arch. exc. in sense 6 b. Forms: 1 wǽd, wǽde, North. wéde, wœde, 3 Orm. wæde, pl. weaden, 3–6 wede, 3–4 pl. weden, 4 north. and Sc. wed, veid, ved, (5 pl. vedis), 4–7 Sc. weid(e, 5–6 Sc. weyd, 6–7 wide, 4–7 weede, 5– weed. [ME. wēde, repr. two formations: (1) OE. wǽd fem. = OS. wâd (MLG. wât), OHG., MHG. wât (early mod.G. wat), also in comb. lînwát fem., linen (= Du. lijnwaad neut.; mod.G. in perverted form leinwand), ON. vád, vóð fem. (Norw. vaad, Sw. våd):—OTeut. *wǣði-z; (2) OE. wǽde str. neut. = OS. wâdi (MLG. wêde), prob. shortened from the collective formation OE. ʓewǽde (ME. I-WEDE), OS. giwâdi, Du. gewaad, OHG. giwâti:—OTeut. type gawǣðjo-m.
It is disputed whether the Teut. *wǣði- descends from a pre-Teut. *wēti-, root *wē- to weave (= Skr. vā), or from *wēdhi-, root *wēdh- (= Zend vad to clothe oneself; the Goth. ga-widan (OHG. wetan), to join together, is by some regarded as cognate).]
1. An article of apparel; a garment.
c. 888. Ælfred, Boeth., xxviii. Ðeah nu se unrihtwisa cynig Neron hine ʓescyrpte mid eallum þam wliteʓestum wædum.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 500. Martinus me bewæfde efne mid ðyssere wæde.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 314. Uorði þet heo hefde ileaned one wummone to one wake on of hore weaden.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1972. He … boden him sen If his childes wede it miȝte ben.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 2563. Ȝif we walken in þes wedes … what man so vs metes may vs sone knowe.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2358. Hit is my wede þat þou werez, þat ilke wouen girdel.
c. 1430. Chev. Assigne, 119. Of sadde leues of þe wode wrowȝte he hem wedes.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 289 b. By & by dooyng on hym a wede aunswerable vnto his presente fortune, he fled awaye secretely.
1569. J. Sanford, trans. Agrippa’s Van. Artes, xxv. 36. There was an obstinate strife … concerning the habite, or apparrel of S. Augustine, that is to saie, whether he did weare a blacke weede vpon a white Coate, or a white weede vpon a blacke Coate.
1614. Camden, Rem., Apparel, 233. They … began to wanton it in a new round curtall weede which they called a Cloake.
1621. Fletcher, Pilgr., V. vi. To my house now, and suite you to your worths; Off with these weeds, and appeare glorious.
a. 1706. in Watson’s Collect. Sc. Poems, I. 35. On Sabbath days his Cap was fedder’d, A seemly Weid.
1725. Pope, Odyss., XVI. 293. An aged mendicant in tatter’d weeds.
1764. H. Walpole, Otranto, v. One in a long, woolen weed.
1805. Wordsw., Prelude, III. 452. Spare diet, patient labour, and plain weeds.
1808. Scott, Marm., V. vi. The Baron dons his peaceful weeds.
1846. Keble, Lyra Innoc. (1873), 168. Her innocent vesture, the pure Chrisom weed.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., v. 9. In words, like weeds, I’ll wrap me o’er, Like coarsest clothes against the cold.
2. collect. sing. Clothing, raiment, dress, apparel.
a. 1000. Daniel, 103. Þæt þam ʓengum þrym gad ne wære wiste ne wæde.
c. 1290. St. Mary of Egypt, 160, in S. Eng. Leg., 265. Ne wilne þou nouȝt þat ich þe abide, for ich am withoute wede.
a. 1300. K. Horn, 1052. We schulle chaungi wede: Haue her cloþes myne, & tak me þi sclauyne.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XXIII. 211. Lacke shal þe neuere Wede ne worldlich mete.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 9. I stale forþe yn pore wede.
1551. Crowley, Pleas. & Payne, 140. Wyllynge that eche should at his nede, Haue breade and broth, harbour and wede.
1576. Hanmer, Anc. Eccl. Hist., Socr. Schol., II. xxxiii. 292. A little before he had bene deposed … for apparelling himselfe in such weede as was not decent for the dignity and order of priesthood.
1595. Spenser, Colin Clout, 713. For each mans worth is measured by his weed.
1616. Chapman, trans. Musæus, F 6. This sayd, his faire Limbes of his weede, he strip’t.
1788. Burns, Written in Friars-Carse Hermitage, 2. Be thou clad in russet weed.
1868–70. Morris, Earthly Par., I. I. 250. In face, in figure, and in weed, She wholly changed before his wondering eyes. Ibid., 325. Who robbed me, and with blows Stripped off my weed and left me on the way.
