▪ I. ire, n.
(aɪə(r))
Also 4–6 yre, ir, 5 yr, iere, 5–6 yer, 6 Sc. yire, iyre.
[a. OF. ire, yre (11th c. in Littré), ad. L. īra anger, wrath, rage.]
Anger; wrath. Now chiefly poet. and rhet.
| a 1300 E.E. Ps. lxxvii. 25 [lxxviii. 21] Ire somdele Vpstegh þanne in Ireale. a 1325 Sir Beues (MS. A.) 2488 Þo was Beues in gret yre. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 2336 Ne he ne saide namore til hire, Bot wente fro hure al in ire. 1388 Wyclif Prov. xv. 1 A soft answere brekith ire. 1477 Earl Rivers (Caxton) Dictes 22 b, It shulde appease hys Iere. 1556 Lauder Tractate 456 Frome all Inuyne thay suld be fre, Frome Malyce, Yre, and Creueltie. 1583 Leg. Bp. St. Androis Pref. 57 in Satir. Poems Reform. xlv, Baals bischops, provocking God to yire. 1667 Milton P.L. vi. 843 That wish'd the Mountains now might be again Thrown on them as a shelter from his ire. 1706 Prior Ode to Queen 141 While with fiercest ire Bellona glows. 1808 Scott Marm. vi. xiv, Burn'd Marmion's swarthy cheek like fire, And shook his very frame for ire. 1865 Kingsley Herew. xii, Hereward was flushed with ire and scorn. |
† b. rarely in pl. Obs.
| 1388 Wyclif Prov. xxx. 33 He that stirith iris [Vulg. iras], bringith forth discordis. |
▪ II. † ire, v. Obs. rare—1.
[f. ire n.]
trans. To anger, irritate.
| c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. ii. 361 Her brethron & her owne kynde hit ireth [L. irritat]. |
▪ III. ire
obs. form of air n.1 (in quot. in sense 7).
| 1494 Fabyan Chron. vi. clxv. 160 All myghte not stoppe the intollerable ire of his body. |
▪ IV. ire
obs. or dial. f. iron; obs. f. her.