Obs. Forms: α. 1 wio-, weobud, woofud, -od, weofed-, 3 weofed (dat. weofde), weoued. β. 1 wefod, 3–4 wefed (dat. wefde), 3–5 weued (4 -yd), 4 wyeued (dat. wyefde). [OE. wéofud, -od, earlier wéo-, wíobud, f. wéoh-, wíoh-, wíh- (wíʓ-) holy, sacred + béod (masc.) table. In OE., however, the second element very commonly appears as -bed (in the forms wío-, wéo-, wíʓ-, wíbed) and was evidently identified with the noun bed, being sometimes inflected -beddes, etc.; in agreement with this the usual gender of wéofod is neuter. As an independent word the first element in OE. is a noun meaning ‘idol,’ corresponding to OS. wîh, ON. vé holy place, sanctuary, and OHG. wîh (MHG. wîch, G. weih-), Goth. weihs adj. holy.] An altar.

1

  α.  c. 897.  K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., 217. Ʒif se weobud ufan hol nære. Ibid. Hwæt elles ʓetacnað ðæt weobud buton ryhtwisra monna saula?

2

c. 950.  Æthelwold, Bened. Rule, lxii. 113. Healde he simle þone styde … butan þære þenunge anre þæs halʓan weofodes.

3

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Matt. xxiii. 35. Zacharias … þone ʓe ofsloʓon betweox þam temple and þam weofode.

4

c. 1205.  Lay., 31951. He Peteres weofed þere wunliche isohte.

5

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 346. Ualleð biuoren ower weoued a creoix to þer eorðe.

6

a. 1240.  Lofsong, in O. E. Hom., I. 209. Ich … bi-seche þe … þurh þine eadi flesche and þine iblescede blode i-sacred oðe weouede.

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  β.  c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., Matt. v. 23. Ʒif þu bringst þine lac to wefode … læt þær þine lac beforan þam altare.

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c. 1130.  O. E. Chron., an. 1125. He sang ðone hehmesse on Eastren dæi æt Cristes wefod.

9

c. 1205.  Lay., 28747. Meleon … fleh to are chirche and forð riht anan wende forn to ane wefde.

10

c. 1290.  Beket, 1082, in S. Eng. Leg., 137. He let maken is bed … Op in þe heie chirche bi-twene twei weuedes.

11

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4593. At glastinbury … at uore þe heye weued amydde þe quer.

12

1340.  Ayenb., 14. Þe sacrement of þe wyefde. Ibid., 236. Godes table is þe wyeued.

13

1387.  Trevisa, Higden, I. 161. Þe auters and weuedes of þat peple.

14

c. 1425.  Eng. Conq. Ireland, xviii. 42. Yn the modyr chyrche,… & to-for the weued.

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