▪ I. ˈswelter, n.
[f. next.]
A sweltering condition. Also in phr. (slang) to do a swelter, to perspire.
| 1851 Illustr. Lond. News 23 Aug. 234/3 Perspiring multitudes who stand the swelter with a pluck which would do honour to niggers. 1884 Punch 11 Oct. 180/1 So I let them as liked do a swelter. |
¶ Equivalent to sweltered venom (see sweltered 1), or confused with welter = slough.
| 1894 Crockett Mad Sir Uchtred 156 He skimmed the green swelter of the bottomless shaking bogs. 1914 J. K. Graham Anno Domini 138 Knowledge of falsehood dug out of the swelter of the pit. |
▪ II. swelter, v.
(ˈswɛltə(r))
Also 5 sweltre, 6 squelter; 5 swalt(e)ryn, sqwalt-, squalt(e)ryn.
[f. root of swelt v. + -er5. Cf. sulter.
Promp. Parv. has a variant derived from the grade swalt-; cf. swaltyng s.v. swelting vbl. n., and swaltish.]
1. intr. To be oppressed with heat; to sweat profusely, languish, or faint with excessive heat.
| c 1403 Lydg. Temple of Glas 358 Þuruȝ myn axcesse..I sweltre and swete. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 471/1 Sqwalteryn, for hete or oþer cawsys (P. squaltryn or swaltryn), sincopo, exalo. Ibid. 481/2 Swalteryn for hete, or febylnesse, or other cawsys (P. or swownyn), exalo, sincopizo. 1575 Gascoigne Dan Bartholomew Wks. 1907 I. 123 My seale is sorrowes sythe, within a fielde of flame, Which cuts in twaine a carefull heart, y{supt} sweltreth in the same. 1624 Quarles Sion's Elegies viii. 9 Oh, let me swelter in those sacred beams. 1624 ― Sion's Sonn. i. 5, I was enforc'd to swelter in the Sunne. 1662 Trenchfield Chr. Chym. 3 Like Physitians who willing to appeare richly clad, swelter in Plush in hot summer. 1714 Mandeville Fab. Bees (1729) II. 24 The venerable Counsellor,..that at his great Age continues sweltering at the Bar to plead the doubtful Cause. 1825 Scott Let. to Morritt 3 Aug., in Lockhart, Your kind letter..finds me sweltering under the hottest weather I ever experienced. 1880 L. Oliphant Land of Gilead xi. 313 A fat offical sweltering in his uniform under the burning sun. |
| fig. 1582 Stanyhurst æneis i. (Arb.) 31 Thee labor hoat sweltreth [L. Fervet opus]. 1716 M. Davies Athen. Brit. III. 10 Were they treated by Church-Zealots with a more Charitable Indifferency or Pity,..they would soon swelter away..to the Church Communion. |
b. Said of natural objects.
| 1635 Quarles Embl. iii. xiv. 17, I behold..the battlements of heav'n Sweltring in Flames. 1833 I. Taylor Fanat. vi. 197 The very bowels of the world swelter and are molten. 1840 Dickens Old C. Shop xlv, Stagnant pools, which here and there lay idly sweltering by the black road⁓side. 1865 Parkman Champlain i. in Pioneers France N. World (1876) 201 It was late in August, and the leafy landscape sweltered in the sun. |
c. fig. with reference to the heat of burning desire, or the oppressiveness of a burden.
| 1571 Jewel Def. Apol. etc. viii. ii. 219 Better it is to Marrie, then to swelter inwardely with filthy affections. 1620 Swetnam Arrayned (1880) 43 As if they meant to dye for loue, When they but swelter in the reeke of Lust. 1675 Brooks Gold. Key Wks. 1867 V. 212 Shall he lie sweltering under his Father's wrath? 1715 M. Davies Athen. Brit. I. 136 He chose rather to swelter under the Weight of the learned Mr. Selden's Authority. |
d. To move slowly or painfully (as if) oppressed with heat.
| 1834 M. Scott Cruise Midge (1863) 162 The labouring ship sweltered about on the boiling sea. 1884 Manch. Exam. 15 Nov. 5/1 In the height of summer English troops were to swelter through the desert. |
2. trans. To oppress with heat; to cause to sweat, languish, or faint with oppressive heat. Chiefly pass.
| 1601 Sir W. Cornwallis Ess. ii. xlvi. (1631) 263 As painfull, as a body sweltred in a crowde. 1609 Holland Amm. Marcell. 262 Sweltered with the flaming heat of the Sun. 1650 Fuller Pisgah iv. iv. 70 Say not that the High-priest was sweltred, being built so many stories high in his garments. 1763 Brit. Mag. IV. 405 We were sweltered in the sun, or blown through with a north-east wind. 1825 J. Neal Bro. Jonathan I. 368, I was half sweltered to death, under a great pile o' blankets. 1890 J. Pulsford Loyalty to Christ I. 140 The heat that swelters a bear is the delight of a lark. |
b. fig. with reference to the heat of strong emotion or desire.
| 1582 Stanyhurst æneis iv. (Arb.) 115 Shee stormeth sweltred in anger. 1765 Falconer Demagogue 279 He.., swelter'd with revenge. 1835 Beckford Recoll. 158 The..stranger, who felt..sufficiently annoyed and sweltered. |
† 3. intr. and pass. To be bathed in liquid; hence, to welter, wallow (lit. and fig.). Obs.
| 1595 Locrine iii. iv, I long to see The trecherous Scithians squeltering in their gore. 1596 Lodge Marg. Amer. 136 A soule sweltered in sinnes. 1610 G. Fletcher Christ's Tri. ii. xx, Acquieting the soules, that newe before Their way to heav'n through their owne blood did skore, But now..Swelter in quiet waves of immortalitie. a 1640 Day Parl. Bees (1881) 75 The mossie weeds, halfe swelter'd, serv'd As beds for vermin hunger-sterv'd. 1647 C. Harvey Schola Cordis xxxviii. (1778) 119 Swelter'd and swill'd in sweat. 1654–66 Earl of Orrery Parthen. (1676) 324 He fell on the ground, sweltering in a Sea of Bloud. 1865 Bushnell Vicar. Sacr. iii. v. (1866) 271 The transgressor could as easily re-gather his money sown upon the Gulf Stream, as gather himself back out of the penal causations in which he is sweltering. |
4. trans. with allusion, more or less precise, to Shakespeare's sweltered venom (see next, 1): To exude (venom); also absol., and intr. for pass.
| 1834 Lytton Pompeii iii. x, Burn flame—simmer herb—swelter toad. 1837 Dickens Pickw. li, A reptile contemporary has recently sweltered forth his black venom in the..attempt [etc.]. 1842 F. E. Paget Milford Malvoisin 165 The concentrated venom which was sweltering in her countenance. 1847 L. Hunt Men, Women, & Bks. I. xiv. 234 The fat seemed sweltering and full of poison. |