▪ I. † drepe, v. Obs.
Forms: 1 drepan, 4–5 drep(e. pa. tense 1 dræp, drep, 4 drap, drop, dreped, 5 drepit. pa. pple. 1 drepen, dropen, 5 drepit, -id.
[A Common Teut. strong verb of ablaut series e, a, ǽ, e; OE. drepan, = M. and mod.LG. drepan, drapan, MDu. drepan to hit, strike, OHG. trefan, treffan (Ger. treffen), ON. drepa to strike, smite, kill (Sw. dräpa, Da. dræbe, to kill, slay).]
trans. To strike, kill, overcome.
| Beowulf (Th.) 3495 Under helm drepen. Ibid. 5753 Þonne ic sweorde drep ferhð-ᵹeniðlan. a 1300 Cursor M. 3602 (Cott.) Þat þou mai drep [v.r. sle] me sum dere. a 1300 E.E. Psalter xciii[i]. 6 Step-childre þai drape al dai. c 1300 Havelok 2229 He with his hend Ne drop him nouth, that sor fend. c 1325 Body & Soul 259 in Map's Poems 343 The deth so deolfulliche me drap. c 1400 Destr. Troy 929 Þis stone..drepit the dragon to the dethe negh. a 1400–50 Alexander 867, I did bot my deuize to drepe him. |
Hence † ˈdreping vbl. n.; also † ˈdreper, one who kills: a murderer.
| c 1300 Havelok 2684 Þer was swilk dreping of þe folk. a 1400–50 Alexander 3422 Þe drepars of Dary. |
▪ II. drepe
early form of dreep v.