Forms: 4–6 bote(n, 5–6 boote, 6– boot; also north. 5 buten, buytt, 5–6 bute. [ME. bōten, f. bōt, BOOT sb.1, taking the place of beten (see BEET), which was scarcely used in the south after the 14th c. Cf. BOTEN.]
† 1. trans. To make better; to cure, relieve, heal; to remedy. Obs.
c. 1330. Amis & Amil., 2340. Jesu that is heuen king, Schal bote the of thi bale.
a. 1450. Syr Eglam., 187. He was botyd of mekylle care.
1481. Caxton, Reynard (Arb.), 83. The sauour of hym boteth alle syknessis.
† 2. trans. To make good (a deficiency), to make up (what is deficient); to add by way of equalizing the value of things exchanged; to give ‘into the boot.’ Obs.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. VII. 382. Ther were chapmen y-chose þe chaffare to preise; Þat he þat hadde þe hod sholde nat habbe þe cloke. Þe betere þyng; by arbytours sholde bote þe werse.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 45. Botyn, or ȝeue more overe in barganynge, licitor, in precio superaddo.
1530. Palsgr., 461/1. What will you boote bytwene my horse and yours?
3. To do good; to be of use or value; to profit, avail, help. (Only used in 3rd pers.)
a. impers. (or with it): chiefly negative and interrogative. (Usually followed by the real subject, as an infinitive phrase, or subst. clause.)
c. 1400. Roland, 499. It botes not to abide.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 66. The pore soule cried … but it boted not.
1564. Grindal, Serm., Wks. (1843), 25. It needeth not or booteth not, as the old proverb goeth.
1591. Spenser, Teares of Muses, 445. What bootes it then to come from glorious Forefathers?
1656. Cowley, Pind. Odes, Destinie, iv. With Fate what boots it to contend?
1828. Arnold, in Life & Corr. (1844), I. ii. 88. It boots not to look backwards.
1855. Browning, Cleon, in Men & Wom., II. 184. What boots To know she might spout oceans if she could?
b. with dative object (or with to.) arch.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 3391. Me botis not barly your biddyng with stonde.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. iii. 20. Him booteth not resist, nor succour call.
1612. T. Taylor, Comm. Titus i. 8 (1619), 175. It shall not boote a man to say in the day of iudgement, Lord, Lord.
1690. W. Walker, Idiom. Anglo-Lat., 65. It will not boot you to say so.
1851. Thackeray, Eng. Hum., i. (1858), 45. Boots it to you now, that the whole world loves and deplores you?
c. with sense ‘it matters.’
1752. Young, Brothers, III. i. What boots it which prevails?
1760. Sterne, Tr. Shandy, I. xix. 25. Little boots it to the subtle speculatist to stand single in his opinions.
d. with sb. (sing. or pl.) as subject.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 47. Braulyng booted not.
1596. Drayton, Legends, iv. 30. Little, I feare, my labour Me will boot.
a. 1717. Parnell, Poet. Wks. (1833), 64. What boots his hand, his heart, his head?
1795. Southey, Poems, 32. What boot to thee the blessings fortune gave? What boots thy wealth?
1884. Browning, Ferishtah, 18. Little boots Our sympathy with fiction!
† 4. trans. To benefit, increase, enrich. Obs. rare.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., II. v. 71. And I will boot thee with what guift beside Thy modestie can begge.
