Forms: 3–7 chere, 4–6 cher, 4– cheer. Also 4 scher(e, chire, cheyr, 4–6 cheir, chier(e, 4–7 cheere, 5 chyr, 5–6 chyer(e, 5–7 cheare, 6–8 chear, 7 chaire. [ME. chere, a. OF. chiere, chere face (= Pr., Sp., Pg. cara face):—late L. cara face, countenance, used in 6th c. by the African poet Corippus (De Laud. Justini ‘Caesaris ante caram’).
The origin of cara is uncertain; the current conjecture is that it was a. Gr. κάρα head; but as to this there are many difficulties: see Diez. The word seems to have come by way of Africa and Spain: it is unknown to Italian and Wallachian.]
† 1. The face. Obs.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 210. Summe iuglurs … makien cheres, & wrenchen mis hore muð, & schulen mid hore eien.
c. 1330. Florice & Bl. (1857), 143. For hire faired and for her schere.
1382. Wyclif, Ex. xxv. 20. The cheeres turned into the propiciatorie. Ibid., Jer. i. 17. To dreden the chere of them.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 72. Cheere, vultus.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 18 b. His fair chiere. Ibid. (1483), Gold. Leg., 38/2. In the swete of thy chere thou shalt ete brede.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., III. ii. 96. All fancy sicke she is, and pale of cheere.
† 2. The look or expression of the face; countenance, aspect, visage, mien. Obs. or arch.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 70. Of one glede chere.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1091. For be his chere he sagh him wrath.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, II. 34. [He] schawyt him, with lauchand cher, The Endentur.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 664. His chere was so sad and sori.
1559. Mirr. for Mag., Salisbury, xiii. Where ever I went, I met thy smyling cheare.
1622. Peacham, Compl. Gentl., II. i. (1634), 102. Piety is drawne like a Lady of Solemne cheare.
1693. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 325. Chear or countenance.
1830. Tennyson, Poet’s Mind. The flowers would faint at your cruel cheer.
† b. Phrases. To change cheer: to change countenance, as the effect of anger, fear, shame, etc. To make a cheer: to assume a (specified) look or expression. Obs.
a. 1225. St. Marher., Olibrius … þa he þis iherde, Changede his chere.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Clerkes T., 622. She no chiere maade of heuynesse.
c. 1400. Gamelyn, 319. If my brother grucche or make foule cheere.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 265. Whan he cam to the place there he schuld deye he chaunged no cheere.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. ii. 42. The diuelish hag by chaunges of my cheare Percieu’d my thought.
a. 1700. Dryden, Fab., Meleager & A., 246. Pale at the sudden sight, she chang’d her cheer.
3. Disposition, frame of mind, mood, esp. as showing itself by external demeanor, etc. Usually with qualification as ‘good,’ ‘glad,’ ‘joyful,’ or ‘sorrowful,’ ‘heavy,’ etc.
(In very many early quotations it is impossible to say whether the meaning is 2 or 3, or both at once.)
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5075. Ioseph comforth þan þere chere [Gött. ioseph confort þaim þar chere].
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 184. She thonked dyomede Of alle his trauaile and his gode chere.
c. 1500. Merline, 768, in Furniv., Percy Folio, I. 446. The feend … beguiled her with treacherye, and brought her into a dreerye cheere.
1598. Barkcley, Felic. Man, I. (1603), 5. He was … with heauie cheare enforced to seeke an other dvvelling.
c. 1600. Shaks., Sonn., xcvii. If they sing, ’tis with so dull a cheere.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 496. His words thir drooping chere Enlightn’d, and thir languisht hope reviv’d.
1783–94. Blake, Songs Innoc., Introd. 6. So I piped with merry cheer.
b. Phrases. † What cheer with you? † what cheer make you? what cheer?: lit. ‘what is your state or mood?’ ‘how are you?’ To be of good cheer: to be stout of heart, cheerful, courageous. With good cheer: cheerfully, joyfully, with ready will.
c. 1440. York Myst., xiv. 85. Say Marie doghtir, what chere with þe.
c. 1450. Merlin, xviii. 282. He badde his felowes to be of goode chier.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst. (1836), 109. A, Gylle, what chere?
1526. Tindale, 2 Cor. v. 6. We are alwaye of good chere.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 28. What chere make you, fayre loue Jehannet.
1535. Coverdale, Haggai ii. 4. Be of good chere, o Zorobabel.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. i. 2. Heere Master: What cheere?
1712. Budgell, Spect., No. 313, ¶ 16. His Friend … bade him be of good Cheer.
1805. Wordsw., Waggoner, I. The same strong voice more near Said cordially, My Friend, what cheer?
1842. Tennyson, Two Voices, cxliii. A second voice was at mine ear … A murmur, ‘Be of better cheer.’
4. Cheerfulness, gladness, mirth, joy, gaiety. To make cheer: to make merry, be cheerful.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 13. This blinde boteler [i.e., Cupid] Yiveth of the trouble in stede of chere And eke the chere in stede of trouble.
c. 1440. Generydes, 570. He cowde not make no chere but alwey mourn. Ibid., 802. His comfort and his chere is all awaye.
