Obs. exc. Sc. Forms: 1 werian (werʓan, weriʓean), 2–3 werien (3 weriin, 5 weryyn), 3–4 werie, 4 werye(n); 2–3 weren (3 Orm. werenn), 4–5 were, wer (4 werr, 5 werre), 5 weire, 5–6, 9 Sc. weir, 6 weere (9 dial. weer), weare, 8–9 Sc. wear. Pa. t. 1–4 werede (1 -ode), 4 wered, -id, werde, 5 werit (Sc. -yt); 5 were, wore, Sc. wor. Pa. pple. 4 werd, 9 dial. weard. [Common Teut.: OE. werian, werʓan = OS. werian, werean (MLG. and LG. weren), OFris. wera (WFris. weare, warre; NFris. weeri, wiare), MDu. and Du. weren, OHG. warian, werian, etc. (MHG. wergen, weren, wern, G. wehren), ON. and Icel. verja (Norw. verja; Sw. värja, Da. værge, verge), Goth. warjan. The extent to which the two senses of preventing or checking, and defending or protecting, are represented, varies in the different languages; the greater currency of the second in English, though already prominent in OE., may have been assisted by the agreement with ON. verja.]
1. trans. To check or restrain; to ward off, repel. Also with away, off. Now rare or Obs.
a. 900. Andreas, 743. Stan … septe sacerdas sweotulum tacnum, witiʓ werede & worde cwæð.
c. 925. Laws, II. Edward, § 4. Þæt ælc man hæbbe symle þa men ʓearowe…, ðe læden ða men ðe heora aʓen secan willen, and hy for nanum medsceattum ne werian.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 102. [He] Of hise eȝen wereð ðe mist, wiles he dreccheð ðore.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2898. Ic sal hem lesen fro, And here fon weren wið wo.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 2543. His gloue he put þer inne Þe sonne to were oway.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2015. Fyrst he clad hym in his cloþez, þe colde for to were.
c. 1375. Leg. Rood, viii. 297. Þe Cros I calle þe heerdes ȝerde,… And wiþ þe ȝerde þe woll he werde.
a. 1470. Harding, Chron., XCVIII. xii. (1812), 181. By which he maye the wolf werre [v.r. bete] frome the gate.
c. 1480. Henryson, Test. Cress., 182. Of his Father the wraith fra vs to weir.
1791. Learmont, Poems, 47. Lord wear aff the featour’s blow Frae honest fock!
1829. Brockett, N. C. Words (ed. 2), Weer, or Wear, to stop or oppose, to keep off, to guard.
2. To defend, guard or protect from assault or injury.
Beowulf, 1205. Siððan he under seʓne … wælreaf werede. Ibid., 1327. Ðonne we on orleʓe hafelan weredon.
a. 900. O. E. Chron., an. 755. Se cyning on þa duru eode, & þa unheanlice hine werede.
971. Blickl. Hom., vi. 79. Hie for þæm hungre þa burh werian ne mihton.
a. 1122. O. E. Chron., an. 1016 (Laud MS.). His rice he heardlice werode þa hwile þe his tima wæs.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 81. Al þos godnesse hom ne mihte werien, þet ho ne wenden alle in to helle.
c. 1200. Ormin, 5305. Þa birrþ þe stanndenn þær onnȝæn, & werenn Cristess þeowwess.
c. 1205. Lay., 5696. And swiðe wel heom wereden þa walles of Rome.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 834. Bute he can clymbe swiþe wel; Þar myd he wereþ his greye vel.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 23766. Eth es for to win wit heer, þe ture þat nan es bute to were.
1340. Ayenb., 129. Þou hest kueade þeawes þet þe ssolle lede to þe dyaþe of helle bote þe grace of god þe ne werie.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XX. 379. All tym had I Handis, myne hede for till were.
c. 1412. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 2546. He of iustice is bounden hem to were And to diffende.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 522/2. Weryyn’, idem quod defendyn.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, III. 183. Wallace … Wichtly him wor [v.r. did him weir], quhill he a suerd had tayne.
a. 1800. in Chambers, Pop. Rhymes Scot. (1870), 151. He tethered his tyke ayont the dike, And bade him weir the corn.
1807. J. Stagg, Misc. Poems (1808), 40. For tho’ wi’ witch wood weard, yet weel They kend auld Hornie’s tricks.
† b. Const. with or against, from (or of). Obs.
