▪ I. froward, a., adv., prep.
(ˈfrəʊwəd)
Forms: α. 2–5 fraward, 3 Orm. frawarrd, 4–5 frawarde, -werd, frauward, 5–6 Sc. frawart, 6 frauwerde; β. 2– froward, 4–5 frowerd, 4–6 frowarde.
[Early ME. f. fra, fro + -ward. Cf. fromward.]
A. adj. (Not now in colloquial use.)
1. Disposed to go counter to what is demanded or what is reasonable; perverse, difficult to deal with, hard to please; refractory, ungovernable; † also, in a wider sense, bad, evilly-disposed, ‘naughty’. (The opposite of toward.)
| a 1300 Cursor M. 7302 ‘Parfai’, þan answard samuel, ‘Yee ar to fraward [Trin. frowarde] wit to dele’. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 5854 If man be til God frawarde. 1382 Wyclif Deut. xxi. 18 If a man gete a rebel sone, and a fraward. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 319 To chaste froward men and sturne men. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems 141 How may this be that thou art froward To hooly chirche to pay thy dewtee. 14.. Why I can't be a Nun 317 in E.E.P. (1862) 146 For sum bene devowte, holy, and towarde..And sum bene feble, lewde, and frowarde. 1548 Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. vi. 13 Ye shall be safe..agaynste the frowarde temptour. 1577 B. Googe Heresbach's Husb. iv. (1586) 167 b, The Cocke of this kinde, is a frowarde and mischievous Birde. 1585 Abp. Sandys Serm. ii. 28 Samuel, reiected..by this froward & rebellious people. 1625 Bacon Ess., Innovations (Arb.) 527 A Froward Retention of Custome, is as turbulent a Thing, as an Innouation. 1689–90 Temple Ess., Poetry Wks. 1731 I. 249 When all is done, Human Life is, at the greatest and the best, but like a froward Child, that must be play'd with and humour'd a little to keep it quiet till it falls asleep. 1703 Clarendon's Hist. Reb. II. Ded. 5 That this Remark may not look froward or angry. a 1716 Bp. O. Blackall Wks. (1723) I. 45 Such froward and touchy People as these. 1775 Johnson 14 Apr. in Boswell, A judge may become froward from age. 1820 Hazlitt Lect. Dram. Lit. 270 In the infancy of taste, the froward pupils of art took nature to pieces, as spoiled children do a watch. 1848 Lytton Harold v. vii, ‘Speak on’ said Hilda, calmly as a nurse to a froward child. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. xix. (1858) 291 Russell had always been froward, arrogant, and mutinous. |
| absol. 1535 Coverdale Ps. xvii[i]. 26 With the frowarde thou shalt be frowarde. 1661 Bramhall Just Vind. iii. 47 They may remove the froward from their offices. 1842 J. H. Newman Par. Serm. VI. 346 If you bear with the froward. |
2. Of things: † a. Adverse, unfavourable, untoward; difficult to deal with, refractory. Of shape (cf. B. 2): Ill-formed, ugly (obs.). b. In later use only as fig. of sense 1 (said, e.g., of fortune): Perverse, ill-humoured.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 8104 Bi-halden vs inogh has þou Vr fraward scapp al ses þou hov. 13.. Seuyn Sag. (W.) 2622 The weder was cold & froward. 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems 103 By froward chaunce my hood was gone. 1513 Douglas æneis iii. ii. 149 Syryus, the frawart star. 1523 Skelton Garl. Laurel 1450 This delycate dasy, With frowarde frostis, alas was all to-fret. 1541 R. Copland Galyen's Terap. 2 D iij, Curacyon of frowarde and rebel vlceres. 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 120 To take his froward fortune and untoward luck with..patience. 1756 C. Lucas Ess. Waters III. 213 It has been my froward fate to have too much. 1793 Smeaton Edystone L. §270 During this month of froward weather. 1805 Wordsw. Prelude v. 348 The froward chaos of futurity. 1880 R. Broughton Sec. Th. ii. vii, The froward May month. |
† 3. quasi-n. A froward person or thing. Obs.
| a 1529 Skelton P. Sparowe 779 Our language is so rusty, So cankered, and so full Of frowardes. 1581 J. Bell Haddon's Answ. Osor. 266 b, Through the cankerd peevishnes of wayward frowardes. |
† B. adv. Obs.
1. In a direction that leads away from the person or thing under consideration; = fromward.
| O.E. Chron. an. 1127 Eall þæt þa beon draᵹen toward swa frett þa drane & draᵹað fraward. 1426 Audelay Poems 68 Ȝif thou to the cherche go, Toward, froward, or ellis cum fro. 1494 Fabyan Chron. v. cxxvii. 108 He myghte goo or ryde frowarde or sydewarde, but towarde the chapell myght he in no wyse atteygne. 1540–54 Croke Ps. (Percy Soc.) 34 Thy face allwey thus wilt thou let Be turned froward? 1596 Spenser F.Q. vi. x. 24 And eeke them selves so in their daunce they bore, That two of them still froward seem'd to bee, But one still towards shew'd her selfe afore. |
2. fig. Untowardly; perversely. froward shapen = misshapen (cf. from-shapen).
| a 1300 Cursor M. 8076 Sagh man neuer for-wit þat hore, Sua fraward scapen creature. 1580 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 465 Thou knowest howe frowarde matters went, when thou tookest shippe. |
† C. prep. (In a direction) away from; = fromward. Also in form frowards. Obs. (or arch.)
| c 1200 Ormin 4672 Þa turrnesst tu þe frawarrd Godd, & towarrd eorþlic ahhte. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3322 At euen cam a fuȝel-fliȝt, fro-ward arabie to hem riȝt. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. ii. viii. (1495) 36 The angels slake neuer..nother tornyth theyr entent frowarde god. c 1400 Melayne 1314 The Sowdane..sawe the Cristen in the felde Frowarde the Cite ride. c 1470 Henry Wallace v. 786 Frawart the south thaim thocht it best to draw. 1470–85 Malory Arthur x. xxx, And euer sire Tristram tracyd and trauercyd and wente froward hym here and there. 1513 Douglas æneis i. i. 57 Scho thame fordrivis, and causis oft ga will Frawart Latium. Ibid. iv. Prol. 130 Thy self or thame thou frawartis God remouis. a 1850 Rossetti Dante & Circ. i. (1874) 106 He only is a pilgrim who goeth towards or frowards the House of St. James. |
b. with tmesis fro..ward.
| c 1220 Bestiary 719 And wende we neure fro him-ward. |
▪ II. † ˈfroward, v. Obs.
[f. prec. adj.]
trans. To make froward.
| 1627–47 Feltham Resolves i. xxxvi. 119 Vexations when they daily billow upon the minde, they froward even the sweetest soul, and..turn it into spleen and testinesse. |