1535. Coverdale, Isa. xvi. 9. Myrth and chere was gone out of ye felde & vynyardes.
1602. Shaks., Ham., III. ii. 174. You are so sicke of late, So farre from cheere.
1634. Milton, Comus, 955. Our sudden coming there Will double all their mirth and chere.
1693. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 325. Chear or gladness, gaudium. Ibid., 327. To make good chear, genialiter agere.
1842. Tennyson, Two Voices, lxxx. Naked I go, and void of cheer.
† 5. Kindly welcome or reception, hospitable entertainment. To make (do, or give) cheer: to give a kindly welcome, to receive and entertain. Hence BELLY-CHEER, and ironical WHIPPING CHEER, q.v.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5328. Quen iacob sagh þat hall plenar And all a-bute to mak him cher.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man Lawes T., 904. Gret cheere doth this noble senatour To kyng Alla.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, IV. xxxviii. (1859), 63. To doo yow suche chere as to youre estate bylongeth.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, I. cxlix. 280. When she was come, she had all the cheer that might be done.
1488. Caxton, Chast. Goddes Chyld., 12. They that dide him chere before haue him now in scorne.
1550. Crowley, Epigr., 68. What occasion was here, To provide for learninge and make povertye chere?
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 89. She securely giues good cheare, And reuerend welcome to her princely guest.
1666. Temple, Lett., Wks. 1731, II. 17. After I have welcomed you into the Climate with the same Chear and Kindness the Sun I know will do.
6. concr. What is provided by way of entertainment: fare, provisions, viands, food. To make good (etc.) cheer: to feast and make merry: cf. sense 4.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XIV. 453. That nycht thai maid thame merye cher.
1533. Frith, Answ. More (1829), 435. The Corinthians … came to feed their flesh, and to make carnal cheer.
1535. Coverdale, Ecclus. xviii. 33. Make not to greate cheare of the thinge that thou hast wonne by avauntage.
1567. Drant, Horace’s Epist., I. xiv. E v. Me to fede on simple cheare.
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, xxxix. (1887), 194. Liuely cheese is lusty cheare.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 713. Their cheere was only rice and mutton.
1656. H. More, Antid. Ath., III. x. (1712), 119. This stranger not relishing his chear without salt.
1693. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 327. To make good chear, Epulari hilariter.
1726. Cavallier, Mem., I. 39. Our Cheer was very indifferent all this while, for the King’s Troops had plunder’d all the Country.
1828. Lytton, Pelham, I. xxiii. 190–1. I care not a rush for the decorations of the table, so that the cheer be good.
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 163. Every table was loaded with good cheer.
b. The fewer the better cheer: the fewer there are, the more there is for each to eat.
1649–50. Norwood, Voy. Virginia, in Voy. (1744), VI. We … fell on without using the ceremony of calling the rest of our company … the proverb telling us, The fewer the better chear.
c. 1720. Swift, Pol. Conversat., ii. Lady Smart. Come, the more the merrier. Sir John. Ay, but the fewer the better cheer.
7. That which gives joy or gladness; comfort, solace; encouragement.
1549–62. Sternhold & H., Ps. xliii. 4. Then shall I to the altar goe of God my joy and cheare.
1649. Selden, Laws Eng., I. lviii. (1739), 107. Their deportment then was full of chear and safety to the people.
1757. Dyer, Fleece, IV. 131. The cheers of life … but not the vices, learn to taste.
1861. Miss Cobbe, in Macm. Mag., III. 461. A little breath of cheer from the outer world.
1863. B. Taylor, H. Thurston, I. Ded. With the cheer and encouragement which I owed to your unexpected kindness.
8. A shout of encouragement, welcome, approbation or congratulation; esp. in pl. the loud, combined shouts (Hurrah!, Huzza!) and other expressions of applause of a company or crowd.
In the House of Commons, Cheers of approbation are expressed by the words Hear! hear! Counter-cheers are answering cheers from the opposite party as an assertion that the matter is really reason for congratulation to them.
1720. De Foe, Capt. Singleton, xvii. (1840), 295. We gave them a cheer, as the seamen call it.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic., xxxiii. Peregrine … as he went out of the gate, was saluted with three chears by all the domestics.
1785. Burns, Winter Night. And hail’d the morning wi’ a cheer.
1798. Coleridge, Anc. Mar., VII. They answered not our cheer!
1848. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., I. 516. Not a cheer was heard.
1857. S. Osborn, Quedah, vii. 91. We gave one cheer, fired our guns, and then pushed on for our lives.
Mod. Newspaper., Parl. Rept. The result of the division was received with cheers and counter-cheers. Loud and prolonged cheers, during which the honourable gentleman resumed his seat.
9. Comb., as cheer-marrer.
1594. Daniel, Cleopatra, Poems (1717), 298. Chear-Marrer, Care, did then such Passions breed.
