▪ I. † wrake, n.1 Obs.
Forms: 1 wracu, 3–5 wrak, 4 north. wrac, 5 wraak, Sc. vrak; 2– wrake, 5–6 Sc. wraik.
[OE. wracu (oblique cases wrace, wræce), f., revenge, vengeance, etc., = Goth. wraka persecution, f. the same stem as OE. wræc neut., wrack n.1 For the related OS. wrâka, OHG. râhha, see wreche n.]
1. Suffering that comes or is inflicted as a retribution or penalty; retributive punishment, vengeance, revenge. Also (b) coupled with cognate terms.
| Beowulf 2336 Him ðæs guðkyning, wedera þioden, wræce leornode. c 825 Vesp. Psalter lvii. 11 Bið ᵹeblissad se rehtwisa ðonne he ᵹesið wrece ðeara arleasra. c 1050 tr. Bæda's Hist. i. xv. §2 (MS. Corpus Camb.), Ne wæs unᵹelic wracu þam ðe iu Caldeas bærndon Hierusaleme weallas. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 61 Bute we turnen to gode anradliche, he wile his swerd draȝen, þat is his wrake. a 1225 Juliana 50 Ah we schulen sechen efter wrake on alle þat we biwiteð. a 1300 Cursor M. 13055, I dred bot þou ne bete þi sake, Þou sal noght dei wit-vten wrake. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 386 [On] þe moste mountaynez..flokked þe folke, for ferde of þe wrake. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xii. (Matthias) 179 At þe laste Iudas for wrake Rubene in þe nek..strake. c 1430 Chev. Assigne 72 Wolt þou werne wrake to hem þat hit deseruethe? a 1500 Hist. K. Boccus & Sydracke (? 1510) U j b, That scourge is a swerd of wrake That one shal agayne a nother take. 1513 Douglas æneid ii. ii. 120 The cruell wraik of that dissaitfull slycht. |
| (b) c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 13 Ȝif ȝe..to-brecað mine lare.., þenne scal eou sone ȝewaxen muchele wrake and sake, here and hunger. a 1250 Owl & Night. 1194 Ic wot hwar sal beo niþ & wrake. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 552 So cam on werlde wreche and wrake. a 1300 Cursor M. 890 Til þat worm þan drightin spak wordes bath o wrath and wrak [Trin. wrake]. 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 3389 Þer shewed God weyl by þat kas Þat þe kote a-cursed was, And tokened wel sorowe and wrake. 1382 Pol. Poems (Rolls) I. 252 The grete vengaunce and wrake That schulde falle for synnes sake. c 1400 Sowdone Bab. 2446 Vengeaunce shalle than on you come, With sorowe, woo and wrake! a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 1451 The knyghtis answerd with wo and wrake. 1513 Douglas æneid vii. x. 117 Hevy wraik And sorofull vengence ȝit sall the ourtak. |
b. In the phr. to do wrake, have wrake, nim (= take) wrake, ta wrake, or take wrake (of, on, or upon a person or thing, or with indirect object).
In freq. use c 1375–c 1480, esp. with take.
| ? a 900 Laws of Ine ix, Ᵹif hwa wrace do, ærðon he him ryhtes bidde. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke xviii. 7 Ne deð god his ᵹecorenra wrace..? c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 9 Þa ilke wrake þe ic dude þe, þu scoldest don me. a 1200 Moral Ode 205 God nom..muchele wrake for are misdede. a 1275 Prov. Alfred 647 in O.E. Misc. 136 For he þe wile wrake don. a 1300 Cursor M. 11554 On þe sakles he suld ta wrake. 1357 Lay Folks' Catech. (T.) 485 For to take wrake Or wickedly to venge him opon his euen-cristen. c 1450 Ludus Cov. 375 Mercy nay nay they xul haue wrake. c 1489 Caxton Blanch. xxvi. 95 To be pressented..to the kynge of salamandrye,..for to haue wrake vpon hym. a 1500 Hist. K. Boccus & Sydracke (? 1510) E j, On thy goddes we shall do wrake. 1513 Douglas æneid xi. vi. 80 The montane Caphareus,..That vengeans tuke and wraik apon our floit. 1533 Bellenden Livy iii. xxiii. (S.T.S.) II. 40 We desire nowther þe goddis nor men to tak ony wraik or punyssement on ȝow. 1613 Chapman Hymn to Hymen Plays 1873 III. 122 Let Peace grow cruell, and take wrake of all. |
c. in wrake of, in revenge or punishment for. Sc.
