Obs. Forms: 1 wrotan, 2–4 wroten (5 -yn), 4–7 wrote (5 wroth-), 4–6 wroote, 6–7 wroot (5 Sc. wrotte, 6 wrutt). [OE. wrótan, = OFris. *wrôta (WFris. wrotte, NFris. wrote, wröte, wrät), MLG. wroten (LG. wröten), MDu. and Du. wroeten (Antwerp dial. wruten), OHG. *wrôzian, ruozian to plow up, ON. and Icel. róta, (M)Sw. and Norw. rota, Da. rode), f. wrót WROOT sb. Cf. ROOT v.2, WORT v., WROUT v.]
1. intr. To turn up soil with the snout, as swine in search of food; to dig up the earth by grubbing; = ROOT v.2 1. Also in fig. context.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (Hessels), S 689. Subigo, wrotu.
a. 1000. Riddles, XL[I]. 107. Swin, bearʓ bellende on bocwuda won wrotende wynnum lifde.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 37. Alse swin, þe uulieð and wroteð and sneuieð aure fule.
c. 1205. Lay., 469. Wilde swin þat wroteð ȝeond þan grouen.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Pars. T., ¶ 83 (Ellesm.). Right as a soughe wroteth in euerich ordure; so wroteth [other MSS. add sche, she] hire beautee in stynkynge ordure of synne.
c. 1410. Master of Game (MS. Digby 182), v. [Wild boars] wrote in þe grounde with þe rowell of hir snowte.
c. 1420. Avow. Arth., xii. The bore … be-gynnus to wrote, He ruskes yppe mony a rote.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 20. In the wyldernesse of this worlde where they labour & wroote in the erth.
a. 1586. Sidney, De Mornay, Pref. ¶ 2. We … preach the kingdome of heauen, and haue our groynes euer wrooting in the ground.
1587. Harrison, England, III. viii. (1878), II. 52. Some [sheep] also will wroot for them [sc. saffron-bulbs] in verie eger maner.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., ii. 320. That cruell Boare, whose tusks turn’d up whole fields of graine, And wrooting, raised hills upon the leuell Plaine.
1641. Best, Farm. Bks. (Surtees), 144. To lye it wheare it may bee well wroten amongst with swine and beasts. Ibid., 148. Rye-strawe, well wrote amongst.
b. transf. Of worms.
c. 1308. Erthe upon Erthe, 2. Þan schullen an hundred wormes wroten on þe skin.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., C. 467. God wayned a worme þat wrot vpe þe rote.
a. 1425. Cursor M., 23281 (Trin.). Þo wormes euer shul on hem wrote.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, I. 6435. Lik a werm that wrotith on a tre.
c. Of persons: To turn up the ground. rare–1.
c. 1325. Orfeo, 239. Now he most bothe digge and wrote, Er he have his fille of rote.
2. trans. To turn over, dig or tear up, with the snout, as in grubbing or burrowing; = ROOT v.2 2. Occas. with up. Also in fig. context.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Thorpe), lxxix. 13. Hine utan of wuda eoferas wrotað.
a. 1352. Minot, Poems, vi. 32–33. A were es wroght,… Ȝowre walles with to wrote. Wrote þai sal ȝowre dene.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., I. 406. Molde-worpis þat wroten þe erþe.
1398. [see WROOT sb.].
c. 1410. Master of Game (MS. Digby 182), xxiv. Rootes þat þei [sc. boars] wrote oute of þe erthe.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., 148 (Addit. MS.). There entred a swyne, and the new plantes … he wroted.
1567. Maplet, Gr. Forest, 102. The Sow … wrooting vp the clots of the yearth.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 29. Cursed be those Swynishe senses, whiche can wroote together all rootes of wickednesse.
[1601. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., III. iv. 1390. If his earth wroting snout shall gin to scorne.]
transf. 1535. Coverdale, Prov. xv. 27. The couetous man wrutteth vp his owne house.
b. To draw or cast (earth, etc.) by grubbing.
c. 1440. Pallad. on Husb., I. 802. Light molde aboute and on, anoon let wroote. Ibid., III. 445. More [mould] a litel herre vppon hit wrote. Ibid., XII. 469. But wete hym ofte, and donge aboute hym wrote.
Hence † Wrooting ppl. a. Obs.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 79. A wroting vlcus [L. vlcus corosinuum] is þat of his malice fretiþ [B.M. Addit. MS. wroteþ].
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 132. The wrotyng hogge.
1600. Thynne, Emblems (1876), xxiii. 5. With wrootinge groyne … [the] warlike bore Turnes vp and betters that bad lande.
