Forms: 4 chapfari, 4–5 cheffare(n, chaffare(n, 5–6 chaffare, chaffere, 5– chaffer. (See also the sb.) [In the Ayenbite (1340) chapfar-i, f. chapfare, CHAFFER sb.1: cf. the vbs, to trade, traffic, also f. the sbs.]
† 1. intr. To trade, buy and sell, deal in merchandise; to traffic. Obs. exc. as in b.
1340. Ayenb., 162. Þe borgeys wylneþ to chapfari an to wynne.
1340–70. Alisaunder, 1210. It [Byzaunce] was chosen for cheefe to cheffaren in.
1388. Wyclif, Luke xix. 13. Chaffare ȝe, til Y come.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., 389 (Add. MS.). He wente, ande Chaffared faste, and wanne mekille.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 94. With whom they chaffer and traffick only for a certaine precious stone … which we call a Carbuncle.
1640. H. Grimston, in Rushw., Hist. Coll., III. (1692), I. 122. This Great Arch-bishop of Canterbury … hath most unworthily trucked and chaffered in the meanest of them.
b. passing into the sense of 2.
1692. Dryden, Epil. Hen. II., 24. The play-house is a kind of market-place; One chaffers for a voice, another for a face. Ibid. (a. 1700), Fables, Gd. Parson, 70. To chaffer for preferment with his gold, Where bishoprics and sinecures are sold.
1858. Longf., M. Standish, VII. 37. The traders Touching at times on the coast, to barter and chaffer for peltries.
† c. Const. to. (Obs. rare.)
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Rich. II., clxiii. But Hee, who knew the valew of his blood, Chaffers to his Ambition.
2. Now chiefly in the sense: To treat about a bargain; to bargain, haggle about terms or price.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 86. They were longer than ordinary in making their market. While they were thus chaffering, on board, [etc.].
1759. Sterne, Tr. Shandy (1802), I. ix. 21. I hate chaffering and higgling for a few guineas in a dark entry.
1828. Miss Mitford, Village, Ser. III. (1863), 78. They were chaffering about the price.
1851. D. Jerrold, St. Giles, vi. 54. Titled gentlemen, coming about me and chaffering with me for that little jewel.
1856. Mrs. Browning, Aur. Leigh, V. 1264. Having chaffered for my book’s price with the publisher.
1865. W. G. Palgrave, Arabia, I. 155. They will chaffer half a day about a penny.
1871. Athenæum, 30 Sept., 423. The merchants go in, not to dally and chaffer, but to buy.
3. transf. and fig. (from 1 and 2). To deal, bargain, haggle, discuss terms, bandy words.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 160. Charite … ne chaffareth nouȝte, ne chalengeth, ne craueth.
a. 1617. Hieron, Wks. (1620), I. 60. The best course … is … not so much as to vse any speeches of chafering with him [the Atheist].
1827. Scott, Highl. Widow, V. Thinkest thou to chaffer with Him, who formed the earth, and spread out the heavens?
1828. Carlyle, Misc. (1857), I. 227. And so stand chaffering with Fate.
1860. Motley, Netherl. (1868), I. ii. 59. That each Province should chaffer as little as possible about details.
4. trans. † a. To buy and sell; to traffic in; to exchange, barter. Obs.
c. 1400. Plowman’s T., xii. in Chaucer’s Wks., Q iiii e (1561). [That] With pride punished the poore … With money filled many a male And chaffren churches when thei fall.
1591. Spenser, M. Hubberd, 1159. He chaffred Chayres in which Churchmen were set.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, II. v. 127. Horsemen as well as horses were chaffered in their markets.
1680. H. More, Apocal. Apoc., 182–3. Great Dignities and Preferments under her, which she chaffered for the maintaining or advancing her own interest.
† b. fig. (To chaffer words: to exchange or bandy words.) Obs.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., II. v. 3. He never staid to greete, Ne chaffar words, prowd corage to provoke.
1600. Fairfax, Tasso, XVI. xliii. 289. Sworne foes sometime will talke, and chaffer words.
1624. Bp. Mountagu, Gagg, 89. Merchants that trade for the Diuell; that chaffer Heauen and happinesse, for the reword of iniquity.
1652. Benlowes, Theoph., I. xxix. 5. Go, chaffer Blisse for Pleasure.
c. modified by away, down, † forth.
1530. Latimer, Serm. & Rem. (1845), 307. Not to hide … but to chaffer it forth to others.
1649. Bp. Reynolds, Hosea, ii. 77. Wicked men … chaffer and grant away their time, and strength.
1813. Scott, Trierm., II. xxi. ‘Reserve thy boon, my liege,’ she said, ‘Thus chaffered down and limited.’
1827. Hallam, Const. Hist. (1876), II. xi. 353. They saw with indignation that Dunkirk … had been chaffered away by Charles.
¶ 5. ‘To chaffer is now to talk much and idly’ (Trench, Select Gl. (1859–73), 31).
Hence in Webster, Ogilvie, etc.; but the statement seems doubtful; cf. however CHAFFERING ppl. a. 1856.
¶ 6. ? To mingle, interchange, exchange.
1720. W. Gibson, Diet. Horses, i. (ed. 3), 5. Horses … which have too much White on any Part of their Body, which is not mixed or chaffered with Hairs of the Horse’s Colour.
Chaffer, obs. form of CHAFER.
