuele time heold Martin abbot his abbotrice..mid micel suinc. c 1430 Erthe upon Erthe x. 35 Whanne þat erþe upon erþe is brouȝt withinne þe brink, Þan schal erþe of þe erþe haue a rewful swynk. |
2. Labour, toil.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 155 Ach hwider wenden heo?..fram hele in vnhele, from reste in to swinke [Trin. Coll. Hom. 147 swinche]. c 1200 Ormin 6103 Swa þatt tin swinnc be clene swinnc & att rihht time swunnkenn. c 1205 Lay. 2281 Moni swinc moni swæt Monine seorhfulne pleiȝe. a 1225 Leg. Kath. 805 Lure ow is to leosen Ower swinkes lan. a 1300 Cursor M. 921 Of erth þou sal, wit suete and suinc, Win þat þou sal ete and drinc. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 540 Hise tithes payde he ful faire and wel Bothe of his propre swynk and his catel. c 1400 Rom. Rose 5687 But right anoon aftir his swynke He goth to tauerne forto drynke. c 1450 Mirk's Festial 2 He most trauayl his body yn good werkes, and gete his lyfe wyth swynke. 1575 Gammer Gurton ii. i. B ij, Chad a goodly dynner for all my sweate and swyncke. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. May 36 How great sport they gaynen with little swinck. 1624 Sanderson Serm., Ad Pop. v. (1657) 306 So into these spiritual Sacrifices of Thanksgiving..we infuse a quantity of our own swinke and sweat. 1638 W. Lisle Heliodorus x. 186 This [translation] have I wrought with day-and-nightly swinke. 1819 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd (1827) 112 The plew⁓man frae his day-lang swink Lay restin' on the kitchen-bink. 1896 A. Austin England's Darling ii. i, Who recks of summer sweat and swink, Or winter's icy pang? |
| attrib. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3172 Was hem noȝt werned ðat he crauen, For here swinc-hire he nu hauen. |
† 3. Heavy drinking: cf. next, 3. Obs. rare—1.
| 1611 Cotgr. s.v. Dodo, Apres bu dodo, Prov. After swink sleepe. [Cf. s.v. Bu, After liquor lazinesse.] |
▪ II. swink, v. arch. and dial.
(swɪŋk)
Forms: 1 swincan, 3 swinken, (Orm. swinnkenn, 3–4 suink(e, 4 suinc, suynk, squink, squynke, Ayenb. zuynke), 3–6 swynke, 4–6 swynk, 4–7 swinke, (6 swincke), 4– swink. pa. tense. α. 1–3 swanc, (1 pl. swuncon), 3–4 swonke, swank, 3 swunke, swonc, (4 suanc, squank, 5 swanke). β. 4 swinkid, 8 swinked. pa. pple. 3 i-swunke(n, swunnkenn, 4 (i-)swonke, 6 -swonck, 7 swonk, 9 swunk. β. 6, 9 swinked, 7–8 swinkt.
[OE. swincan, pa. tense swanc, swuncon, pa. pple. *swuncen, parallel formation to swingan, swing v.1]
1. intr. To labour, toil, work hard; to exert oneself, take trouble.
Often alliterating with sweat.
| Beowulf 517 (Gr.) Ᵹit on wæteres æht seofon niht swuncon. c 1000 ælfric Hom. (Th.) II. 441 Martha swanc, and Maria sæt æmtiᵹ. a 1200 Moral Ode 254 in O.E. Hom. I. 175 [Hie] luueden..hordom & drunken & a doules werche bliþeliche swunken. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 179 Ðe underlinges þenchen oðe dai hu hie muȝen mest swinken and spenen here flesh & here blod. c 1205 Lay. 7488 He swonc i þon fehte þat al he lauede asweote. Ibid. 17408 Heo swunken [c 1275 swonke] ful swiðe. a 1225 Ancr. R. 404 Ase þauh a mon þet heuede longe i-swunken and failede efter his sore swinke. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2877 Ic..swanc and michil sorwe dreȝ. a 1300 Cursor M. 1047 Adam..suanc and suet and eue his wif, Of þe erth to win þar lijf. c 1300 Havelok 798 Swinken ich wolde for mi mete. It is no shame forto swinken. 13.. Sir Beues (A.) 3107 Þow hauest so swonke on hire to niȝt [etc.]. c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame iii. 85 Hit..maketh alle my wyt to swynke On this castel to be-thynke. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 2961 He..Sweltes ewynne swiftly, and swanke he no more! 1426 Audelay Poems 57 Let me never in slouth stynke, Bot grawnt me grace for to swynke. 1560 Becon New Catech. Pref., Wks. 1564 I. 289 Their pelfe, for the which they haue so swincked and sweate. 1591 Spenser M. Hubberd 163 For they doo swinke and sweate to feed the other. 1622 Fletcher Span. Cur. iii. ii, We'll labour and swinck. 1642 H. More Song of Soul ii. i. ii. xii, Long have I swonk with anxious assay To finden out what this hid soul may be. 1714 Croxall Anoth. Canto Spenser xxxiv, Many to up-climb it vainly strove, Swinking and sweating with their utmost Might. 1748 Thomson Cast. Indol. ii. ii, And they are sure of bread who swink and moil. 1820 Shelley Let. to Mar. Gisborne 59 That dew which the gnomes drink When at their subterranean toil they swink. 1872 O. W. Holmes Poet Breakf.-t. i. 10 We poor wives must swink for our masters. 1885 Stevenson Pr. Otto ii. i. 68 The fellow swinking in a byre, whom fools point out for the exception. |
† b. To journey toilsomely, travel. Obs. rare—1.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 1656 Laban faȝnede him in frendes wune, Feren swunken ysaaces sunen. Iacob tolde him for quat he swanc So fer. |
2. trans. † a. with cognate obj.; also, to gain by labour. Obs.
| c 1200 [see swink n. 2]. c 1200 Moral Ode 321 in Trin. Coll. Hom. 229 Swunke [Egerton MS. sswunche] we for godes luue half þat we doð for eihte Nare we naht swo ofte bicherd ne swo euele bikeihte. a 1225 Ancr. R. 110 Al his swinc foreloren þet he swonc on eorðe. 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 855 Whan ȝe mow take..No swiche werkus to swinke as oþur swainus vsen. c 1386 Chaucer Sec. Nun's Prol. 21 And to deuouren al that othere swynke. |
† b. To cause to toil; to set to hard work, to overwork; refl. = sense 1. Obs.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 4018 He..wende wended godes ðoȝt, Oc al he swinked him for noȝt. a 1300 Cursor M. 23051 Þai..suonken þam bath dai and night, For to beserue vr lauerd dright. c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame i. 16 Ne neuer thinke To besely my Wytte to swinke To knowe of hir signifiaunce. |
† 3. trans. and intr. To drink deeply, tipple. (Cf. swinge v.1 2, swink n. 3.) Obs.
| c 1550 Bale K. Johan (Camden) 78, I am sure then thu wylt geve it hym in a drynke. Marry that I wyll & the one half with hym swynke, To encourage hym to drynke the botome off. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 319 Swill and swincke soundly, make meery mightely. 1590 Greene Mourn. Garm. (1616) 15 That one Darius, a great king, being dry was glad to swink his fill of a Shepheards bottle. 1590 Cobler Canterb. 68 Yet to drinke he would neare lin: But swincked with all his might. |