arch. Forms: see WHORE sb.; also 4 -dame, 4–5 -dam, 4–7 -dome, 6 -doome, Sc. -dum. [prob. a. ON. hórdómr = OFris. hôrdôm, MLG. hôrdom: see WHORE sb. and -DOM.]
1. The practice of playing the whore, or of intercourse with whores; illicit sexual indulgence in general; fornication, harlotry.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 57. Ne beo þu nawiht monslaht, ne in hordom dei ne naht.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 9857. He leuede muche in hordom, & huld vnder þe quene rosemounde.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl., 654. Nis noȝt ȝore þai i ne com And fond hire wiþ hordom, Me to schame … In hire bedde on mi Tur.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 417. Þis privey horedame makes myche harme.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 334. Þat he be getyn … In hordome.
1535. Coverdale, Gen. xxxviii. 24. By whordome is she gotten with childe.
1561. Winȝet, Wks. (S.T.S.), I. 128. The renunceing of the warld and plesouris of the body, nocht only fra vnlesum huirdum, bot fra mariage sumtyme to thame lesum.
1605. M. Sutcliffe, Brief Exam., 102. They … set up bordell houses for maintenance of whoredom & baudry.
1784. Cowper, Tiroc., 833. Now flush’d with drunk’ness, now with whoredom pale.
b. pl. Acts of sexual immorality.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 33. Ȝe nulleð forleten hordomes and ȝifernesse and druncnesse.
1539. Bible (Great), 2 Kings ix. 22. Ye whordomes of thy mother Iezabel.
1575–85. Sandys, Serm., xiv. 249. Otherwise they are not mariages, but whoredomes.
1611. Bible, Hosea i. 2. A wife of whoredomes, and children of whoredomes.
1716. Hearne, Collect. (O.H.S.), V. 234. Notwithstanding his Whoredoms.
1862. Hook, Lives Abps., II. ii. 114. He will never be converted from his whoredoms and ruinous follies.
2. fig.; esp. in biblical and religious use, applied to idolatry or other form of unfaithfulness to the true God.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., I. 58. Kynrede of hordom sekiþ siche signes.
1535. Coverdale, Jer. iii. 2. Thorow thy whordome and shamefull blasphemies, is the londe defyled. Ibid., Hosea i. 2. The londe hath committed greate whordome agaynst the Lorde.
1593. J. Napier, Rev., To Rdr. A 6. Their seuen hilled citie Rome, painted out … by Saint Iohn, as the mother of all spirituall whoredome.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., VIII. 549. Think you there’s but one whoredom? whoredom, all, But when our reason licenses delight.
1860. Pusey, Min. Proph., 13. Whoredom is to have many other objects of sinful love.
Hence † Whoredomer (hurdomare) Sc. Obs., one who practises whoredom, a fornicator.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Bk. Knthd., Wks. (S.T.S.), II. 40. Na common leare, na commone viciouse hurdomare.
