Forms: α. 4– victor, 5 victore, uyctor, 6 Sc. wictor. β. 4–7 victour (6 Sc. wictour), 5 victur, -oure, vyctour(e, -owre. [a. AF. victor, victour (OF. victeur), or L. victor, agent-noun f. vict-, ppl. stem of vincĕre to overcome, conquer.]
1. One who overcomes or vanquishes an adversary; the leader of an army which wins a battle or war. Sometimes collect., the winning army or nation. Also const. of.
α. a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, xxiii. 1. A bedel þat eftere þe victory cries þat all þe land is þe victors.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), II. 99. Þe Saxons were victors, and eueriche prouince, as he was strengere, made hem kynges.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 2145. Ofte sith hit is sene … That a victor of a victe is vile ouercomyn.
1448–9. J. Metham, Wks. (E.E.T.S.), 52/1403. Yowre welffare and prosperyte Is in my uyage, yff I may uyctor be.
1570. Levins, Manip., 171. A victor, victor.
1592. Wyrley, Armorie, Capitall de Buz, i. Assailant conqueror, this braue English king Triumphant victors his noble offspring.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., IV. v. 67. What shalbe done To him that victory commands? or doe you purpose, A victor shall be knowne.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low-C. Warres, 235. His Body, when found by the Victors,… was exposed to publike shame and laughter.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, XII. 497. In vain the vanquish’d fly; the victor sends The dead men’s weapons at their living friends.
1762. Hume, Hist. Eng., I. 6. Boadicea herself, rather than fall into the hands of the enraged victor, put an end to her own life by poison.
1781. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xxx. (1787), III. 161. The Huns … soon withdrew from the presence of an insulting victor.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., xxxvii. The light yet strong buckler, and the short two-edged sword, the use of which had made them victors of the world.
1841. Elphinstone, Hist. Ind., II. 567. Two of the surviving brothers soon after came to an open conflict, and the third attacked the victor on the morning after the battle.
1871. R. Ellis, Catullus, lxiv. 112. Thence in safety, a victor, in height of glory returned.
β. 1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 87. Þan afterward þey serued þe Macedonyes, when þe Macedoynes were victours in þe est londes.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 186. Þan sall þat victoure ȝow venge on ȝour vile fais.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. 4321. Þe feld þei han, and ben þat day victours.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 510/1. Vyctowre, victor, triumphator.
1508. Dunbar, Poems, vii. 20. Welcum invincible victour moste wourthy.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, V. 78. Thinking that victour now be stoode, thus Pandarus doth braue At the stoute Greeke.
1658. Phillips, Victour, an overcomer or Conquerour.
b. transf. and fig. One who overcomes in any contest or struggle.
a. 1400. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xxiii. 132. Com to vs wiþ-outen wene, Victor of olde Enemys.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 97. Verray victor withe his woundes fyve.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 90. Help lady that he … Of his goostly enmyse may victour be.
c. 1450. Capgrave, Life St. Gilbert, 81. These same maydenes, desyring to be victouris or her kynde & eke of þe world.
1508. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 326. I crew abone that craudone, as cok that wer wictour.
1567. Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.), 23. Christ,… Victour of deid and hell.
1638. Junius, Paint. Ancients, 345. Now having obtained the chase, the victor calleth for a knife to take essay.
1687. Boyle, Martyrd. Theodora, vii. (1703), 104. O admirable contest! where the noble antagonists did not strive for victory, but death,… that the victor might perish for the vanquished.
1732. Pope, Ep. Bathurst, 313. There, Victor of his health, of fortune, friends, And fame, this lord of useless thousands ends.
1811. Shelley, Love, 7. Since withering pain no power possessed,… Nor time’s dread victor, death, confessed.
1865. Daily Tel., 31 Oct., 6/5. The silent Victor that meets us all, sooner or later.
† c. Sc. The dux of a school. Obs.
1651. Caldwell Papers (Maitl. Cl.), I. 105. To ye shoillmaster and doctor in Glasgow for Wm Mure his candilmas offering, he being victor that year, 20. 0. 0.
1724. R. Wodrow, Life J. Wodrow (1828), 78. The Archbishop Paterson’s second son was then in it [the school], and was what we then called victor.
2. attrib. (chiefly appositive), passing into adj. (cf. VICTORIOUS a.). a. Of weapons, etc., as victor arms, arrow, -banner, -spear, sword.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. x. 23. He with his victour sword first opened The bowels of wide Fraunce.
1605. Shaks., Lear, V. iii. 132. I protest,… Despite thy victor-Sword,… thou art a Traitor.
1726. Pope, Odyss., XIX. 477. My victor arms Have awed the realms around with dire alarms. Ibid., XXIV. 202. Thro’ ev’ry ring the victor arrow went.
1776. Mickle, trans. Camoens’ Lusiad, 168. O’er the wild waves the victor-banners flow’d. Ibid., 229. The victor-spear One hand employed.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, IV. xxv. Why pause the victor swords to seal his overthrow?
b. Of persons, animals, etc., as victor brethren, eagle, god, -hand, -head, -hero, etc.
c. 1640. Shirley, Cont. Ajax & Ulysses (1659), 128. Upon Deaths purple Altar now, See where the Victor-victim bleeds.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 747. The Victor Horse, forgetful of his Food, The Palm renounces, and abhors the Flood.
1703. Pope, Thebais, 668. To Argos’ realms the victor god resorts.
c. 1716. Somerville, To Addison, Estate Warricks. The victor-host amaz’d, with horror view’d Th’ assembling troops.
1727. Pope, Iliad, XII. 257. The victor eagle, whose sinister flight Retards our host.
1730. Thomson, Sophonisba, II. ii. 7. If she may touch Thy knee, thy purple, and thy victor-hand.
1776. Mickle, trans. Camoens’ Lusiad, 96. On Jordan’s bank the victor-hero strode. Ibid., 328. The victor-youth the Lusian flag displays.
1814. Scott, Lord of Isles, IV. xxx. O Scotland! shall it e’er be mine … To raise my victor-head, and see Thy hills, thy dales, thy people free?
1845. Bailey, Festus (ed. 2), 388. I, it seems, am first Of all my victor brethren to declare The triumph past and coming.
c. Miscellaneous, as victor-deed, -pæan, -palm, -pomp, shore, -shout.
c. 1381. Chaucer, Parl. Foules, 182. The olyue of pes, & ek the dronke vyne, The victor palm, the laurer to deuyne.
1776. Mickle, trans. Camoens’ Lusiad, 171. ’Twas his in victor-pomp to bear away The golden apples from Hesperia’s shore.
1803. Leyden, Scenes Infancy, IV. xviii. The groans of wounded on the blood-red plain, And victor-shouts exulting o’er the slain.
1808. Scott, Marmion, III. xxiv. Shouting crews her navy bore, Triumphant, to the victor shore. Ibid. (1814), Lord of Isles, V. xxxii. Then long and loud the victor-shout From turret and from tower rung out.
1819. Keats, Otho, I. ii. I wonder not this stranger’s victor-deeds So hang upon your spirit.
1885. J. H. Dell, Dawning Grey, Prefatory. For the leader that shall bring To the field the mightiest forces, shall the victor-pæan ring.
† 3. Victor penny, a fee paid to the schoolmaster by the scholar owning the victorious cock. Obs.
1525. Foundation Stat. Manchester Gram. School, 15 April. [The Schoolmaster shall teach the children] withoute any money or other reward taking therefor as cokke peny, victor peny, potacion peny or any other except his said stipend.