| c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxx. (Theodera) 799 In wrak of hyr fals plicht [the accuser] deit sodanely in þare sicht. 1513 Douglas æneid iii. iv. 91 For strang hunger sall ȝe stand in sic state, In wraik of our iniuris and bestis slane. |
2. Adverse action; active enmity; hostility; mischief.
| a 1023 Wulfstan Hom. (1883) 106 His sunu hatte Mars, se macode æfre ᵹewinn, and wrohte, and saca and wraca he styrede ᵹelome. c 1205 Lay. 4040 Wrake wes on londe; wa wes þone vnstronge. a 1327 Metr. Treat. Dreams in Rel. Ant. I. 262 Armes y-sen ant eke bataille, Hit is strif ant wrake withoute faille. c 1330 Amis & Amil. 397 All thus the wrake gan biginne, And with wrethe thai went atvinne, Tho bold bernes to. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xviii. 85 What þorw werre and wrake and wycked hyfdes, May no preiour pees make in no place. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 125 Hertis devided have caused mochel wrake. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 1675 Syr gawayne And mordreite that mykelle couthe of wrake. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xx. i. 797 For and there ryse warre and wrake betwyx syr launcelot and vs, wete you wel [etc.]. |
3. Distress of body or mind; pain, suffering, misery.
| a 1000 Phœnix 51 (Gr.), Nis þær on þam londe..ne wop ne wracu, weatacen nan. c 1320 Bonaventura's Medit. 366 My breþren also, kepe hem fro wrake. 13.. Sir Beues (A.) 328 A was ibrouȝt in tene & wrake Ofte for þat childes sake. 13.. Leg. St. Gregory 338 He tok þat child wiþouten hete and bar it hom wiþouten wrake. c 1440 J. Capgrave St. Kath. 866 Þis wille turne vs all to wrake & to dole. c 1450 Ludus Coventriæ 189 He xall suffer for mannys sake..moch gret sorow and wrake. |
4. Destructive harm or injury; wrecked, ruined, or impaired state or condition; ruin, destruction, wreck.
| a 1275 Prov. Alfred 142 in O.E. Misc. 111 For God may giuen wanne he wele goed after yuil, wele after wrake. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1815 He wol þe chacy as ys fo & werche þe sorwe & wrake. a 1400 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) II. 786 Her was muche manqualm, wrake was in londe. c 1400 Anturs of Arth. xvii, These wrechut wurmus..wurchen me this wrake. Thus to wrake am I wroȝte, Waynor, i-wis. c 1450 Guy Warw. (C.) 1158 For thy sake To vs ys comen moche wrake, And all for the loue of the. 1470–85 Malory Arth. vii. xx. 244 He wil doo moche harme.., and worche you wrake in this countray. a 1586 Montgomerie Banks Helicon 47 Fals Helene..causd King Priamus wraik [v.r. wrake] In Troy. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.) II. 178 That sik hatred war nocht the occasioun of the wrake of the hail Realme. 1602 Chettle Hoffman i. (1631) B 4 b, Newes..more welcome then the sad discourse Of Leninberg our nephewes timeles wrake. |
b. In the phr. to bring unto wrake, to fall into wrake, to go, put, or work to wrake.
| a 1425 Cursor M. 9204 (Trin.), Ierusalem was stroyed & take; þat kyngdome fel in to wrake. c 1425 Non-Cycle Myst. Pl. 35 Alas, all þen had gone to wrake; Wold ye haue slayne my son Isaac! c 1435 Chron. London (Kingsford, 1905) 15 Jurrours went also to Wrake, wher that they myht be ffounde. 1513 Douglas æneid ii. vii. 110 By multitude and nomer on ws set All ȝeid to wraik. c 1550 R. Bieston Bayte Fortune A ij b, Displeasure and thought doth bring him vnto wrake. 1565 Satir. Poems Reform. i. 107 W[hi]ch made muche myserye, and wrought this realme to wrake. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 158 Quhen his armie was al put to wrake. |
