Forms: α. 1 ʓe)wilcumian, wylcumian, 3 wil-, wulcumen, wolcume, 4 wolcome. β. 1 wellcumian, 2 welcumien, 3 -cumen, 4–5 welcum, -kum (5 whellcwm, Sc. velcum); 3–5 welcome (6–7 p. t. -commed). [Originally OE. wilcumian, f. wilcuma WELCOME sb.1, with later alteration of the first element in the same way as in the noun.]
1. trans. To greet (a person) with ‘welcome!’; to receive (a visitor) gladly and hospitably; to accord a friendly reception to; to make welcome.
α. c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. v. 47. Ʒif ʓe þæt an doð þæt ʓe eowre ʓebroðra wylcumiaþ.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, iii. 507. And basilius sende sona him to-ʓeanes and hine wylcumode.
c. 1205. Lay., 17098. Þe king … ut him gon ride … to wulcumen Mærlin.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 440. Þe lilie mid hire faire wlite wolcomeþ [Jesus MS. welcumeþ] me.
c. 1300. Beket (Percy Soc.), 690. That folc to him drouȝ And wolcome him and makede feste.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 4290. And worþili hire he wolcomed wen he hire mette.
β. c. 1000. in Engl. Studien, VIII. 478. Ðæt folc … wellcumiaþ Fenix.
c. 1160. Ags. Gosp. (Hatton), Matt. v. 47. Ʒyf ʓe þæt an doð þæt ʓe eowre ʓebroðre welcumieð.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1396. And laban cam to ðat welle ner, faiȝer welcumede he ðer eliezer.
c. 1290. Beket, 696, in S. Eng. Leg., 126. Þat folk sone to him drovȝ And welcomeden him.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4015. He welcumd iacob selli fair, He wist he was his fader air.
13[?]. Seuyn Sag. (W.), 3850. Dame, in hert I am sary, That we haue noght al ful plenti, To welkum swilk a lord als he.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 849. Criseyde, at shorte wordes for to telle, Welcomed him, and doun by hir him sette.
c. 1400. Rule St. Benet (verse), 2411. For to welcum with wordes fre Euyr-ilk man in þer degre.
c. 1450. Merlin, xxv. 447. [They ride] till thei come to logres the thirde day, and ther were thei richely welcomed.
1530. Palsgr., 779/1. I welcome with wordes or gentyll intreatyng. Je bienuiengne.
1557. Tusser, 100 Points Husb., July x. Then welcome thy haruest folke, seruauntes and all: with mirth and good chere, let them furnish thine hall.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1638), 49. The yong Emperor … welcommed him full sore against his will.
1659. Nicholas Papers (Camden), IV. 130. Almost euery body would welcome the King and not a few expect him.
1725, 1732. [see SPEED v. 10 d].
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vii. II. 195. He would have found that the nation was not yet prepared to welcome an armed deliverer from a foreign country.
1874. Green, Short Hist., vii. § 6. 405. The exiled merchants of Antwerp were welcomed by the merchants of London.
b. Const. to, into (a place). Also with advs. of place, as ashore, back, up; esp. to welcome home.
c. 1205. Lay., 10957. He nom forð rihtes six wise cnihtes, to Custance heom sende, & wilcumede hine to londe.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 15060. Þe receiues þin aun folk, And welcums þe hame.
a. 1380. S. Bernard, 1032, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1878), 58/2. Þe erchebisshop aȝein him sent A worþi clerk of good entent, Him to welcome curteisliche In to þat ilke bisschopriche.
a. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 115. Welcomyng hym wyth songe into þe chirch, as þay welcomet hym syngyng into þe cyte of Ierusalem.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., IV. iv. 439. And there they hull, expecting but the aide Of Buckingham, to welcome them ashore. Ibid., V. iii. 260. Your wiues shall welcome home the Conquerors.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., 71. Probus was welcommed into Britaine.
1629. Milton, Christ’s Nativ., 18. Hast thou no … solemn strein, To welcom him to this his new abode…?
1797. Jane Austen, Sense & Sens., vi. They were interrupted … by the entrance of their landlord, who called to welcome them to Barton.
1894. Lady M. Verney, Verney Mem., III. 293. No one welcomed him back with the womanly love which mother and sister would have lavished upon him.
c. fig. Also with in.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., II. ii. 7. Yet I know no cause Why I should welcome such a guest as greefe.
1599. Shaks., etc., Pass. Pilgr., 199. For she [the lark] doth welcome daylight with her ditte.
1785. Cowper, Task, IV. 41. So let us welcome peaceful ev’ning in.
d. Const. to (an entertainment).
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 51. Our Ambassadour, the Gentlemen his followers and Sea-captaines were welcommed to a very neat and curious Banquet.
2. To greet or receive with (or by) something (esp. of an unpleasant nature).
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., IV. iv. 38. I am … driuen out of doores with it [sc. a beating] when I goe from home, welcom’d home with it when I returne.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., ¶ 1. Zeale to promote the common good … is welcommed with suspicion in stead of loue, and with emulation in stead of thankes.
1639. Du Verger, trans. Camus’ Admir. Events, 2. Venon … at his returne found himselfe welcomed with two disasters.
1653. J. Taylor (Water P.), Certain Trav., 13. Good Mrs. Martin who welcom’d me with good whit wine.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, i. If you return within an hour you will be welcomed by a brace of bullets.
3. a. To greet heartily or joyfully (the return of a person, etc.).
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., II. 761. His little Children climbing for a Kiss, Welcome their Father’s late Return at Night.
1815. Shelley, Alastor, 283. Thy sweet mate will … welcome thy return with eyes Bright in the lustre of their own fond joy.
1870. Bryant, Iliad, V. 191. Since he no more should welcome their return From war.
b. To greet with pleasure the coming or occurring of (an event, etc.).
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng., I. ii. 131. He … would have welcomed an escape from the dilemma perhaps as warmly as Henry would have welcomed it himself.
1874. Green, Short Hist., ii. § 3. 68. The religious movement … was welcomed with an almost passionate fanaticism.
1884. Gilmour, Mongols, xvii. 207. Such … difficulties … are welcomed … as subjects of debate.