† b. In the expletive phrase in or under weed, usually appended to an adj., as worth(l)y, wight, wise. Cf. under gore, GORE sb.2 2. Obs.
c. 1330. Amis & Amil., 30. Twoo ladyes … That worthi were in wede.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 585. Of lumbardie a dukes douȝter ful derworþ in wede.
a. 1352. Minot, Poems, ix. 37. Iohn of Coupland, a wight man in wede.
c. 1400. Emare, 250. Then sayde þat wordy vnþur wede.
a. 1435. Torr. Portugal, 2397. One of the ffeyrest knyghtis That slepith on somer nyghtes Or walkyd in wede.
a. 1440. Sir Degrev., 392. Many bold mene and wyght, Wyse undere wede.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xviii. 230. Yond worthy wyghtys in wede.
a. 1580. Murning Maiden, 55, in Maitl. Fol. MS., 361. Than wepit scho lustie in weyd.
3. transf. and fig. (e.g., our ‘garment’ of flesh).
c. 1320. Cast. Love, 657. God … Þat from heuene dude alihte, And vnder vre wede vre kynde nom.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 1431. O blake nyght … That shapen art by god þis world to hide At certeyn tymes with þi derke wede.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 335. Sche flih before his yhe a Crowe … To kepe hire maidenhede whit Under the wede of fethers blake.
14[?]. Lydg., Ballad of Deceitful Women, 26. Hir galle is hid under a sugred wede.
1557. Grimald, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 96. As morning bright, with scarlet sky, doth passe the euenings weed.
1567. Jewel, Def. Apol., II. 221. Therefore the Greekes calle Baptisme, ἀφθαρσίας ἔνδυμα, That is, the Weede of immortalitie.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., II. i. 256. And there the snake throwes her enammel’d skinne, Weed wide enough to rap a Fairy in.
1613–6. Browne, Brit. Past., I. i. 11. That heart … That neuer wore dissimulations weed.
a. 1618. Ralegh, Rem. (1644), 116. Being stripped out of this mortall weed.
a. 1639. Carew, Comparison, 20. Thy skin’s a heavenly and immortall weede.
1785. Burns, Scotch Drink, vii. Aft, clad in massy, siller weed, Wi’ Gentles thou erects thy head. Ibid. (1793), By Allan Stream, 20. How cheery through her shortening day Is Autumn, in her weeds o’ yellow.
1805–6. Cary, Dante, Inf., xxxiii. 60. Father,… thou gavest These weeds of miserable flesh we wear; And do thou strip them off from us again.
4. Used contextually for: Defensive covering, armor, mail. collect. sing. or pl. Also iron, steel weed.
c. 1205. Lay., 23773. Þe king mid his weden [c. 1275 wede] leop on his stede.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3535. Was non so stif stelen wede þat withstod his wepen.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVI. 580. A chemeyr, for till heill his veid, Aboue his armyng had he then.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 3994. Thei … drow out horses and stedes And here strong Iren wedes.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, II. 112. The thrid he straik throuch his pissand of maile, The crag in twa; no weidis mycht him waill.
1480. Robt. Devyll, 910, in Hazl., E. P. P., I. 254. Greate horses stamped in yron wedes.
1515. Scottish Field, 537, in Chetham Misc., II. They will sticke with their standarts in their stele weedes.
1611. W. Austin, in Coryat’s Crudities, Panegyr. Verses, g 5 b. His garments … Which heretofore like weedes of proofe Serued him to keepe the colde aloofe.
1813. Scott, Trierm., III. xx. Oh for his arms! Of martial weed Had never mortal Knight such need!
5. A garment, or garb, distinctive of a person’s sex, profession, state of life. a. sing. (collect. or particular).
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4918. Sire bissop wu ne ȝifstus of þine wire brede þat þou est þi sulf at þi masse in þine vayre wede.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 23981. Wede o welth wil i namar, Clething wil i me tak o care.
13[?]. Guy Warw., 1721. Gij seye a man of rewly ble Go in pilgrims wede.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 2343. Seþyn toke þe knyȝt palmers wede.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 6548. Þat day þat cuthbert toke bischop wede.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XVII. ix. 702. They … sawe the good man in a relygyous wede.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 276 b. Such as are buryed in the cowle & weede of a Franciscane Fryer.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1280/1. Wherin also is buried John Yoong … in his doctors weed.
1605. Erondelle, Fr. Gard., G 3 b. It is not the weed yt maketh the monke.
a. 1670. Spalding, Troub. Chas. I. (Bannatyne Club), I. 16. This was the ordinary weid of thir his majestie’s foot guards.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 153. They neither have the Pilgrim’s Weed nor the Pilgrim’s Courage.
