Forms: α. 4 worþ-, worssipie; 4–5 (6 Sc.) worschipe, 4 -schupe, 5–6 -schype (6 -schypen); 4–5 worshipe(n), -sshipe, -shepe(n), 4– shupe; 4–5 worschippe, 5 -shippe, 5–6 -shyppe; 4 worsip, 4–5 (6 Sc.) worschip (5 -schyp), 4–6 worshyp, 4– worship; 6 woorship, Sc. wourschip; 3–5 worchip (5 -chep, -chyp, -chyppyn), 4–5 worchipe (5 -chepe, -chepyn). β. 3 wurðsupen, wursipe, 5 wurshepe, -schip, -shup, -chippe, -chep, 6 wurship. γ. (Chiefly north. and Sc.) 4 wyr-, wirschipe, 5 wir-, virschepe; 4 wirsc(h)ippe, 5 -shuppe; 4 wirscip (-scep), 4–5 wirschip (6 -schep, virschip); 5 wirchip(e, -chep, wyrchip. [Early ME. wurþ-, worþscipien, f. wurþ-, worþscipe WORSHIP sb.]
1. trans. To honor or revere as a supernatural being or power, or as a holy thing; to regard or approach with veneration; to adore with appropriate acts, rites or ceremonies.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 5. We understonden ure louerd on ure eðele bede, and wurðsupen him on ure edie dede.
c. 1275. XI Pains of Hell, 94, in O. E. Misc., 213. Hole cherche is a house of prayere, Þe ȝat of heuen crist doþ hit calle, To worchip þer-in our saueour.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1937. Noe … did to rais an auter suyth; He ȝod to wirscippe godd als wis. Ibid., 22292. Þat hali trinite … aght ouer-all wirsceped be.
1340. Ayenb., 5. Þou ne sselt habbe god bote me ne worssipie ne serui. Ibid., 6. Zuiche byeþ þe ilke þet worssipeþ þe momenes.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 170. The Cronique … Seith that the gentils most of alle Worschipen hire and to hire calle.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, II. 5796. And þei of Lewne worschip Wlcanus, Þe god of fyre.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys, Marg., 153. And for she dede wurshepe Crist and loue … Hyr fadyr hyr hatyd.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xiv. 315. I come from Ierusalem, where I have worshypd the holy grave.
1529. More, Dyaloge, IV. Wks. 253/1. Euery man well woteth how reuerently hym selfe worshypped both our lady and all saintes.
1561. T. Norton, Calvin’s Inst., I. v. 8. To driue farre away the true God whome we ought to feare and worshyp.
1599. Nashe, Lenten Stuffe, 53. The King was as superstitious in worshipping those miraculous herrings as the fisherman.
1639. J. Clarke, Parœm., 12. Men use to worship the rising sunne.
1647. Cowley, Mistr., Leaving me, 6. They worshipt many a Beast, and many a Stone.
1680. Morden, Geog. Rect., Poland (1685), 74. There is no City in the World where God is Worshipped after so many different Ways, unless in Amsterdam.
1743. J. Morris, Serm., vii. 200. The true God, whom their fathers had worshiped.
1756–7. trans. Keysler’s Trav. (1760), III. 328. The virgin Mary, with the infant Jesus, and St. Mary Magdalene worshipping him.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist., VII. 191. We may say … that the most frightful of reptiles is worshipped by the most … barbarous of mankind.
1847. Helps, Friends in C., I. vii. 102. Men have worshipped some fantastic being for living alone in a wilderness.
1876. L. Stephen, Eng. Th. 18th C., I. v. 293. The God whom Butler worships is, in fact, the human conscience deified.
b. transf. To regard with extreme respect or devotion; to ‘adore.’
1720. Mrs. Manley, Power of Love, I. (1741), 126. Why may I not know and worship my Benefactor?
1749. Fielding, Tom Jones, XI. ii. Men are strangely inclined to worship what they do not understand.
1837. Lockhart, Scott, IV. ii. 63. Under the shadow of the genius that he had worshipped almost from boyhood.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vii. II. 258. Lady Churchill was loved and even worshipped by Anne.
1851. Kingsley, Yeast, x. She had worshipped intellect, and now it had become her tyrant.
1856. Dickens, etc., Wreck Golden Mary, ii. 19. I worshipped the very ground she walked on!
1889. ‘J. S. Winter,’ Mrs. Bob, iv. Our mother was the sweetest … of women—Maimie and I worshipped her.
1906. Lit. World, 15 Nov., 508/2. His wife simply worshipped him.
c. absol. To engage in worship; to perform, or take part in, the act of worship.
a. 1703. Burkitt, On N. T., Matt. iv. 9. If to worship before the devil, be to worship the devil, then to worship before the image, is to worship the image.
