▪ I. ruinate, ppl. a. (n.)
(ˈruːɪneɪt)
[ad. med.L. ruīnātus, pa. pple. of ruīnāre: see ruin v.]
1. a. Of buildings, etc.: Ruined, ruinous. (Common c 1550–1680; now somewhat rare.)
| 1538 Starkey England i. iii. 70 Our cytes, castellys, and townys, of late days ruynate and fallen downe. 1555 Eden Decades (Arb.) 188 They found there the foundations of certeyne owlde towres ruinate. 1596 Spenser F.Q. v. x. 26 That same citie, so now ruinate, Had bene the keye of all that kingdomes crowne. 1627 Speed England xxv. §9 Castles for defence built in this County, ruinate or in strength. a 1674 Milton Hist. Mosc. Wks. 1851 VIII. 475 They who travail from Mosco to the Caspian, go..by certain Castles to Rezan, a famous Citie now ruinate. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. II. 60/2 Those sacred Structures are now ruinate. 1868 Kingsley Hermits 324 The place is all ruinate now; the memory of St. Godric gone. 1901 ‘Lucas Malet’ Sir Richard Calmady v. i, The house..had become rather dilapidated and ruinate. |
b. Used attributively.
| 1596 Harington Metam. Ajax (1814) 85, I would not doubt, of a ruinate church to make a reverent church. 1624 Heywood Gunaik. iii. 128 He came to a certain ruinate cottage, where he desired bread and water. 1649 J. Ellistone Behmen's Epist. iv. §3 The time is at hand.. that the ruinate Jerusalem shall againe be built up. 1791 E. Inchbald Simple Story III. vi. 68 The dreary, ruinate place where her deceased mother had chosen her residence. |
c. Jamaica. Of land: exhausted, abandoned. Hence as n., land which has reverted to the wild, scrubland, ‘bush’.
| 1835 B. M. Senior Jamaica 54 Lands termed ‘ruinate’, which means such as have been used till worn out, and then allowed to grow up in bushes and weeds. Ibid. 55 In three or four years after the ruinate is cleared up, the pimento begins to bear. 1847 P. H. Gosse Birds of Jamaica 11 We see it [sc. the Red-tailed Buzzard] all the year round, sailing deliberately in wide circles over the pastures and ruinates. 1894 R. T. Banbury Jamaica Superstitions 30 We would advise parents never to allow their little ones to wander about near woods, or ruinates by themselves. |
2. Involved in ruin or disaster. Now rare.
| 1591 Spenser M. Hubberd 1040 Government of state Will without wisedome soone be ruinate. 1600 Holland Livy viii. vii. 285 The militarie discipline which this day by thy default is fallen down and ruinate. 1603 Harsnet Popish Impost. 12 One Edward Peckham.., one of a very Ruinate estate. 1637 Sir C. Gardiner in T. Morton New Eng. Canaan (1883) 112 Plotting mischeife gainst the innocent, Burning their houses, as if ordained by fate, In spight of Lawe, to be made ruinate. 1868 Kingsley in Good Words Dec. 732 The whole character [had] been warped and ruinate from childhood. 1871 ― At Last II. xvi. 287 A system which..was ruinate before emancipation. |
3. Used transitively as pa. pple. rare—1.
| 1591 Sylvester Du Bartas i. i. 319 This furious debate, Even in the birth, this Ball had ruinate. |
▪ II. ruinate, v.
(ˈruːɪneɪt)
Also 6 ruynate.
[f. ppl. stem of med.L. ruīnāre: see prec. In very common use from c 1550 to 1700; now rare.]
1. a. trans. To reduce to ruins; = ruin v. 1.
| a 1548 Hall Chron., Hen. VIII, 258 It was determined..vtterly to ruinate and destroy the saied toune with fire. 1577–87 Holinshed Chron. III. 1214/2 The armie marched toward a faire proper house,..which was blowne up with powder and utterlie ruinated. 1601 R. Johnson Kingd. & Commw. (1603) 148 There are foure meanes to ruinate a fortresse, Ordinance, mining, fire and digging. 1640 Wilkins New Planet viii. (1707) 223 High Buildings, which by this would quickly be ruinated. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. Pref. 4 Cities which..have fallen..into the Power of new Masters, who..ruinated them. 1818 G. S. Faber Horæ Mosaicæ I. 164 The professed iconoclast Xerxes.. ruinated, or rather defaced, the edifice itself. |
| absol. 1603 J. Davies (Heref.) Microcosmos Wks. (Grosart) I. 27/2 The Hart, the Lunges,..In region of the Brest, doe hold their States, Whose Bulke them Bulwarkes from what ruynates. 1616 J. Hayward Sanct. Troub. Soul ii. ix. (1620) 227 Experience teacheth vs, that it is more easie to ruinate, then to repaire. |
b. In fig. contexts. Now only arch.