(a) a. 1000. Exodus, 237. Þa þe … ne mihton … breostnet wera wið flane feond folmum weriʓean.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 13. Ic eou wille werien wið elcne herm.
c. 1200. Ormin, 10227. To fihhtenn forr þe leode, To werenn hemm wiþþ wiþerrþeod Þatt wollde hemm oferrganngenn.
c. 1315. Shoreham, I. 1244. Þe þrydde hys icleped ‘coniurement’ Aȝenys þe foule þynge to werie þe.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 246. Hir enchantement Ayein the Serpent scholde him were.
(b) a. 1300. Cursor M., 11168. Hir sun he sal and fader baþe Be to wer his folk fra waþe.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 3284. And fro my liown i sal the wer.
1402. Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 44. For holy chirche hath us … happid with grace, to were us from wederes of wynteres stormes.
c. 1425. Macro Plays, Cast. Persev., 2046. Fro seuene synnys we schul hym were.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 58. Luke that wisly thow wirk, Criste were the fra wa!
(c) 1801. Hogg, Sc. Pastorals, 23. For wearin’ corn of hens an cocks,… His match was never made.
† c. To defend, uphold or give support to (a cause, etc.); to maintain (one’s opinion). Obs.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3714. Burȝes stronge and folc v[n-]friȝt, stalwurði to weren here riȝt.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1476. Wit antecrist þan sal [Enoch] fight For to werye cristen right.
1340. Ayenb., 69. Þer byeþ zome … þet none guode techinge ne onderuongeþ, ak alneway weryeþ hare sentense huet þet hit by.
d. To keep or hold (a means of entrance or exit); † to have or possess as one’s own.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 9312. Þe Erl … þoughte no feyþ til [him] wold bere, But he in pes his wyf myght were.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 1965. At Sterlyng bryg he ordand thaim full rycht, And thar to byd, the entre for to wer.
1802. Fray of Suport, ii. in Scott, Minstrelsy, I. 187. I set him to wear the fore-door wi’ the speir.
a. 1894. J. Shaw, in R. Wallace, Country Schm. (1899), 355. To wear a gate at sheep-shearing, to open and shut it.
† e. To protect or save by removing. Obs.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., viii. 151. If thay with wrong away wold wrast, outt of the way I shall the were.
† 3. refl. To defend or guard (oneself, etc.); often followed by against, from. (Cf. 1 b.) Obs.
Beowulf, 541. Wit unc wið hronfixas werian þohton.
993. Battle of Maldon, 82. Ælfere & Maccus … hi fæstlice wið ða fynd weredon.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 69. Crist … ȝeue us wepne … Mid gode werkes for us to weren.
c. 1200. Ormin, 1406. Acc þu mihht werenn þe fra þeȝȝm Þurrh rihhte læfe o Criste.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 400. Were þe, ʓif þu konst, aʓean me.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2083. Ðor-fore ic am in sorge and hagt, for ic ne migte me nogt weren.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2227. Þai culd find on no manere How to wer þam fra þe flode.
c. 1315. Shoreham, Poems, I. 114. For we beþ of nonn power To weryen ous fro schame.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 845. Olyuer tok is spere & eke ys scheld & heng hit on þer-wiþ him-self to were.
c. 1385. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 1692. Foyne if hym list on foote, hym self to were.
c. 1407. Lydg., Reson & Sens., 1195. From al hir fon hir self to were, In her ryght honde she had a spere.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, V. 901. A suerd he drew, rycht manlik him to wer.
† 4. absol. a. To make a defence, to offer resistance. Obs.
c. 1200. Ormin, 2046. Þuss mihhte ȝho bitellen wel & werenn þurrh þatt bisne.
c. 1200. Mor. Ode, 335, in Trin. Coll. Hom., 230. Ne muȝe we werien naðer ne wið þurst ne wið hunger.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 851. Fowre [kings] on-seken and fifue weren.
13[?]. K. Alis., 3533. The spies on bothe sydes goth, Of Alisaundre, and eke Darie, How eche schal from othir werye.
† b. To act as a shield or protection. Obs.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 11108. Sho … Hade no helme on hir hede fro harmys to weire.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 21840 (Fairf.). Hit is our shilde & our spere, a-gainis þe feinde for to were.
Hence † Wering vbl. sb.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xxi. 20. And þou, lauerd, ne fer þi help fra me; At mi weringe bihald and se.
13[?]. K. Alis., 2798. The saut com so thikke and swithe, That no weryng ne myghte heom lithe.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., xxv. 75. Send mi soule god weryyng.
