▪ I. paltry, n. Now only dial.
(ˈpɔːltrɪ)
Also 6 paultry, paltery(e, 6–7 paltrie; see also peltry.
[Paltry n. and adj. appear nearly together in third quarter of 16th c. The n. seems to be a deriv. in -ry of a n. palt, pelt, exemplified in the latter form in Harman, 1567, and in Sc. dial. (Banffsh.) ‘a piece of strong coarse cloth, or of a thick dirty dress; anything waste or dirty, trash’ (Jam.); in the former in mod. Eng. dial. (Northamptonsh.) palt refuse, rubbish; which is perhaps identical with Fris. palt, E.Fris. palte, palt, MLG. and LG. palte, pulte a rag, MDu. (‘Sax., Fris., Sicamb.’, in Kilian 1599) palt broken or torn piece, fragment, Da. pialt tatter, clout, rag, pl. pialter, Sw. palta, pl. paltor rags. See also the adj. and peltry.]
Refuse, rubbish, trash; anything worthless.
| 1556 J. Hullier in Foxe A. & M. (1583) 2004/2, I thank ye all, that ye haue deliuered and lightened me of all this paltry. 1566 Pasquine in Traunce To Rdr., [They] use al the fetches possibly how they may keepe all things vpright, and cloute vp with stable straw, and such paltry, the reuynes, breaches, and decayes, of this their Chaos. Ibid. 52 How the Popes paltrie must be estemed. 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. III. 1222/1 From thense to Donfrise, which they sacked and spoiled of such paltrie as the fugitiues had left. 1580 Hollyband Treas. Fr. Tong, Badinage, paltrie or peltrie, or riffe raffe, or ceremonies. 1586 J. Ferne Blaz. Gentrie 99 In those dayes, we leawd and vnlearned people durst not passe by it in the Church yarde without bending of a knee, now these paltryes..been taken away. 1589 Bruce Serm. (1591) Y iv, Gif a mans heart be set vpon the geare of this warld, vpon the paltrie that is in it, greedines commandeth that man. 1602 Warner Alb. Eng. ix. li. (1612) 232 Your Pardons, pilgrimages, and your halowed paltries vaine. a 1825 Forby Voc. E. Anglia, Paltry, rubbish; refuse or trash of any sort. |
▪ II. paltry, a.
(ˈpɔːltrɪ)
Also 6 paultery, pawltre, 6–7 paltrie, paultrie, 7–8 paultry.
[Appears in 16th c. nearly with prec. n., of which it may be an attrib. use, as in trumpery n. and adj.; cf. also LG. paltrig, pultrig (Brem. Wbch.), E.Fris. palterig, paltrig ragged, torn, f. dial. Ger. palter, pl. -ern rag, MLG. palter-, polter- (in palter-, polterlappen rags), E.Fris. palter, pulter a rough broken or splintered piece (e.g. of wood or stone), derivatives of palte, palt n., mentioned in prec.]
Rubbishy, trashy, worthless; petty, insignificant, trifling; contemptible, despicable; of worthless nature. a. Of things.
| 1570 B. Googe Pop Kingd. iii. (1880) 30 For this such strange religion haue they framde, and paultrie gere. 1573 G. Harvey Letter-Bk. (Camden) 131 It gav then sownde owte like a paultery bell. 1592 Nottingham Rec. IV. 238 For byldyng a sort of pawltre howses wyche hathe downe gret hurt to owar towne. 1678 R. L'Estrange Seneca's Mor. (1702) 96 For every paultry Sum of Money, there must be Bonds. 1692 Bentley Boyle Lect. i. 7 Such a contemptible paultry Hypothesis. 1751 Smollett Per. Pic. (1779) III. lxxx. 69 A paultry chamber in the third story. 1784 Cowper Task v. 348 We love the man, the paultry pageant you. 1791 Sir J. Mackintosh Vind. Gallicæ Wks. 1846 III. 104 The most paltry and shallow arts of sophistry. 1867 Freeman Norm. Conq. I. v. 347 The paltry trick was successful. 1892 Stevenson Across the Plains 222 Quite dead to all but the paltriest considerations. |
b. Of persons.
| c 1592 Marlowe Jew of Malta ii. Wks. (Rtldg.) 159/1 My daughter here, a paltry silly girl. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. ii. i. 163 Our Messenger to this paltrie Knight. 1602 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass. Prol. 11 Yon paultry Crittick Gentlemen. 1642 Milton Apol. Smect. Introd., Wks. (1851) 262 The idlest and the paltriest Mime that ever mounted upon banke. 1704 Swift T. Tub Author's Apol., He is a paultry imitating pedant. 1773 Goldsm. Stoops to Conq. i. i, A low, paltry set of fellows. 1828 Scott F. M. Perth xxix, I..showed little of that paltry apprentice boy, whom you used to—use just as he deserved. 1874 Blackie Self-Cult. 57 With all this, if he is not good, he may be a paltry fellow. |