1859. Tennyson, Enid, 1528. This poor gown, This silken rag, this beggar-woman’s weed.
b. pl.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. VI. 7. Apparayled as a Palmere In pilgrimes wedes.
c. 1450. in Kingsford, Chron. Lond. (1905), 129. Sche eschapede thens in a mannys weeds.
1570. Googe, Popish Kingd., III. 39 b. Who can declare the massing weedes?
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. Introd. i. Whose Muse whilome did maske … in lowly Shepherds weeds.
1650. Howell, Giraffi’s Rev. Naples, I. 89. I wold never have shaken off my mariners weeds.
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 479. They who to be sure of Paradise Dying put on the weeds of Dominic.
1673. Hickeringill, Greg. F. Greyb., 74. A Conformist Minister, with all his Aaronical weeds on.
1763. C. Johnston, Reverie, II. 104. Though he was habited in the humble weeds of a slave.
1781. Cowper, Truth, 81. In shirt of hair and weeds of canvass dress’d.
1838. Prescott, Ferd. & Is., II. xxi. III. 372. The spirit of the soldier burned strong and bright under his monastic weeds.
c. Sometimes without specifying word = a palmer’s dress, the religious habit, etc. (as indicated by the context).
c. 1400. Rule St. Benet (verse), 1338. If ane so for wikkid dede Leue hir abbay & hir wede.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xxi. 459. He shet the dore of his chapell, and toke his wede & his staffe.
1561. T. Hoby, trans. Castiglione’s Courtyer, II. Z ij. The frier … beesought me to lett him goe downe, and not to showe suche shame to the weede.
1706. [see 6 b].
1760–72. H. Brooke, Fool of Qual. (1809), I. 147. I gave her two-pence, re-assumed my former garb, and left my weeds in her custody.
6. With defining word, esp. mourning: A black garment worn in token of bereavement; mourning apparel. Also, a scarf or band of crape worn by a mourner.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), II. 165. This other sall pas in dolorus weid, on ane blak hors.
1546. inStrype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), II. App. A. 4. Commandment was given … to … put on them every man his mourning weeds.
1592. Kyd, Sp. Trag., I. iii. 20. Let Fortune doe her worst, She will not rob me of this sable weed.
1603. H. Petowe, Eliza’s Funeral, A 4. Then weepe no more, Your sighing weedes put off.
1656. Earl Monm., trans. Boccalini’s Advts. fr. Parnass., 289. Being clad in a long mourning weed, he appeared in the Colledge of the Litterati.
1787. Burns, On Death Sir J. Hunter Blair, 15. A stately Form In weeds of woe.
1852. Mrs. Stowe, Uncle Tom’s C., xxvii. People who saw him in the street … knew of his loss only by the weed on his hat. Ibid., xxviii. A long strip of black crape, torn from the funeral weeds.
1905. Eng. Dial. Dict., Weed, a band of cloth or crêpe for a man’s hat in time of mourning. W. Yks.
b. spec. The deep mourning worn by a widow, including a crape veil, ‘weepers,’ etc. Now always pl.; with or without widow’s prefixed. (The sing. seems to have been used formerly to mean the veil.)
The only use of the word now generally known; quite colloq.
1595. Locrine, V. i. 24. Let her there prouide her mourning weeds And mourn for euer her owne widdow-hood.
1706. Mrs. Centlivre, Platonick Lady, I. iii. 14. The disconsolate Wife having borrowed a Weed of her Neighbour, is consulting her Glass to see how it becomes her.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), Weed or Wede, a Garment or Suit of Cloaths; whence it is still us’d for a Frier’s Habit, a Widow’s Vail, &c.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 44, ¶ 4. An afflicted Widow in her Mourning-Weeds. Ibid. (1715), Drummer, II. i. The Taylor had made her Widow’s weeds.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1768), VII. 117. What a charming widow would she have made! How would she have adorned the weeds!
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, III. i. As this [her habit] changed from weeds to black, from black to grey, from grey to white.
1836. Dickens, Sk. Boz, Parish, vii. The mother wore a widow’s weeds.
1849. Thackeray, Pendennis, iii. There were no entertainments … during the year of her weeds.
1887. Poor Nellie (1888), 428. He had heard the cook remark … that his mother would now wear weeds.
† 7. A cloth, covering, hanging, or the like. Also collect. sing. Obs.
c. 1200. Ormin, 8171. All þatt wæde þatt tær wass Uppo þe bære fundenn, All wass itt off þe bettste pall.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 372. And þan sylen to sitte vppon silke wedis.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 830. Eek as for hail a russet weede is To kest vpon the querne [L. Panno rosco mola cooperitur].
1582. Stanyhurst, Æneis, III. (Arb.), 72. With black weede the altar is hanged.
