▪ I. † dreve, v.1 Obs.
Forms: 1 drœ́fan, dréfan, 2–3 drefe, 3 dreofe, dreaue, 3–4 dreve.
[OE. dréfan = OS. drôƀjan, druovjan (LG. dröfen, dröven, Du. droeven), OHG. *truobjan, truoban, (MHG. trüeben, G. trüben), Goth. drôbjan to disturb; f. OTeut. *drôƀu- turbid, disturbed; perh. from an ablaut series draƀ-, drôƀ-, whence also draff. Cf. drove v.1, drovy a.]
trans. To trouble, disturb, agitate.
| Beowulf (Th.) 2838 Water under stod dreoriᵹ and ᵹedrefed. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John xiv. 1 Ne sy eower heorte ᵹedrefed [Lindisf. G. ᵹedroefed]. c 1200 Ormin 147 He warrþ drefedd & forrdredd. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 195 Unbilefde folc þe wolden dreuen hem. a 1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 193 Ne beoð heo neuer i-dreaued mid winde ne mid reine. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 318 Ic wene ðat ic and eue sulen alle is blisse dreue. c 1400 Anturs of Arth. xxii, Alle the Duseperis of Fraunse with ȝour dyn deuyt [Thornt. MS. dreuede]. |
▪ II. † dreve, v.2 Obs.
Also 5 Sc. drefe.
[OE. drǽfan to drive, impel (:—dráƀjan) corresp. to Goth. draibjan to drive, trouble, vex:—OTeut. *draiƀjan, f. draiƀ- ablaut grade of dreiƀan, OE. dr{iacu}fan to drive.]
1. trans. To drive away or apart; to separate.
| c 1325 Chron. Eng. 406 in Ritson Met. Rom. II. 287 Thus wes Englond to-deled, Ant uch kyng from other dreved. c 1340 Cursor M. 5316 (Fairf.) Mony baret fra him was dreued. Ibid. 6766. c 1470 Henry Wallace xi. 1330 Bot cowatice the ay fra honour drefyd [v.r. dreft]. |
| absol. 1573 Tusser Husb. xxxv. (1878) 83 If yee deale guilefully, parson will dreue, and so to your selfe a worse turne ye may geue. |
2. intr. To move, proceed, tend.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 1768 (Gött.) Þe springes gan ouer al vte dreue. c 1400 Destr. Troy 7123 Thus curstly þat knighthode..þurgh domys of destany dreuyt to noght. |
▪ III. dreve, drevin, -yn
obs. pa. pple. of drive v.