▪ I. edify, v.
(ˈɛdɪfaɪ)
Also 4 ede-, edifien, 4–7 edifie, 4–6 ede-, edy(f)fy, edifye, 6 ædefie, 6–7 ædify.
[a. F. édifie-r, ad. L. ædificā-re, f. ædes, ædis dwelling + -ficāre to make; see -fy.]
1. trans. To build; to construct (a dwelling, edifice) of the usual building materials. rare in mod. use.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter l. 19 Þat edified be þe waghes of ierusalem. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. xxi. 42 To for-don hit on a day, and in þre dayes after Edefien hit efte newe. 1462 J. Paston in Lett. 461. II. 113 A plase late be the seid Sir John edified at Caster. c 1534 tr. Pol. Verg. Eng. Hist. (1846) I. x. 46 He did..ædefie a gate on the bancke of the river Thames. 1641 Termes de la Ley 117 To take timber to edifie the house againe. 1704 Hearne Duct. Hist. (ed. 3) I. 187 Babylon..was largely edified by the Assyrian Monarchs. 1851 Longfellow Gold. Leg. ii. 118 The names of all who had died in the convent since it was edified. |
† b. absol.
| c 1400 Test. Love i. (1560) 276 b/2 Lo this man began to edifie, but for his foundement is bad, to the ende may he it nat bring. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. i. 364 The see gravel is lattest for to drie, And lattest may thou therwith edifie. 1531 Elyot Gov. i. viii, A man, whiche intendeth to edifie. 1655 L'Estrange Chas. I, 124 To edifie at pleasure upon the Convent Garden. |
† c. To furnish with buildings.
| c 1432–50 tr. Higden (1865) I. 199 Apulia is a coste of the see of Ytaly..byldede and edifiede firste by Grekes. 1596 Spenser F.Q. iii. i. 14 Through countries waste, and eke well edifyde. |
† 2. To construct, set up, irrespective of the object, or kind of materials. Obs. or arch.
| 1460 J. Capgrave Chron. 21 The puple edified ymages to her liknes. 1546 Langley Pol. Verg. De Invent. iii. v. 70 Some beganne to edify cotages of boughes of trees. 1591 Spenser Virg. Gnat 661 And thereupon did raise full busily A little mount, of greene turffs edifide. 1643 Sir T. Browne Relig. Med. (1682) 51 She was edified out of the Rib of Adam. 1850 Neale Med. Hymns 155 The brazen sea That Solomon had edified. |
† b. To work up or fashion (materials) into a building or structure. Cf. build 5. Obs.
| 1382 Wyclif Gen. ii. 22 And the Lord God edified the rib, the whiche he toke of Adam, into a woman. |
† c. fig. To build up, establish, organize (a system, institution, or law, a moral quality, etc.), to establish or strengthen (a person).
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter xxvii[i]. 7[5] Þou sall distroy þaim & noght edifye þaim. c 1374 Chaucer Boeth. iv. vi. 140 Þere þat uertues han edified þe bodie of þe holy man. 1425 Ord. Whittington's Alms-house in Entick London (1766) IV. 354 Inforcing himself to edifie and nourish charity..among his felawes. 1461–83 Ord. R. Househ. 61 The Clerkys of Greneclothe..to helpe kepe in course the Statutes..edyfyed before-tyme. 1534 Whittynton Tullyes Offices i. (1540) 34 Solon fyrste edifyed the schole called Areopagus in Athenes. 1704 Swift T. Tub i. (1710) 28 To edify a name and reputation. 1781 Gibbon Decl. & F. III. xlix. 95 He secretly edified the throne of his successors. |
† d. To frame a notion; ‘make out’, imagine.
| 1645 Milton Tetrach. Wks. 1738 I. 238, I cannot edify how, or by what rule of proportion that man's virtue calculates. |
† e. intr. To take form, grow; also fig. to prosper, achieve success. Cf. 4. Obs.
| a 1400 Cov. Myst. 252 Mannys sowle in blys now xal edyfy. 1622 Bacon Henry VII, 160 Perkins Proclamation did little edifie with the people of England. 1646 Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. 147 It [the seed] then beginneth to edifie in chiefe. a 1662 Heylin Laud i. 142 But all this did not edifie with the House of Commons. |
3. trans. In religious use: To build up (the church, the soul) in faith and holiness; to benefit spiritually; to strengthen, support. Also absol.
In early use sometimes with distinct allusion to sense 1; rarely in bad sense as in quot. 1440.
| 1340 Ayenb. 197 Þe uelaȝrede of poure men, þet byeþ poure uor God..hise moȝe wel edefie be uorbisnes. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 354 Petre and Poul..token power of Crist..but for to edifie þe Chirche. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xvi. 58 (Add. MS.) All that is done agayn conscience edefieth to helle. 1521 More Heresyes i. Wks. (1557) 108/2 In whose deuout sermons the people were greatly edified. 1542 Brinklow Compl. xxiv. (1874) 62 Thei were edifyed to walke in the amendment of lyfe. 1604 Drayton Owle 908 To edifie the conscience that is weake. 1719 Swift To Yng. Clergym. Wks. 1755 II. ii. 9 A plain convincing reason..will edify a thousand times more than the art of wetting the handkerchiefs of a whole congregation. 1776 Gibbon Decl. & F. xxi, The complaints and mutual accusations which assailed the throne of Constantine..were ill adapted to edify an imperfect proselyte. 1876 Freeman Norm. Conq. I. App. 751 He was much edified by the king's prayers and almsdeeds. |
b. To inform, instruct; to improve in a moral sense; sometimes ironical.
| 1534 Ld. Berners Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546) G v b, His saiynges thus ended, the Senate was greatly edified therwith. 1601 Shakes. Twel. N. v. i. 298 Looke then to be well edified when the Foole deliuers the Madman. 1606 ― Tr. & Cr. v. iii. 112 My loue with words and errors still she feedes But edifies another with her deedes. 1705 Stanhope Paraphr. I. 3, I shall endeavour to edifie my Reader in the Virtues proper to these Purposes. 1845 Baroness Bunsen in Hare Life (1879) II. iii. 84, I have been much edified by seeing how your father and sister take the privation. |
† 4. intr. To profit in a spiritual sense. Obs.
| 1636 W. Sampson Vow-Breaker I ij, Is there any man here desires to edyfie? I am in the humour of converting. 1657 J. Goodwin Triers Tried 6 A Minister, whom they can cordially..affect, or by whom they can edifie. a 1670 Hacket Abp. Williams i. (1692) 188 And few will captivate their understanding to edify by a sacrilegious reformer. |
† b. To gain instruction generally. Obs.
| 1610 B. Jonson Alch. iii. i, I haue not edified more truely, by man..since the beautifull light first shone on me. 1675 Wycherley Country Wife v. (1735) 104, I edify so much by example, I will never be one [a husband]. a 1726 Vanbr. & Cib. Prov. Husb. i. i, This is like to be a warm Debate! I shall edify. 1800 T. Jefferson Writ. (1859) IV. 311 The great mass of our nation will edify and thank you. |
▪ II. † ˈedify, n. Obs.
Erroneous form of edifice.
| 1555 Eden Decades W. Ind. iii. (Arb.) 153 The houses & other edifyes of this prouynce. 1555 ― Moscouia & Cathay 279 The rouffes of whose edefies are gylted & embowed. |