dolour, dolor
(ˈdəʊlə(r), ˈdɒlə(r))
Forms: 4–6 doloure (-owre), (6 dolar, dollor, -our), 4– dolour, 6– dolor.
[a. OF. dolor, -our (11th c.), mod.F. douleur, = It. dolore, Pr., Sp. dolor:—L. dolōr-em pain, grief, anger, f. dol-ēre to suffer pain or grief. Now unusual in spoken use; hence pronunciation varies; the historical pronunciation was as in colour (F. couleur), which is retained in East Anglia, and sometimes represented by spelling dullor.]
† 1. Physical suffering, pain; also (with pl.), a pain, a painful affection, a disease. Obs.
| ? c 1370 Robt. K. Cicyle 59 Olyverne dyed in grete dolowre, For he was slayne in a harde schowre. c 1400 Lanfranc's Cirurg. 227 In þe chapitre of dolour of ioynctis. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. I. 24 To kure and to remeid diuers dolouris of the skin. 1612 Woodall Surg. Mate Wks. (1653) 33 It easeth the dolour of the caustick medicine. 1683 Salmon Doron Med. i. 311 Rheumatisms and other dolors of the nerves. 1710 T. Fuller Pharm. Extemp. 243 In a Nephritic Fit..there's great..Dolour in the Kidneys. 1715–20 Pope Iliad xvi. 649 He drew the dolours from the wounded part. |
2. Mental pain or suffering; sorrow, grief, distress.
| 13.. K. Alis. 5699 The Kyng therfore was in doloure. c 1470 Henry Wallace i. 183 Mekill dolour it did hym in hys mynd. 1544 Litany in Priv. Prayers (1851) 575 Pitifully behold the dolour of our heart. 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. i. 18 Dolour comes to him indeed. 1684 Contempl. State Man ii. vii. (1699) 211 Of joy there must no mention be made in that place of dolour. 1815 Scott Guy M. xv, To leave her in distress and dolour! 1881 Jefferies Wood Magic II. ii. 66 Thus, in dolour and despair the darkness increased. |
b. pl. Griefs, sorrows. Now rare.
| 1611 Shakes. Cymb. v. iv. 80 The Graces of his Merits due, being all to dolors turn'd. 1666 Bunyan Grace Ab. §163 Every Groan of that man..in his dolours. 1854 Mrs. Oliphant Magd. Hepburn III. 28 Look you, dame!..I have borne with your dolours for many a day. |
c. R.C. Ch. Dolours of the Virgin.
| 1885 Catholic Dict. s.v., The seven founders of the Servite order, in the thirteenth century, devoted themselves to special meditation on the Dolours of Mary, and from them the enumeration of the Seven Sorrows (i.e. at the prophecy of Simeon, in the flight to Egypt, at the three days' loss, at the carrying of the cross, at the crucifixion, at the descent of the cross, at the entombment) is said to have come. (Hence the appellation Our Lady of Dolours or Sorrows) |
† d. A cause or occasion of sorrow; a grievous or sad thing. Obs. rare.
| c 1330 Amis & Amil. 12 To here of the childeryn twoo, How thei were in wele and woo..is grete doloure. |
† 3. The outward expression of grief; lamentation, mourning. to make dolour, to lament, mourn. Obs.
| c 1320 Seuyn Sag. (W.) 1270 Therefore he made gret dolour. c 1500 Melusine lvii. 338 The doleur & lamentable heuynes that men dide. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lxxxi. 246 Huon..was sorowfull to se his wyfe make so grete doloure. 1634 Sir T. Herbert Trav. 107 Though they saw me, they continued their dolours till the end. |
† 4. Anger, indignation, resentment. [As in L.] Obs.
| 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. xxiv. iv. 250 Our fighting souldiers were so enkindled with anger and dolour [dolore]. 1644 Bulwer Chirol. 92 Anger, dolour, and indignation. |