v. Obs. Forms: α. 4 werrai, werri(e, (werhai, werrei, weirai), 4–5 werray(e, werrey(e, 5 verray, (verrio, werrye), 4–6 werry; β. 4 warrai, wary, Sc. varray, varra, warra, 4–5 warry, 4–6 warrey, 4–6, 8–9 arch. warray. [ME. werreye, a. OF. werreier, dial. var. of guerreier (mod. F. guerroyer) = Pr. guerreiar, Sp., Pg. guerrear, It. guerreggiare; a Com. Rom. formation on *werra WAR sb.1]
1. trans. To make war upon, ravage by war. = WAR v. 1.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7338. Men werraid þam on ilka side.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xxxiv. 1. Crist … says … werray [Vulg. expugna], that is ouercum, thaim that fightis agaynes me in ded.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IX. 646. I trow he sall nocht mony a day Haue will to warra that cuntre.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sqr.’s T., 2. At Sarray in the land of Tartarye Ther dwelte a kyng that werreyed Russye.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., II. i. 7. Nynus … Tuk vp armys to warray [v.r. verray] Seyr landis þat about hym lay.
c. 1450. Merlin, xx. 320. We go the gladlyer … to turneyen a-gein these sarazins that this londe do werryen.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 140. Gif a lady … is warraid with a hautane knycht of Gascoyne.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. (1811), 458. Iohn duke of Normandy … herynge that his father was thus warreyed wt the Kynge of Englonde, brake vp his syege and came … vnto his father.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. v. 48. And them long time before, great Nimrod was, That first the world with sword and fire warrayd. Ibid., II. x. 50. Ibid., II. x. 72.
1594. Selimus, B 3 b. But after Ninus, warlike Belus sonne; The earth with vnknowne armour did warray.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, I. vi. Sixe yeeres were ronne since first in martiall guize The Christian Lords warraid the eastren land.
b. transf. and fig.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 23752. Þe flexs…, Þe werld…, Þe warlau…, Þis werrais vs on ilk side.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, ii. (Paul), 541. Saule, saule, quhy warrais þou me?
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 401. Impacient is he that wol nat been ytaught ne vndernome of his vice and by strif werreieth [v.r. werreth] trouthe wityngly.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 3917. Bothe in cloistre and in abbey Chastite is werreyed over-al.
c. 1430. Lydg., Compl. Bl. Knt., 665. Jelousye … That hath so longe,… Werreyed Trouthe with his tirannye.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 17. Sanct Augustyne, sanct Jerome, with mony othir quhilkis warrayd the inymyes of the faith.
1595. Spenser, Amoretti, xliv. This continuall cruell ciuill warre, The which my selfe against my selfe doe make: Whilest my weak powres of passions warreid arre.
1768. Downman, Land of Muses, xlix.
| With this she oft hath Villainy warray’d, | |
| And made him stooping hide his felon head. |
2. intr. To make war. Const. on, upon, against; also to warray forth. = WAR v. 2.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2493. Four kinges werraiid a pon fiue. Ibid., 21872. Folk þai sal gain oþer rise To werrai samen mani wise. Ibid., 24766. A king was hight willam basterd, Þat warraid in jngland ful hard.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Former Age, 25. What sholde it han avayled to werreye [v.r. warrey]? Ther lay no profyt ther was no rychesse.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 140. [He] That was than in the haly land, On saracenys warrayand. Ibid., XII. 363. Bot quha sa varrayis vrangwisly, Thai faynd god all too gretumly.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xxxii. 145. Þou schall fynd na thing with vs wharfore þou schuld werray vpon vs.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, VIII. i. (1558), 2 b/2. First agaynste Parthois he cast him to werrey.
1436[?]. in Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 167. Oure meny wode Wyth grete poure passed over the ffloode, And verrie forth into the dukes londe.
c. 1470. Hardyng, Chron. (1812), Pref. 1. At sextene yere, to werray and to wage, To juste and ryde.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. x. 21. Ebranck … warreyd on Brunchild In Henault.
1600. Holland, Livy, IX. xvii. 325. In case he had fought the Carthaginian were first (for if he had lived he ment to have warried there) and then passed over into Italie.
b. transf. and fig.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 32. On charite ai werrais wreth. Ibid., 727. Bath þai werhaid on adam, For to bring him in to blam. Ibid., 7548. Goddes euer on right wis side, werraiand again wrangwis pride.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, xvi. 14. The whilk toke my saule to werray with the kyngdome of wickidnes.
c. 1450. Lydg., Life our Lady, lxiv. (1484), i viij b. It yaue hem myght to make resistence Ageyn synne and knyghtly to warreye.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 110. Thare suld na subject obey till his soverane to werrey agaynis his God.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. v. 48. Thus warreid he long time against his will.
Hence Warraying vbl. sb., warring; persecution. Warraying ppl. a. (also absol., a persecutor = WARRIOR 1).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 19602. Lat we nu þe prechurs stand, For to spek of a warraiand; Saulus soght aiquar and thrett All þe cristen he wit mett. Ibid., 27259. Enentes knightes, & mistakyng and namli wrangwis warraing [v.r. werraing].
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 650. Bot ȝe wat nocht quhat-kyn forcon Ȝhe mon dre in ȝour warraying. Ibid., V. 140.
c. 1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., II. i. 9. With moo than one manere of werreyng.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. x. 33. I sal distroy … the tovn, Quhilk is the caus of all our werying.
1852. Fraser’s Mag., XLV. 649/2. Those world-warraying heroes that left in every land of Europe the memory of their incredible valour.