| 1593 Shakes. 3 Hen. VI, v. i. 83, I will not ruinate my Fathers House, Who gaue his blood to lyme the stones together. c 1600 ― Sonn. x, Seeking that beautious roofe to ruinate, Which to repaire should be thy chiefe desire. a 1625 Boys Wks. (1629) 264 The Deuil ruinates every tenement in which he dwells. a 1670 Hacket Cent. Serm. (1675) 549 You ruinate the whole tower of Faith, and demolish it to nothing. 1922 E. R. Eddison Worm Ouroboros xviii. 253 If I do not..remedy for you our fortunes which this bloody fool hath laboured to ruinate, spit in my face. 1935 G. Barker Poems 55 Time, though slowly, ruinates Love, with which it arbitrates. |
2. To bring destruction or ruin upon, to overthrow, destroy (a kingdom, state, etc.).
| 1574 Hellowes Gueuara's Fam. Ep. (1584) 243 There is to be found a M. Hagbuts within youre house to ruinate this Realme. 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. v. iii. 204 Then afterwards, to Order well the State, That like Euents may ne're it Ruinate. 1610 Willet Daniel 64 Alexander the great, who ruinated the Persian monarchie. 1642 R. Carpenter Experience v. vii. 244 For the safety of your poore Country, which..you take paines to ruinate. |
3. To ruin or impoverish (a person). Cf. ruin v. 3.
| a 1577 Sir T. Smith Commw. Eng. (1609) 17 The rest conspiring together would soone be Maisters of them, and ruinate them wholly. 1584 Leycesters Commonw. (1641) 76 You shall scarce find a man that..feeleth not the smart thereof: being either impoverished, beggered, or ruinated thereby. 1640 Habington Edw. IV, 118 To desire the Commonaltie to contribute with their purses that many of his best friends might not be ruinated. 1674 Plymouth Col. Rec. (1857) VII. 189 The said Barker hath said and threatened that hee would ruinate them. 1797 A. M. Bennett Beggar Girl (1813) IV. 211 Mastur said he wud be ruinated, so left him at boarding school hard by. 1819 ‘R. Rabelais’ Abeillard & Heloisa 172 She was indeed thus ruinated. 1860 Dickens Uncomm. Trav. iii, It wasn't their faults..if I warn't made bad and ruinated. |
| refl. 1547 J. Harrison Exhort. Scottes h ij, What folye, or rather what fury is this, thus to ruynate your selfes. a 1647 Habington Surv. Worcs. (Worcs. Hist. Soc.) III. 395 He deposed Kinges and disposed the kingdome till hee ruinated himsealfe. |
† 4. a. To demolish or destroy; to lay waste. Obs.
| 1564–78 W. Bullein Dial. agst. Pest. (1888) 139 So for synne the bodie is ruinated and shalbe in dust until the resurrection. c 1590 Greene Fr. Bacon ix, [I have] Rais'd Hercules to ruinate that tree That Bungay mounted by his magic spells. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. 404 A strange and unknowne kind of people.., readie to ruinate and destroy all before them. 1693 Morden Geog. Rect. (ed. 3) 129 This Countrey (before those unhappy Wars..whereby it was much ruinated) was accounted the most fruitful and pleasant of all Germany. 1740 New Hist. Jamaica 221 Any Person may ruinate and destroy any Plantation deserted for the Space of 2 Months. |
† b. With life, health, etc. as object. Obs.
| c 1586 C'tess Pembroke Ps. lxiii. iv, Such as seeke my life to ruinate. 1621 Burton Anat. Mel. To Rdr. 25 Men alwaies ruinating thereby the health of their bodies. 1645 E. Pagitt Heresiogr. (1661) 28 Preserving our lives, which bloody men would soon ruinate. |
† 5. To overthrow, overturn, subvert utterly: a. an institution, practice, etc. Obs.
| 1585–7 T. Rogers 39 Art. Pref. 18 They ruinate, and at one blow beat down all times and days, by just authority destined to religious and holy uses. 1590 Swinburne Testaments 27 Without whose ministery christianity would quickly be ruinated and subuerted. 1604 Hieron Wks. I. 576 Truth they haue sought to propagate, And heresies to ruinate. 1635 E. Pagitt Christianogr. i. iii. (1636) 180 These Churches not ruinating anie fundamentall Article of saving truth. |
† b. a project, design, hope, etc. Obs.
| 1595 Daniel Civ. Wars v. xxx, Now at this Point t' attempt to ruinate So glorious a Design. 1639 S. Du Verger tr. Camus' Admir. Events 339 It had been the way wholy to ruinate his project if hee had vexed this man. 1695 Ld. Preston Boeth. iv. 178 The great Hopes and subtle Machinations of ill Men are by a sudden and unforeseen End ruinated and destroyed. |
6. intr. To go or fall to ruin. Cf. ruin v. 5.
| 1560 Whitehorne tr. Machiavelli's Arte Warre (1588) 9 If a king take not order in such wise,..it will follow of necessitie, that he ruinate. Ibid. 65 Infinite tymes there growe thynges, where by an armie ruinateth. 1642 Rogers Naaman 186 Neither stormes, nor tempests, nor any assaults shall ever cause thy building to ruinate. 1726 Leoni Alberti's Archit. I. 48/1 The Wall..is more apt to ruinate in this part than in any other. 1853 S. H. Cox Interviews Mem. & Usef. 115 (Cent.), We see others ruinating for want of our incomparable system of constitutional government. |
† 7. To fall with a crash. Obs.—1
| 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. xii. 7 On thother side they saw that perilous Rocke, Threatning it selfe on them to ruinate. |