Obs. Forms: 1 wemman, 3 wemmy, 5 wemme; pa. t. 1–2 wemde, 4–5 wemmed; pa. pple. 3 (Orm.) wemmedd, 3 y-, 4 i-, 4–6 wemmed (3 y-wemned); 3 i-, 4 wemmid, 4–5 wemmyd; 3 i-wemmet, 5 Sc. wemmyt; 4 wemed, 6 wembde. [OE. wemman (and ʓewemman), f. wamm WAM. Cf. AWEM v. and OHG. bi-, giwemman, Goth. anawammjan to blame.]
1. trans. To disfigure, mutilate (a person, his body); to impair (the mind); to injure (a thing).
c. 900. trans. Baeda’s Hist., IV. xxxii. (1890), 382. Wæs in ðæm mynstre sum ʓeong monn, ðam unwlitiʓ swyle & atolic his eaʓan wyrde & wemde.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 1426. Ah þæt wes miracle muchel, þæt nowðer nes iwemmet clað þæt ha hefden.
c. 1275. Lay., 6380. Þat þorh his wraþþe his wit was i-wemmid.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6965. Ledeþ me þanne to mi sone, þat he mowe yse Min fet aboue & ek bineþe, wer hii ywemmed be.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 22824. If þat ani … Was wemed, or on fote or on hand,… it sal na wem o þam be sene.
a. 1375. Joseph Arim., 678. Þenne com on fro þe fiht þat foule was wemmed, Was striken of þat on Arm and bar hit in þat oþer.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, V. 213. He ordeyned þat a man þat were i-wemmed in his body [L. vitiatus corpore] schulde fonge non ordres.
2. To desecrate or violate; to hurt or harm.
a. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Spelm.), lxxxviii. 31. Ʒyf rihtwisnys min hi wemmaþ [L. profanaverint].
a. 1000. Ags. Laws (Thorpe), II. 142. Ʒif he oðres ceorles wif wemme [L. maculaverit].
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4197. & þe wule he wolde þis tendre þing wemmy foule ynou.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 19504 (Fairf.). For god him gette, þat knawes al gode, þat he wemmed neuer sacles blode.
3. To spot or stain with sin or impurity.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 83. Alse þe liuendes godes sune in to þe meidene com & ho of hire meiden-had nawiht ne wemde.
c. 1200. Ormin, 2326. Sannte Marȝe sahh, Þatt ȝho þa shollde wurrþenn Wiþþ childe, swa þatt ȝho þærþurrh Ne shollde nohht ben wemmedd.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 10021. Hir maidenhed … neuer wemmed was a dele.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, V. 213. Also he seide þat Adam his synn wemmed [L. laesit] Adam alone.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. vi. 174. If the hous of Laban hadde be wemmed so cursidli us with the synne of ydolatrie.
a. 1500. Hist. K. Boccus & Sydracke (? 1510), G iij b. And she after chylde berynge Shalbe wemmyd of nothynge.
4. To stain; to mark with spots.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VIII. xxix. (Tollem. MS.). Whan sche [the moon] passeþ upwarde to þe heyer cerclis, sche is bryȝte and clene; and þan sche semeþ nouȝt wemmid with no splek and suttynge.
1567. Drant, Hor. Art Poetrie, Ded. * iij. The verie Crownes and Scepters of best Monarks and princes had bene rustie, wembde, and warpde with obliuion.
Hence † Wemmed ppl. a.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxviii. (Margaret), 697. God forbed þat I With wenemyt [read wemmyt] handis sla þe in hy.
1382. Wyclif, Deut. xii. 15. Other vnclene it were, that is, wemmed and feble, other cleene, that is, hool and withouten wemme.
