a. Obs. Forms: see WOOL sb.; also 6 woldward. [ME. wolleward, prob. alteration of *wollewerd (of which there is perh. a relic in the form wellewerd, for wollewerd, of quot. 1480), from an unrecorded OE. *wullwerd, f. wull WOOL sb. + -werd, -wered wearing, clothed (in), f. stem of werian WEAR v.1 (cf. OE. línenwerd clothed in linen, and prob. scírwered, sweʓlwered ‘clothed’ or enveloped in brightness). The assimilation of -werd to -WARD, initiated by lack of stress, would be furthered by the prevalence of the word in the phr. to go woolward (cf. to go heavenward).] Wearing wool next the skin, esp. as a penance: chiefly in to go woolward.
c. 1315. Shoreham, Poems, I. 1024. Baruot go, Wolle-ward and wakynge.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVIII. 1. Wolleward and wete-shoed went I forth after.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 43. Saynt Thomas, be come to Caunturbury, wolward and barfote.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., xcix. f 1. Good men … that wenten baarfoot & wellewerd [Brut 99 wolward] for to haue mercy of the ij. kynges. Ibid. (c. 1489), Sonnes of Aymon, xxvii. 574. He is goon his wayes wulwarde & barefote wyth a sory staff in his hande.
1508. Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps. cii. Wks. (1876), 181. Truly it was a more glorious sight to se saynt Poule … in hungre, thurst, watchynge, in colde, goynge wolward.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 717. The naked truth of it is, I haue no shirt, I go woolward for penance.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., III. ii. V. i. 627. Poore people fare coursly, worke hard, goe wollward and bare.
1646. Trapp, Comm. John xvi. 2. If he thought his shirt were infected with that heresie, he would tear it from his own back, and rather goe woolward.
1822. Scott, Nigel, xvii. To walk wool-ward in winter.
b. in attrib. position or comb.
1493. [H. Parker], Dives & Pauper, IV. xxi. (W. de W., 1496), 186/2. Auowe that she hath made to god as of fastynge, of pylgremage, contynence, wolwarde goynge, and such other.
1531. Tindale, Expos. 1 John (1537), 23. His fastynge, his woldward goynge, bare foote goynge.
1628. Bp. Hall, Serm., 30 March, Wks. 1634, II. 327. Their woolward and barefoot walks.
1655. [G. Hall], Tri. Rome, vi. 73. What woolward penances, what weary pilgrimages?
c. To lay woolward: to bury in wool. rare.
1604. T. M., Black Bk., in Middleton’s Wks. (Bullen), VIII. 25. The sexton … so laid the dead bodies wool-ward.
