† ˈweved Obs.
Forms: α. 1 wio-, weobud, weofud, -od, weofed-, 3 weofed (dat. weofde), weoued. β. 1 wefod, 3–4 wefed (dat. wefde), 3–5 weued (4 -yd), 4 wyeued (dat. wyefde).
[OE. wéofud, -od, earlier wéo-, w{iacu}obud, f. wéoh-, w{iacu}oh-, w{iacu}h- (w{iacu}ᵹ-) holy, sacred + béod (masc.) table. In OE., however, the second element very commonly appears as -bed (in the forms w{iacu}o-, wéo-, w{iacu}ᵹ-, w{iacu}bed) and was evidently identified with the noun bed, being sometimes inflected -beddes, etc.; in agreement with this the usual gender of wéofod is neuter. As an independent word the first element in OE. is a noun meaning ‘idol’, corresponding to OS. wîh, ON. vé holy place, sanctuary, and OHG. wîh (MHG. wîch, G. weih-), Goth. weihs adj. holy.]
An altar.
| α c 897 ælfred Gregory's Past. C. 217 Ᵹif se weobud ufan hol nære. Ibid., Hwæt elles ᵹetacnað ðæt weobud buton ryhtwisra monna saula? c 960 æthelwold Bened. Rule lxii. 113 Healde he simle þone styde..butan þære þenunge anre þæs halᵹan weofodes. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxiii. 35 Zacharias..þone ᵹe ofsloᵹon betweox þam temple and þam weofode. c 1205 Lay. 31951 He Peteres weofed þere wunliche isohte. a 1225 Ancr. R. 346 Ualleð biuoren ower weoued a creoix to þer eorðe. a 1240 Lofsong in O.E. Hom. I. 209 Ich..bi-seche þe..þurh þine eadi flesche and þine iblescede blode i-sacred oðe weouede. |
| β c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. v. 23 Ᵹif þu bringst þine lac to wefode..læt þær þine lac beforan þam altare. c 1130 O.E. Chron. an. 1125, He sang ðone hehmesse on Eastren dæi æt Cristes wefod. c 1205 Lay. 28747 Meleon..fleh to are chirche and forð riht anan wende forn to ane wefde. c 1290 Beket 1082 in S. Eng. Leg. 137 He let maken is bed..Op in þe heie chirche bi-twene twei weuedes. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4593 At glastinbury..at uore þe heye weued amydde þe quer. 1340 Ayenb. 14 Þe sacrement of þe wyefde. Ibid. 236 Godes table is þe wyeued. 1387 Trevisa Higden I. 161 Þe auters and weuedes of þat peple. c 1425 Eng. Conq. Ireland xviii. 42 Yn the modyr chyrche,..& to-for the weued. |