throughout, prep., adv., a.
(θruːˈaʊt)
ME. forms (more than 70) in þurh, þuruh, þurgh, þurȝe, þurf, þoru, þorw, þoruȝ, þorȝ, þorȝe, þorou, þorow(e, thairgh, thurf, thorgh, thorow, thorough, thorrow, thru, thro, throw, etc. with {uacu}t(e, out(e, owt(e, etc.; also contr. 2 þurut, 5 þrowte, throute, 5–6 thorowte, throwt, etc. A prevalent form in 6–7 was thorow-out; through-out noted first in 6. Also (chiefly N. Amer.) thruout, thru-out (see thru s.v. through prep. and adv. A. β).
[In OE. two words, þurh through, {uacu}t out, later gradually combined or hyphened. Cf. Ger. durchaus (16th c. in Grimm).]
A. prep.
† 1. Through and out at the other side; completely or right through (a material body, or a place); sometimes simply = through prep. 1, 2. Obs. (or arch.).
| c 1066 O.E. Chron. an. 1066 (MS. C.), He for þurhut Eoferwic. c 1205 Lay. 315 He..ihitte his aȝene fader Þurh ut þere broste. c 1305 St. Lucy 151 in E.E.P. (1862) 105 Þo heo [St. Lucy] was þurfout þe þrote ismyte þe bet heo spac ynouȝ. 13.. Cursor M. 1036 (Cott.) Þis flummes four..Thoru out all oþer contres rinnes. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 4558 As liȝtliche as hit had ibeo wax, ran þe strok þanne of ys ax Chayne & tre þorȝoute. c 1400 Mandeville (1839) v. 41 The Ryuere of Euphrate ran þorgh out the cytee. c 1420 Anturs of Arth. 315 (Thornton MS.) Me buse wende one my waye, thorowte this wode. c 1470 Henry Wallace ii. 56 Throuch oute the thikest of the pres he ȝeid. 1513 Douglas æneis vi. i. 121 The cald dreid..Thirland throwout hard banis. c 1614 Mure Dido & æneas i. 153 Throughout the streets her hurling chariots roll. 1629 Wadsworth Pilgr. iv. 35 [He] gaue vs two broad sides.., shooting..our ships through, and through out. |
2. a. Through the whole of (a space, region, etc.); in or to every part of; everywhere in. (Cf. through prep. 3.)
† throughout all thing (quot. c 1380), in all points: = through all thing (through prep. 3 c).
| c 1205 Lay. 29537 Þa iwende seint Austin vorð..þurh ut Englelond. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 8589 Þoru out al þat lond it [the wind] dude sorwe inou. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 4359 Thurgh-out þe world, ferre and nere. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1500 Wel y-armed þorw-out al þyng euerechone þey ware. 1399 Langl. Rich. Redeles ii. 5 So ryff as þey ronne ȝoure rewme þoru-oute. c 1440 R. Gloucester's Chron. 6901 (MS. δ) Throute al þe londe sone þys word drou. 1558 Warde tr. Alexis' Secr. (1568) 40 b, That great and vehement plague in the yere 1348 which crepte thorowe oute all the worlde. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 21 In euery parish through⁓out the Realme. 1599 Chapman Hum. Dayes Myrth Plays 1873 I. 51 Yet hath the morning sprinckled throwt the clowdes, But halfe her tincture. 1674 Brevint Saul at Endor 247 Thro-out all the Catholic Countries. 1783 Ld. Hailes Antiq. Chr. Ch. ii. 31 The Jews throughout the empire. 1883 Gilmour Mongols xviii. 213 Throughout the length and breadth of the country. 1922 Proc. IRE X. 260 During the past winter an amateur spark station located at Cleveland, Ohio..was received nightly at Yonkers, New York..with sufficient intensity to enable the signals to be read thruout the room. |
b. Through or during the whole of (a period of time or course of action); from beginning to end of. (Cf. through prep. 4, 5.)
| c 1540 Pilgr. T. 195 in Thynne's Animadv. (1875) App. i. 82 And so thorow-out the hole story. 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. i. 42 Ne're throughout the yeere to Church thou go'st. 1641 Milton Ch. Govt. i. i, There is not that thing in the world of more..urgent importance throughout the whole life of man, than is discipline. a 1672 Wood Life 3 May an. 1661 (O.H.S.) I. 393 A. W...was present throut all the transactions. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 78 ¶8 Hippocrates, who visited me throughout my whole Illness. 1799 Nelson in Nicolas Disp. (1845) III. 307 Throughout my command in the Levant seas. 1868 Freeman Norm. Conq. II. vii. 78 Harold and Swegen.., by their invasion of Denmark, gave him full occupation throughout the year. |
† 3. By means of, by the action of, by, from: = through prep. 7–8. Obs. rare.