5. An instance or occasion of suffering or inflicting vengeance, harm, injury, or the like.
| c 1300 Cursor M. 4950 Now es vs comen our ald sakes In to wandret new, and wrakes. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. B. 235 Þat oþer wrake þat wex on wyȝez. 13.. Coer de L. 1562 Kyng Rychard hys hostel gan take, Thar he gan hys fyrste wrak. c 1425 Wyntoun Chron. i. 1361, V. wrakys syndry has our tane..þis Brettane. Ibid. ii. 533 The wrakys ten in Egipte rasse. c 1440 Bone Florence 1977 God had sende on hym a wrake, That in the palsye can he schake. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 948 The quene..swore to venge hyr of that wrake. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 125 Seand nathing bot wraikis to come to hir pretendit husband. |
Hence † ˈwrakedom, revenge. Obs. rare—1.
| c 1205 Lay. 76 For þe wrake-dome of Menelaus quene,..for hire weoren on ane daȝe hund þousunt deade. |
▪ II. † wrake, n.2 Chiefly Sc. Obs.
Also 6–7 Sc. wraik (6 vraik), 7 wraick.
[var. of wrack n.2; the form may be due to the influence of the preceding word.]
1. Shipwreck; = wrack n.2 2.
| 1513 Douglas æneid i. iii. heading, How that Enee wes witht the tempest schaik, And how Neptune his navy saifit fra wraik. 1530 Palsgr. 290/2 Wrake of a shippe, naufraige. |
2. Wreck, wreckage; = wrack n.2 1 b.
| 1544 Aberdeen Reg. (1844) I. 205 Ane schip of fyr, quhilk wes storit as vraik in hir cumin in the havyn. 1581 Sc. Acts Parlt., Jas. VI (1814) III. 255/2 The haill wraik and wayth that sal happin to be fund..within the boundis of the saidis landis or sie cost thairoff. 1610 Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot. 146/1 Cum lie wraik et wair, piscaria de lie yair de Avach, silvis lie scroggis et bussis. 1615 [see waith n.2]. 1632 Extracts Burgh Rec. Lanark (1893) 327 With furk, fork,..vert, vair, wraik, vennysone. |
3. Sea-wrack; = wrack n.2 3.
| 1547 Salesbury Welsh Dict., Brock mor, Wrake of the sea. 1597, 1657 [see sea-oak]. c 1690 Kennett in Promp. Parv. (1865) 533 Reits, sea-weed, of some..called reits, of others wrack or wraick. |
4. Sc. A wrecked edifice, etc. rare—1.
| c 1625 A. Craig in H. Bisset Rolment (S.T.S.) I. 23 One man..consecratis religius workis to Gods: ane Other leavs sad wrakis, and Ruynis now. |
▪ III. † wrake, n.3 Obs. rare.
Also 6 Sc. wraik.
[var. of wrack n.3; for the long vowel cf. wrake v.3]
Refuse, rubbish; something worthless.
| a 1350 Northern Passion (G.) 1372 Þe met of þat oþir [tree] ne wol it notht del. Hit was schortir þan þe make. Awei þei slongen hit alle for wrake. a 1586 Maitland Quarto MS. (S.T.S.) 111 Sum houpe is ȝit that my seruice sall speid, Without ye quhilk I wait I am bot wraik. 1604 A. Craig Poet. Ess. C 3, Then shuld we not bin poynted at for wrake, scorne, and disgrace. |
▪ IV. † wrake, v.1 Obs.
Also 4 north., 5 Sc. wrak, 8 rake; 6 pa. pple. ywrake.
[Irreg. var. of wreke wreak v., prob. influenced by wrake n.1 Cf. MDu. wraken, var. of wreken; MLG. wraken to torture.
OE. wraciende occurs as var. of wrecende (= carrying on) in Oros. i. xi.]
1. trans. = wrack v.1 1. Occas. refl. Also fig.
| c 1205 Lay. 6015 Wrake we us on Bruttes & in to þan londen we sullen faren. a 1300 Cursor M. 6256 Bot þan i sal me on him wrake. Ibid. 6597 Drightin sal me on yow wrak [v.r. wrake], To sauue þaa men þat has na sak. c 1400 Pride of Life 88 in Non-Cycle Myst. Plays 90 Deth & Life..striuith a sterne strife King of Life to wrake. |
2. intr. To execute vengeance (on a person).
| a 1300 Cursor M. 25458 O mans-slaghter had I na mak, Ne nan sa wild in wa to wrak [Fairf. wrake], To riue þe grene and gra. Ibid. 27459 Quare euer he mai þat man ouer-tak, He sal wit suerd apon him wrak [Fairf. wrake]. |
3. a. To be wroth or angry. rare—1.
