Obs. Forms: α. 1 werud, -od (2 wærod), 1–3 wered; 1 weorod, 1, 3 weored; 1 north. uorud, 3 wored. β. 2–3 werd, 3 word, 3–4 wird, 4 weird. [OE. werod, weorod, etc., without parallels in the cognate languages.] A band, troop, company, host.
α. c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (Hessels), A 407. Agmen, weorod.
971. Blickl. Hom., 131. Ac se heaþrym þæs Godes hades þæm englicum weorodum simle ondweard wæs.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xiii. 34. Ealle þas þing se hælend spræc mid biʓ-spellum to þam weredum. Ibid., Mark xv. 16. Hi to-somne eall werod clypedon.
c. 1205. Lay., 2598. He bi-com … vppen ane weorede of wlfan awedde.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 30. Ase þer beoð niene englene ordres [MSS. B, C weoredes].
a. 1240. Ureisun, in Cott. Hom., 195. Al englene were[d] and alle holie þing Siggeð and singeð þet tu ert liues welsprung.
Comb. c. 1205. Lay., 509. Ȝif he heom mihte bi-winnen mid his wored strencðe.
β. c. 1160. Hatton Gosp., Luke vi. 17. He stod on feldlicere stowe & micel werd hys leorningcnihte.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 22. Hali is … þe lauerd of heouene riche wordes.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1786. Als he cam ner cananeam, Engel wirð [sic] a-gen him cam. Ibid., 1790. Ðor ðis wird of engeles metten him.
a. 1275. Prov. Alfred, 697, in O. E. Misc., 138. Bi ford dages he is aferd of sticke & ston in huge werd.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 20282. He þat i bar, þat bligh brid, Sal me send of heuen wird [Gött. weird].
