Forms: 4–6 bri-, brybour, 5 briboure, -bowre, -bur, 5–6 bryber, 6 bri-, brie-, brybor, brybar, 5– briber. [a. AF. bribour = OF. bribeor, later bribeur: see BRIBE sb.]
† 1. A vagabond, strolling vagrant; = F. bribeur, It. and Sp. bribon. Obs. (The last quot. belongs doubtfully here.)
1483. Cath. Angl., 43. A Bribur, circumforaneus, sicofanta.
c. 1500. Dunbar, Flyting, 49. Irsch brybour baird, vyle beggar with thy brattis!
a. 1600. Hist. Pieces, in Peck, Cromwell, 30. He made his porter shut his gates To sycophants and briebors.
† b. Hence: Scoundrel, wretch, rascal. (Cf. a similar use of beggar, vagabond, thief.) Obs.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. II. 313. Gentilmen, for to haue dyuersite and distinccioun from suche briboures made hem rynges of gold.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst., 183. If any brybour do bragge or blowe aȝens my bost.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxvi. 169. Say, bittilbrowed bribour.
1509. Barclay, Ship of Fooles (1570), 39. Ye babbling bribers, endeuour you to amende.
c. 1550. Lyndesay, Depl. Q. Magdalene, 66. The potent Prince … Contrair that bailfull bribour [death] had no micht.
† 2. A thief, purloiner or robber; a taker of black-mail; an extortioner. Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XX. 260. Alle other in bataille ben yholde bribours [C. XXIII. 262 brybours] Pilours and pykehernois in eche a place ycursed.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. II. 147. So þese briboures were i-made men of þe lond [sicque de prædonibus accolæ effecti].
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, IV. xxxiv. (1483), 83. To oppressen brybours and extorcioners.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 50. Brybowre, manticulus.
1461. J. Paston, in Lett., 384, II. 4. To lette brybers that wold a robbed a ship undyr color of my Lord of Warwyk.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. x. 21. The bribours of the Countrey watched for them at the passages.
1548. Cranmer, Catech., 100 b. Extorcioners, brybers, pollers, and piellers, deuourers of widowes houses.
1552. Huloet, Brybor. Vide in poller and thefe.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1596), 145/1. By inward theeues and bribers.
† 3. A judge or other official who levies ‘black-mail’ upon those to whom he should administer justice; one who exacts or accepts bribes; a bribee. Cf. BRIBE-TAKER, Obs.
1520. Whitinton, Vulg. (1527), 13. He is a bryber, or a taker of brybes [is est largitionis capax].
1549. Latimer, Serm. bef. Edw. VI., iii. (Arb.), 97. A bryber, a gyft taker, a gratifier of rytche men.
1586. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., 372. Iustice ought not to be either a briber, or respecter of persons, that is, she must neither take any thing, nor judge for anie favour.
1599. Life Sir T. More, in Wordsworth, Eccl. Biog. (1853), II. 80. His chancellour was a great briber and extortioner.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. xxiii. § 6 (1873), 222. A judge were better be a briber than a respecter of persons; for a corrupt judge offendeth not so lightly as a facile.
1611. Rich, Honest. Age (1844), 13. When euery vsurer, euery briber, euery extortioner … is an honest man.
4. One who offers or gives a bribe.
1583. Babington, Commandm. (1637). Have wee never suffered these hands to feele the weight of a bribers gift to drawe us to oppression?
1692. South, 12 Serm. (1697), I. 271. Affection is still a Briber of the Judgment. [1721 Not in Bailey in this sense.]
1755. in Johnson.
1837. Lytton, Athens, II. 246. Themistocles the most expert briber of his time.
1863. H. Cox, Inst., I. viii. 116. Bribery is a misdemeanor, punishable … in the briber and person bribed.
† 5. A thing that bribes, a price paid. Obs.
1607. Shaks., Timon, III. v. 61. His seruice done at Lacedemon, and Bizantium, Were a sufficient briber for his life.
