crucify, v.
(ˈkruːsɪfaɪ)
[a. OF. crucifier (12th c.) = Pr. and Sp. crucificar, repr. a late pop. L. type *crucificāre instead of L. cruci fīgĕre to fasten to the cross, subseq. as one word crucifīgere.]
1. a. trans. To put to death by nailing or otherwise fastening to a cross; an ancient mode of capital punishment among Orientals, Greeks, Romans, and other peoples; by the Greeks and Romans considered specially ignominious.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 18273 (Cott.) Þis ilk iesu to crucifi [v.r. crucefie]. 1382 Wyclif 2 Sam. xxi. 6 Be there ȝouun to us seuen men of the sonys of hem, that we crucifien hem to the Lord in Gabaa of Saul. ― John xviii. 15 Thei cryeden, seyinge, do awey, do awey, crucifie hym. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. ccxxxiii. 267 About this tyme..y⊇ Iues, vpon Ester Euyn, crucifyed a chyld, named Wyllyam, in y⊇ Cytie of Norwych. 1659 Spenser Hymne Heavenly Love 244 Twixt robbers crucifyde. 1649 Jer. Taylor Gt. Exemp. iii. xv, Malefactors and persons to be crucified. 1838 Thirlwall Greece II. 223 He was led to Artaphernes, who immediately ordered him to be crucified. |
b. transf. † (a) To fasten or nail to the pillory (obs.); (b) see quot. 1890.
| 1664 Butler Hud. ii. Let. to Sidrophel 14 William Pryn's [ears] before they were Retrench'd and crucify'd. 1890 Pall Mall G. 12 July 2/1 A man and a woman were sentenced..to..penal servitude..for the crime of ‘crucifying’ a child. By ‘crucifying’ was meant tying down the child..and beating the helpless little body with a belt. |
2. fig. a. In religious use: To mortify, with reference to the Crucifixion of Christ; esp. to destroy the power of (passions, sins, the flesh, etc.).
| c 1320 R. Brunne Medit. 608 Beholde þe peynes of þy sauyour, And crucyfye þyn herte with grete dolour. 1340 Ayenb. 241 Þet word þet..sainte paul zayde..‘Þe wordle..is y-crucefyed to me and ich to þe wordle’. 1382 Wyclif Gal. v. 24 Thei that ben of Crist, han crucified her fleisch with vices and concupiscencis. 1534 Tindale Rom. vi. 6 Oure olde man is crucified with him also, that the body of synne myght vtterly be destroyed. a 1652 J. Smith Sel. Disc. i. 17 The faint strugglings of a higher life within them, which they crucify again by their wicked sensuality. 1814 Southey Roderick xvii, Help me, O my God, That I may crucify this inward foe! |
† b. To afflict with severe pain or distress; to excruciate. c. To torment, to prove a ‘crux’ to.
| 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. Democr. to Rdr. 15 As great trouble as to perfect the motion of Mars and Mercury, which so crucifies our astronomers. 1702 J. Young in Phil. Trans. XXIII. 1280 After she had been thus crucified four days her Urine also stopt. 1728 Pope Dunc. i. 164 Old puns restore, lost blunders nicely seek, And crucify poor Shakespear once a week. 1791–1823 D'Israeli Cur. Lit., Quadrio's Acc. Eng. Poetry, It might..crucify the critical intuition of the ablest of commentators. 1921 D. H. Lawrence Tortoises 45 Why were we crucified into sex? 1940 H. L. Ickes Secret Diary 10 Aug. (1954) III. 297 He knew he would be crucified when he reached his own country. 1947 A. Miller All my Sons (1958) i. 81 Ann. Don't you hold anything against him? Keller. Annie, I never believed in crucifying people. 1960 News Chron. 15 July 3/3 If I was an hour or two late for filming, I was just about crucified. 1971 Sunday Times 24 Jan. 29/5, I do wish David Coleman wouldn't say ‘Is the TV action replay crucifying referees?’ I don't much mind what TV does to referees, but I do mind what it does to the language. |
d. To subject to ‘crucifixion’ (see crucifixion 2 c).
¶ 3. ? To put to the crucible. Obs.—1
| 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. x. in Ashm. (1652) 178 Whych must be Crusyfyed and examynat. |
¶ 4. To cross, place cross-wise. Obs.—1
| 1633 Shirley Bird in a Cage ii. i, I do not despair..You see I do not wear my hat in my eyes, crucify my arms. |