1824. Lamb, Elia, Ser. II. Blakesmoor. I … knew every nook and corner, wondered and worshipped everywhere.
1860. Warter, Sea-board, II. 462. It distresses me sadly to see the effect of not worshipping where good men of all ages have been used to worship.
1889. ‘J. S. Winter,’ Mrs. Bob, ii. Ever since the first day … he had persistently and abjectly worshipped at the shrine of Mrs. Lovelace.
1908. R. Bagot, A. Cuthbert, vi. 52. The parish church in which the Cuthbert family had worshipped.
† 2. trans. To honor; to regard or treat with honor or respect. Obs.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 511. Siðen sal … chirches ben wursiped mor and mor.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6474. Fader and moder þou wirschip ai. Ibid., 28141. Ic hafe coueitid in blis to be for-þi þat alle suld wirschippe me.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 163. Richard curteise was,… Forgaf alle þe trespas, wirschipid himself aboue,… Wirschipped him at reson, right as himself was digne.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. VII. 94. I wol Worschupe þer-Wiþ Treuþe in my lyue.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 7. The privilege of regalie Was sauf, and al the baronie Worschiped was in his astat.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 39. Þai war fayr yong men … and þai war wurshuppid & had in grete dayntie with evure man.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xxv. 538. Worship your better, & love your neyghbour.
1530. Palsgr., 784/2. I worshyp a man, Je honnore.… I have ever worshypped hym for his great vertues.
1561. T. Hoby, trans. Castiglione’s Courtyer, III. (1577), Q iv b. A womanne knowing hir selfe so muche beloued and worshipped many yeares togither … at length is brought to loue him.
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 120. I … will honour those alwayes that be honest, and worship them … whom I shall know to be worthy in their liuinge.
† b. To treat with signs of honor or respect; to salute, bow down to. Obs.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. XI. 168. I grette þe goode mone as þe gode wyf me tauȝte, And afterward his wyf, I worschupet hem boþe.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 62. And þis Putiphar & his wife come & mett hym, and wurschippid hym.
c. 1450. Lovelich, Grail, lii. 480. Thanne his Meyne Aȝens hym gonne gon, and hym worschepid Everichon.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cxlvi. 175. When he had thus sayde, euery man worshypped hym, and dyuers kneled downe at his fete.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Kings ii. 19. The kynge stode vp, and wente to mete her, and worshipped her.
a. 1591. H. Smith, Serm. (1594), 228. if they doe so admire me in silkes, how would they cap me … and worship mee, if I were in veluets?
1737. Whiston, Josephus, Antiq., VII. ix. § 5. When he had worshipped Absalom, he withal wished that his Kingdom might last a long time.
† c. To honor with gifts, etc. Obs.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, II. 113. Offa … worschipped [L. insignivit] Aldulf, bisshop of Lichefeld, wiþ þe archebisshoppes pal. Ibid., III. 69. Þe kyng of Babilon worschepede [L. honoravit] þis Ezechias wiþ ȝiftes.
c. 1450. Lay-Folks Mass. Bk., Bidding Prayer, iii. 77. We sal pray specially for all þaes þat wirchips þis kirke owther with buke or bell, uestment or chales.
1475. Bk. Noblesse (Roxb.), 84. So that none of us reserve and kepe to his propre use but ringis and uouches for to worship his wiffe and children withalle.
1482. Monk of Evesham (Arb.), 87. I suppose … that oure lord dyd worschype hys seruante with seche benefettys to geue other example.
† 3. To invest with, raise to, honor or repute; to confer honor or dignity upon. Obs.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 330. At London is his heued, his quarters ere leued, in Scotland spred, To wirschip þer iles.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., I. 286. Þe manheed of Crist is a margarite þat worshipiþ his Chirche and confortiþ mennis hertis.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, 4. The excercyse of bokes worshippeþ a leche. Ibid., 38. Sich pronosticacion … shal worshipe þe bisynes of þe leche.
c. 1450. Burgh, Secrees, 2326. Lyke as a Robe fayr of greet Rychesse, Worshippeth the body of a mighty kyng, So fair language Worshippeth a lettir with good endityng.
c. 1530. Songs, Carols, etc. (E.E.T.S.), 111. She had a-went, she had worshipped all her kyn.
a. 1591. H. Smith, Serm. (1594), 337. He gapes for a phrase that he may haue one figure more to grace and worship his tale.
1601. A. Munday, Downf. Earl Huntington, I. iii. B 3. You haue dishonoured mee, I worshipt you, You … Unto a Iustice place I did preferre, Where you vniustly haue my tenants rackt.
