▪ I. accloy, v. Obs. or arch.
(əˈklɔɪ)
Also 5 encloy, 8 ancloy, 5–6 acloy.
[a. OFr. encloye-r, earlier encloër (mod. enclouer):—late L. inclāvā-re to drive in a nail, f. in in + clāvāre to nail, f. clāv-us nail. The Anglo-Fr. en-, an-, being formally associated with OE. an-, on-, was worn down to a-, by aphesis of which came the later cloy. By further confusion with a:—L. ad, acloy became in the literary spelling of 6–7 ac-cloy, as a-cuse became ac-cuse. Hence the series en-cloy, an-cloy, a-cloy (cloy), ac-cloy.]
The development of meaning is fully seen under cloy.
1. To drive a nail into a horse's foot when shoeing; hence, to lame. lit. and fig.
| c 1325 Polit. Songs. 335 Thus knihtshipe [is] acloied and waxen al fot lame. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxi. 296 With crokes and with kalketrappes · a-cloye we hem echone. c 1440 Prompt. Parv. A-cloyed, Acclaudicatus, inclavatus, Acloyȝen (acloyin), Acclaudico, acclavo, inclavo. 1530 Palsgr. 416 I a cloye with a nayle as an yuell smythe dothe an horse foote, Je encloue. I wolde ryde further but my horse is a cloyed..est encloué. 1607 Topsell Four-footed Beasts (1673) 323 Of Accloyd or Prickt, Accloyd is a hurt that cometh of shooing, when a Smith driveth a nail in the quick, which will make him to halt. 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Prict, Prict, otherwise call'd Ancloy'd, Cloy'd and Retraised, a Misfortune which befalls Horses, when by the Negligence, or Unskilfulness of the Farrier, they are prick'd in driving the Nails. |
2. To pierce, stab. rare.
| 1470 Harding Chron. lxx. 5. 5 Of his people many [were] slain and foule acloyed. |
3. To stop up an aperture as with a nail, peg, or other obstruction, to stop a passage. See cloy. Hence,
4. To block, obstruct, clog, choke. lit. and fig.
| c 1430 Lydgate Bochas iii. xxi. 92 a (1554) Wherby his purpose should be encloyed. 1555 Fardle of Facions ii. viii. 172 Otherwise the housebande menne should in siede tyme..be muche acloyed and hyndered by the fowels. 1596 Spenser F.Q. ii. vii. 15 But mucky filth his braunching armes annoyes, And with uncomely weedes the gentle wave accloyes. 1647 H. More Song of the Soul ii. i. i. xii. They are ill accloy'd With cloddie earth, and with blind duskishnesse annoy'd. 1652 Ashmole Theatr. Chem. Brit. lv. 201 For with what Mettall soever that Mercury be joyned, Because of her Coldnes and Moistnes sche ys acloyd. 1676 Cudworth Serm. 1 John ii. 3. (ed. 3) 55 Heaven [is]..Holiness, freed from those encumbrances that did ever clog it and accloy it here. 1835 Browning Paracelsus Wks. 1863 I. 29 Discovering the true laws by which the flesh Accloys the spirit. |
5. To fill full. a. To fill to satiety. b. To overfill, overload, burden, oppress.
| c 1374 Chaucer Assembly of Foules 518 Whoso it doth, full foule himself acloyeth, For office uncommitted oft annoyeth. 1430 Lydgate Chron. Troy i. x. The people in sorowe and wo acloyed. 1557 Paynell Barclay's Jugurtha, 28 b, Many other of his sect were corrupt and accloyed with bribes. 1567–9 Jewel Def. Apol. (1611) 373 We are accloied with Examples in this behalfe. 1581 T. Howell His Devises (1879) 189 Whose wanton Fole by her sweete mylke acloyde Oft kicks the Nurse. 1610 G. Fletcher Christ's Vict. in Farr S.P. (1848) 72 Their brain sweet incense with fine breath accloyes. 1611 Cotgr. To accloy: see, to cumber, to overcharge. |
6. To overburden (the stomach); to nauseate.
| 1519 W. Horman Vulgaria xi. 32 b, My stomake is accloyed. 1530 Palsgr. 416 I acloye ones stomacke with excesse of meate and drinke, Jengloutis. |
7. To disgust, weary, become offensive to.
| 1530 Palsgr. 416 I acloye, I forwery, Je lasse. He acloyeth me horrybly: il me lasse horriblement. 1593 G. Harvey Pierces Super. 138 What honest mynde or civill disposition is not accloied with these noisome and nasty gargarismes. 1704 Ray Creation ii. 230 They..would be accloyed with long Nights very tedious. |
▪ II. † aˈccloy Obs. rare—1.
[The vb. used subst.]
Farriery. A stab or prick with a nail.
| 1725 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Halting, Distemper..in the Sole from some Prick, Accloy, Nail, etc. |