post-haste, n., adv., and a.
(ˈpəʊstˈheɪst)
[app. from the old direction on letters ‘Haste, post, haste’, where the words are post n.2 courier, and imper. of haste v.; but afterwards taken as an attrib. comb. of post n.2 and haste n.
1538 Cromwell in Life & Lett. (1902) II. 139 From Saint James 4to Maij 30 R. R. Lorde Privie seal—In hast, hast, post hast. 1558 Q. Mary in R. R. Sharpe Lond. & Kingd. (1894) I. 480 Hast, hast post, hast, for lief, for lief, for lief, for lief.]
A. n. Haste or speed like that of one travelling ‘post’; great expedition in travelling. arch.
| 1545 R. Ascham Toxoph. (Arb.) 115 Yf he make Poste haste, bothe he that oweth the horse, and he..that afterwarde shal bye the horse, may chaunce to curse hym. a 1548 Hall Chron., Edw. IV 218 b, The Duke of Somerset, with Jhon erle of Oxenford, wer in all poste hast, flying towarde Scotlande. 1555 Philpot in Foxe A. & M. (1583) 1837/1 Farewel dear brother..written in posthast because of strait keeping. 1568 Grafton Chron. II. 724 Rode he all that poste haste, onely to blinde you? 1586 J. Hooker Hist. Irel. in Holinshed II. 19/1 With all the hast and post hast he could, he turneth a faire paire of heeles and runneth awaie. 1681 J. Flavel Meth. Grace ix. 199 Messengers are sent one after another in post-haste to the Physician. 1709 Hearne Collect. 13 Mar. (O.H.S.) II. 176 You did not use to write in Post-Hast. 1837 Commodore & Daughter I. 39 It was mainly through the interest of his uncle that he was made post with such post-haste. |
B. adv. With the speed of a post; with all possible haste or expedition.
| 1593 Shakes. Rich. II, i. iv. 55 Old John of Gaunt..hath sent post haste To entreat your Maiesty to visit him. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 2 Such as want to ride Post-haste from one World to the other. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 2 ¶2 Her Coach is order'd, and Post-haste she flies. 1839 James Louis XIV, I. 8 This she sent post-haste to the Duke of Lorraine. 1897 ‘Sarah Tytler’ Lady Jean's Son 258 The lad who travelled post-haste to bring the news. |
† C. adj. Done with all possible speed; expeditious, speedy. Obs. rare—1.
| 1604 Shakes. Oth. i. ii. 37 The Duke..requires your haste, Post-haste appearance, Euen on the instant. |
Hence † post-ˈhaste v. Obs., (a) trans., to cause to hasten, to hurry; (b) intr., to hasten with all speed.
| 1607 in Hist. Wakefield Gram. Sch. (1892) 68 He shall neither post hast them in gramer, nor dull them with exercises of writinge latine. 1628 Feltham Resolves ii. xxxii. 102 The short-lyu'd Flowre, and Portion Of poore, sad life, post-hasteth to be gone. |