survive, v.
(səˈvaɪv)
Also 6 survyve, 7 Anglo-Irish surveywe.
[a. AF. survivre, OF. so(u)rvivre (mod.F. survivre), = Pr. sobreviure, It. sorvivere, Sp. sobrevivir, Pg. -viver:—late L. supervīvĕre, f. super- super- 2 + vīvĕre to live.]
1. a. intr. To continue to live after the death of another, or after the end or cessation of some thing or condition or the occurrence of some event (expressed or implied); to remain alive, live on.
| 1473 Rolls of Parlt. VI. 95/2 To have and perceyve the said cs yerely, to the said Mary and Robert, for the terme of their lyfes, and either of [them] survivyng. 1503–4 Act 19 Hen. VII, c. 25 Preamble, Lyfe [is] as uncertayne to suche as survyve as was to them now departed. a 1513 Fabyan Chron. i. xxv. 18 They testyfye that Porrex was slayne and Ferrex suruyuyd. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. iv. ii. 110, I did loue a Lady, But she is dead... Sil. Say that she be: yet Valentine thy friend Suruiues. 1615 Crooke Body of Man 335 Many children borne the seuenth month suruiue and do well. a 1660 Contemp. Hist. Irel. (Ir. Archæol. Soc.) II. 26 Wee..will in open fielde fight with as many of those our disparagers as longe as any of us will surveywe. 1697 Dryden æneid ii. 814 Look if your helpless Father yet survive; Or if Ascanius, or Creusa live. 1771 Junius Lett. lxi. (1788) 330 The son of that unfortunate prince survives. 1808 Scott in Lockhart Life i. (1839) I. 33 He survived a few days, but becoming delirious before his dissolution, [etc.]. 1894 H. Drummond Ascent of Man 278 There are vastly more creatures born than can ever survive. 1911 Marett Anthropology iii. 70 To survive is to survive to breed. If you live to eighty, and have no children, you do not survive in the biological sense. |
b. transf. To continue to exist after some person, thing, or event; to last on.
| 1593 Shakes. Lucr. 204 Yea though I die the scandale will suruiue. 1654 tr. Scudery's Curia Pol. Ded., They survive to future Ages by their Actions. 1671 Milton Samson 1706 Though her body die, her fame survives. a 1721 Prior To C'tess Dowager of Devonshire 53 Thro' circling Years thy Labours would survive. 1830 Scott Hrt. Midl. Introd., A late amiable and ingenious lady, whose wit and power of remarking and judging of character still survive in the memory of her friends. 1850 Tennyson In Mem. xxxviii, If any care for what is here Survive in spirits render'd free. 1885 Law Times 9 May 22/2 The mortgagor can inspect the title deeds while his right to redeem survives. 1907 Bp. Robertson in Trans. Devon Assoc. 50 A Norman family whose name survives in place-names all over Devon. |
c. Law. Of an estate, etc.: To pass to the survivor or survivors of two or more joint-tenants or persons who have a joint interest.
| 1648 Bury Wills (Camden) 205 Whereas by the death of the sayd Isabell my daughter the estate and interest in the said mortgaged premises..is survived and come to the sayd Catherine and Anne my daughters. 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) VI. 425 If one died under age, his or her part would not descend, but survive to the others. |
2. trans. To continue to live after, outlive. a. To remain alive after the death of (another).
| 1572 Huloet s.v., To the entent that he may suruiue thee. 1596 Shakes. Tam. Shr. ii. i. 125 And, for that dowrie, Ile assure her of Her widdow-hood, be it that she suruiue me In all my Lands and Leases whatsoeuer. a 1680 Glanvill Sadducismus ii. (1681) 166 Thinking they had Souls surviving their bodies. 1772 Gentl. Mag. XLII. 245/1 The Lord Chancellor made an order for two issues at law to be tried, whether General Stanwix survived his Lady, or whether Mrs. Stanwix survived the General. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. v. I. 568 Argyle, who survived Rumbold a few hours, left a dying testimony to the virtues of the gallant Englishman. 1880 Muirhead Gaius iii. §16 If he..is survived by children of brothers predeceased, the inheritance belongs to all of them. |
b. To continue to live after (an event, point of time, etc.), or after the end or cessation of (a condition, etc.).
| 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. v. iii. 41 Because the Girle, should not suruiue her shame. 1591 ― 1 Hen. VI, iii. ii. 37 France, thou shalt rue this Treason with thy teares, If Talbot but suruiue thy Trecherie. a 1610 Parsons Leicester's Ghost (1641) 34 What others wrot before I doe survive. 1717 Lady M. W. Montagu Let. to C'tess Mar 16 Jan., If I survive my journey, you shall hear from me again. 1777 Priestley Matter & Sp. (1782) I. xxii. 286 Whether brutes will survive the grave we cannot tell. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. v. I. 631 When Swift had survived his faculties many years, the Irish populace still continued to light bonfires on his birthday. 1852 H. Rogers Ecl. Faith (1853) 193, I see few of my youthful contemporaries who have not survived their infidelity. 1883 E. P. Roe in Harper's Mag. Dec. 52/2 I've known peach buds to survive fifteen below zero. |
c. transf. To continue to exist after the death or cessation of (a person, condition, etc.), or after the occurrence of (an event); to outlast.
| 1633 P. Fletcher Poet. Misc., Ps. i. ii, The soul..Still springs, buds, grows, and dying time survives. 1694 Addison St. Cecilia's Day iv, Musick shall then exert its pow'r, And sound survive the ruins of the world. 1788 Gibbon Decl. & F. xlix. V. 139 In his [sc. Charlemagne's] institutions I can seldom discover the general views and the immortal spirit of a legislator, who survives himself for the benefit of posterity. 1847 Emerson Repr. Men, Napoleon Wks. (Bohn) I. 374 The principal works that have survived him are his magnificent roads. 1885 ‘Mrs. Alexander’ At Bay iii, It is pleasant to find that so much faith in your fellow-creatures survives the experience. |
3. intr. and trans. In trivial use. Freq. in phr. I'll survive.
| 1902 Kipling Traffics & Discov. (1904) 30 ‘But it'll bore you to death,’ he says... ‘I'll survive,’ I says, ‘I ain't British. I can think,’ I says. 1928 M. Arlen Lily Christine xiii. 240 ‘All this trouble your silly husband has brought on you!’ ‘Oh, we'll survive that,’ she said lightly. 1949 ‘J. Tey’ Brat Farrar xxxi. 278 The fact that we are making him part of the family..will take a lot of the fun out of it for the scandal-mongers. We'll survive, Nell. And so will he. 1958 C. S. Forester Hornblower in W. Indies 184 ‘I don't envy you, frankly.’ ‘No doubt I'll survive, sir.’ 1971 ‘F. Clifford’ Blind Side iv. ii. 157 ‘It's nice... Cosy.’ ‘No fados, I'm afraid.’ ‘I'll survive.’ |
Hence surˈviving vbl. n., survival.
| 1818 Cruise Digest (ed. 2) IV. 173 Her surviving was a continuing act. 1900 M. Kingsley Notes 203 No amount of experience in her husband's habit of surviving ever made her feel he was safe. |