also 4–6 abandoun(e, abandune, habandone, habandoune. [a. OFr. abandune-r, abandone-r, f. phr. à bandon: see ABANDON adv.; = mettre à bandon in its various senses; to put under any one’s jurisdiction, to leave to any one’s mercy or discretion; to leave one to his own discretion, let loose, let go; to put under public jurisdiction or ban, proscribe, banish.]
I. To subjugate absolutely.
† 1. To reduce under absolute control or authority; to subjugate, subject, subdue. (Chiefly northern.) Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, xxxii. 8. And sa the land abandonit he That none durst warn him do his will.
c. 1425. Wyntown, Cron., II. ix. 36. Þai dowtyd at [= that] hys senyhowrey, Suld þame abawndown halyly.
c. 1525. Skelton, Magnif., 1477. I have welthe at wylle Fortune to her law cannot abandune me.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, II. 141. The majeste of consulis micht nocht abandoun the instant furie of pepill.
II. To give up absolutely.
2. To give up to the control or discretion of another; to leave to his disposal or mercy; to yield, cede, or surrender absolutely a thing to a person or agent.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Persones T. De Luxuria, 800. Avoutrie … thurgh whiche tho, that somtime were on fleshe, abandone hir bodies to other persons.
1477. Earl Rivers, Dictes, 87 (Caxton). If thou wol habandone to thy body al his wil thou shalt be the worse.
1667. Dryden, Ann. Mir., 224. He sigh’d, abandoning his charge to fate.
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., I. init. To abandon that place to the merciless fury of the enemy.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 303. Those who completely abandoned to others the direction of the vessels.
† 3. To sacrifice, devote, surrender. Obs.
c. 1450. Merlin (1877), xx. 334. When he his bodye thus abandoneth for us welle ought we oures for to abandon for hym.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froissart, I. ccxv. 272. All those that wolde take on them this croysey, and that wolde abandon their bodyes willyngly to distroy these yuell people and their companyons.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 163. He will abandon all his worth, and gage his credit too, but hee will haue it.
1718. Lady M. W. Montagu, Letters, lxxix. 131. I abandon all things to the care of pleasing you.
4. refl. To give oneself up without resistance, to yield oneself unrestrainedly—as to the mastery of a passion or unreasoning impulse.
1564. Haward, Eutropius, vii. 68. [Nero] at laste, did habondone hymselfe whollye over to so great disworship, that he woulde daunce and singe openly in the apparaile of common mynstrelles.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., I. iv. 19. If she be so abandon’d to her sorrow As it is spoke, she never will admit me.
1722. De Foe, Hist. Plague, 165. They gaue themselves up, and abandoned themselves to their despair.
1762. Kames, Elem. Crit., II. 26 (1833). Has nothing left but to abandon himself to chance.
1879. McCarthy, Hist. Own Time, II. xxix. 379. He seldom abandons himself altogether to the inspiration of the poet.
† 5. intr. (by omission of refl. pron.) and pass. To give oneself up, devote oneself to a pursuit or course. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 1603 (I. 213). Which so ferforth was abandouned To Cristis feith. Ibid., III. 253. Lucrece his wife all environed With women, which were abandoned To werche.
1483. Caxton, G. Leg., 144/2. After he abandonned to lede an holy lyf.
6. trans. To relinquish to underwriters all claim to property insured, or to any part of it which may be recovered, after a loss. (Often used absol.)
1755. N. Magens, Essay on Insurances, I. 89. When a ship … shall not be heard of in three months beyond the usual time for such a voyage, she may be considered as lost, and the Insured is permitted to abandon Ship and Cargo to the Insurers, and to demand payment of the sums they have respectively underwrote.
1809. Tomlins, Law Dict., s.v. Insurance II. 7. As soon as the Insured receive accounts of such a loss as entitles them to abandon, they must, in the first instance, make their election whether they will abandon or not; and if they abandon, they must give the Underwriters notice in a reasonable time, otherwise they waive their right to abandon.