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter vii. 12 (E.), God demer riht, þoland, and strang, Nou wrakes [v.r. wrathes] be daies alle lang? |
b. To wax violent or furious; to rage.
| c 1330 King of Tars 148 Gret werre tho bigon to wrake, For the mariage ne moste be take Of that mayden heende. |
4. trans. To vent (one's wrath); = wreak v. 3.
| 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. viii. 14 Ah wofull man, what..wrath of cruell wight on thee ywrake..doth thee thus wretched make? |
b. To take (vengeance) on some one.
| 1755 Mem. Capt. Peter Drake I. xiii. 102 In the End, I sufficiently raked my Vengeance on Mrs. Dickering. |
▪ V. † wrake, v.2 Sc. Obs.
Also wraik(e.
[var. of wrack v.2 Cf. wrake n.2]
1. trans. To bring (a person) to ruin; = wrack v.2 3. Also refl.
| 1571 Satir. Poems Reform. xxviii. 141 And scho wer wrakit, all the warld may wene, Than sould the Duke but dout ressaif ye croun. a 1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.) I. 71 They thocht no thing better nor to wraike them and that witht extreme weiris. 1599 A. Hume Poems (S.T.S.) 41 The Lord the wicked wraikes. 1603 Philotus liii, Quhome haue ȝe wraikit bot ȝour awin. 1621 [see wrack v.2 3, quot. 1567]. |
b. To subvert or overthrow.
| 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xii. 74 Apperandly thir plaigis ar powrit out To wraik this warld, and wait ȝe quhair about? 1574 Ibid. xlii. 447 Quhen the Kirk sa ȝe haue wrakit, Ȝit all the Kirkis sall not be stakit. a 1614 J. Melvill Diary (Wodrow Soc.) 246 The presuming..of the cheiff corrupt members..had vitiat and wrakit the esteat of the Kirk. |
2. To hurt, harm, or injure severely; to damage, wreck, or ruin materially.
| 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xxiv. 8 Quhair furious Fleming schot his Ordinance, Willing to wraik him wantit na gude will. 1578 Sc. Acts, Jas. VI (1814) III. 113/2 Sum of thair housiss wyiffis and bairnis being thairin wer alluterlie wraikit and brount. 1596 in Spalding Club Misc. (1841) I. 88 His haill geir surmounting to mair nor thrie thowsand lib...ar altogidder wrakit and away. 1607 Extr. Aberd. Reg. (1848) II. 295 Dumbartane..is liklie to be wrakit be the inundatioun of the watter of Clyde. 1692 in Rec. Convent. Burghs Scot. (1880) IV. 595 Ane bush..named the Generall, was wraked in this harbour. |
3. intr. = wrack v.2 4. rare—1.
| 1570 Satir. Poems Reform. xii. 67, I dout not, in our dayis, Hepburnis will wraik for wyrrying of the King. |
Hence † ˈwraking vbl. n. Obs.
| 1569 Diurn. Occurr. (Bann. Cl.) 147 The wraiking of James erle of Mortoun and his assistaris. |
▪ VI. † wrake, v.3 Sc. Obs.
Also 7 wraik.
[a. (M)LG. wrâken (whence Sw. vraka, Da. vrage), older Du. wraaken, Du. wraken, older Flem. wraecken (Kilian), to reject, etc. Cf. wrack v.3]
trans. To examine (goods, etc.) with a view to rejecting or destroying the unsound, faulty, or damaged. Hence wraking vbl. n.
| 1584 Burgh Rec. Edinb. (1882) IV. 343 All the heiring and quhyte fische that sall cum within the said port..to be strukin vp, visitet and wraket. 1599 in Rec. Convent. Burghs Scot. (1870) II. 60 Anent the office of jedgerie wraking and burneing of all hoghedis and barrellis of herings. 1609 Ibid. 284 Nane to be transportit furth of the realm quhill thai [sc. herring-barrels] be packit, wraikit and merkett as followis. |