| a 1240 Wohunge in Cott. Hom. 271 Ich hit rewli fordide þurh-hut mine sunnes. 13.. Cursor M. 16317 (Cott.) Sai me nu qui Þou ert als prisun tan, Thoruut þis biscop and his men? c 1400 Rom. Rose 3489 Thurghout my deming outerly, Than had he knowlege certeinly, That Love me ladde in sich a wyse. |
B. adv.
† 1. a. Right through, quite through, so as to penetrate completely. Obs.
| c 1000 ælfric Saints' Lives xii. 55 Swa þæt þæt spere him eode þurh ut. a 1300 Sarmun xxxiv. in E.E.P. (1862) 5 Sei sinful man..well aȝt þi hert þroȝ ute cleue. a 1450 Le Morte Arth. 3115 Fele men lyeth..With bryght brondys throw-owte borne. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xix. vi. 781 One of the barres of yron kytte the braune of his handes thurgh out to the bone. a 1533 Ld. Berners Huon lv. 186 The shelde was perced through out. |
† b. Right through from beginning to end (of a time, an action, a book, etc.); to the end of a journey without stopping. Obs.
| a 1400–50 Alexander 4737 Þus thre daies in þat thede thurgh-out þai lengid. 1656 Duchess of Newcastle Nature's Pict. C ij, I never read a Romancy Book throughout in all my life. 1660 F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 24 The Merchants..rest here in their journy to the Indies, whereas before they went throughout, without landing here. |
2. a. Through the whole of a body, region, etc.; in or to every part, everywhere.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 27 Ane berninde glede þet hine al forbernað þurut to cole. c 1290 St. Brendan 476 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 232 Þoru-out swart and brenninde. c 1450 Mirour Saluacioun 1261 This virgine fulle of splendour and thorgh out lumynouse. 1544 Test. Ebor. (Surtees) VI. 210 A furde gowne lyned with foxe thorow-oute. 1607 Shakes. Timon v. i. 212 Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree, From high to low throughout, that [etc.]. 1611 Bible John xix. 23 The coat was without seame, wouen from the top thorowout. a 1700 Dryden Epit. on Sir P. Fairborne 15 His youth and age..All of a piece through⁓out, and all divine. 1880 Geikie Phys. Geog. v. xxxi. 562 The plains of Central Europe..are clothed with a vegetation which has one common character throughout. 1968 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 17 Feb. 46/6 (Advt.), 6 room brick bungalow with 3 finished rooms in basement, new broadloom thruout. 1976–7 Sea Spray (N.Z.) Dec./Jan. 119/1 (Advt.), All kauri ply and timber used exclusively thru-out. |
b. Through the whole of a time or course of action; at every moment or point; all through.
| 1766 Fordyce Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767) II. ix. 56 Act on these Principles throughout. 1833 H. Martineau Berkeley the Banker i. ix, Do not treat me as if I had not been your friend and adviser throughout. 1866 J. Martineau Ess. I. 206 Mr. Spencer treats the two cases as parallel through⁓out. 1885 Manch. Exam. 22 Sept. 5/6 To-day has been beautifully fine throughout. |
† 3. Completely, entirely, thoroughly. Obs.
| c 1200 Vices & Virt. 73 Ȝif ðu wilt..bien ðurhut god mann. a 1250 Owl & Night. 877 Þeyh summe men beon þurhut gode & þurhut clene on heore mode. c 1300 Beket 262 If he hadde of his owe flesch thurfout seignurye. 1470–85 Malory Arthur vii. xxiii. 250 Ther was no man..sholde hele hym thorou oute of his wound. |
† C. adj. Obs.
1. Thorough, out-and-out.
| 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love ii. v. (Skeat) l. 105 Often, when there is a throw out shrewe, he coineth al the gold,..to haue in his bandon. Ibid. vi. l. 69 All the bodily goods..comen oft to throw out shrewes. 1670 Brooks Wks. (1867) VI. 115, I cannot charge such throughout saints..with that horrid profanation of the Sabbath. |
2. That is so throughout; permanent. rare.
| 1701 Beverley Glory of Grace 4 The uninterrupted, and throughout Efficiency of grace. |