1848. Arnould, Law of Mar. Ins. (1866), II. III. vi. 855. If the assured, by mortgaging his ship, has parted with the power of conveying an absolute title, he cannot abandon to the underwriters on ship.
7. To let go, give up, renounce, leave off (a possession, habit, practice, pursuit); to cease to hold, use, or practise.
1393. Gower, Conf., prol. 766 (I. 29). Thus was abandoned Thempire, which came never ayeine Into the hands of no Romaine.
1460. Pol. Rel. & Love Poems, 70. For suche yefte is Abandounyng expresse That [= what] with worship a-yein may not be take.
1577. trans. Bullinger, Decades, 111. The commaundement for abandoning and not worshipping of images.
1777. Burke, Lett. to Bristol Sheriffs, Wks. III. 173. The sense of the nation obliged the court of Charles the second to abandon the Dutch war.
1856. Kane, Arctic Explor., II. xvi. 172. Our fine theodolite we were forced to abandon.
1879. Lubbock, Scient. Lect., v. 152. It is a great mistake to suppose that implements of stone were abandoned directly metal was discovered.
8. To forsake, leave, or desert (a place, person, or cause); to leave without one’s presence, help, or support.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, vi. 29. To habandoune and leue the swete countrey of theyr natiuyte.
1588. Allen, Admonition, 57. The like vsurper Richard the third, being … abandoned of the nobility and people.
1671. Milton, Sams., 118. As one past hope, abandoned, And by himself given over.
1722. De Foe, Hist. Plague, 105. How can you abandon your own flesh and blood?
1792. Anecd. of W. Pitt, II. xxii. 3. King Frederick’s good fortune did not abandon him.
1879. Miss Braddon, Vixen, III. 215. I felt myself abandoned and alone in the world.
¶ In many expressions, as to abandon a ship, fortress, post of duty, etc., the idea partakes of both 7 and 8.
1790. Burke, Reg. Peace, Let. IV. Wks. V. 98. The helm of justice is abandoned.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 633. When Tangier was abandoned, Kirke returned to England.
1860. Maury, Phys. Geog. Sea, xix. 807. That ship was made a complete wreck in a few moments, and she was abandoned by the survivors.
III. To let loose.
† 9. refl. To let oneself loose, give oneself up impetuously or recklessly, rush headlong, risk oneself. Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVII. 393. Thar mycht men assailȝeouris se Abandoune thame richt hardely. Ibid., III. 48. And the King him abandonyt ay To defend behind his mengȝe.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arthur of Lytell Bryt. (1814), 120. Hector … spurred hys horse, and habandoned hymselfe amonge his enemyes.
† 10. To let loose, set free, liberate. Obs. rare.
1583. Stanyhurst, Virgil, II. 41. Thow soon of holye godesse, from flame thy carcas abandon Thee foes haue conquer’d, Troy towne is fyred of al sides.
IV. To banish.
† 11. To put to the ban, interdict, proscribe, banish: fig. to expel, cast out, reject. Obs.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Paraph., Matt. xi. 2. Abandone them from him and deliuer them to Jesus.
1567. R. Mulcaster, Fortescue (1672), 98. To abandon sin out of the Realme, & to advance vertue.
1570. Levins, Manipulus, To Abandon, Exterminare.
1581. John Studley, Seneca’s Tragedies, Hippolytus, 58 b. Craggy crested Taurus mount whose hoary and frosty face With numming cold abandons all inhabitors the place.
1582. Rheims Bible, Luke vi. 22. Blessed shall ye be when men shall hate you and abandon [ejecerint] your name as evil.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., Ind. ii. 112. Being all this time abandoned from thy bed.
1649. Bp. Hall, Cases of Consc., II. vii. 134 (1654). Whipt them in the publique Amphitheater, and abandoned them out of their dominions.
1660. Cimelgus Bonde, Scutum Regale, 137. Flatterers will he abandon from his Court, and those who keep other mens estates will he banish from his Realm.
† b. refl.
1577. Vautroullier, Luther’s Ep. to Galat., lf. 6. Thus I abandone my selfe from all actiue righteousness, both of mine owne and of Gods law.
