Obs. Also 4–5 koll, 4–7 colle; see also CULL. [Either aphetic form of acole, ACCOLE, or a. F. cole-r = accoler to put the arms round the neck, deriv. of F. col:—L. collum neck.]
1. trans. To throw one’s arms round the neck of; to embrace, hug. Often absol.
c. 1320. R. Brunne, Medit., 932. She kolled hyt, she clypped hyt up on here brest.
c. 1320. Sir Beues, 425. Whi colles þow aboute þe swire Þat ilche dame?
1388. Wyclif, Gen. xxxiii. 4. And so Esau ran aȝens his brothir, and collide [1382 cleppide] hym.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, iv. 122. To colle and kysse theym.
1594. Marlowe & Nashe, Dido, IV. iii. Her silver arms will coll me round about.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., II. ii. III. iv. (1651), 483. Full liberty to sing, dance, kiss, coll.
1708. Motteux, Rabelais, V. xix. (1737), 85. They coll’d and clipt us about the Neck.
fig. 1537. Latimer, Serm. bef. Convoc., B. v. g. In hart and worke, they colle and kysse hym.
2. transf. To clasp, hug.
c. 1489. Caxton, Blanchardyn, xxvi. 97. The mast of the shippe, which [he] enbraced & colled sore fast wyth bothe his armes.
1575. Turberv., Venerie, lxxvii. 215. They are maruelous strong in their pawes, wherwith they coll in a Manne or Dogge, in suche sorte, that many times they kill and smoother them.
1606. R. Turnbull, in Spurgeon, Treas. Dav., Ps. xv. 5. As the ivy colleth and claspeth the oak … So the usurer colleth … and claspeth in arms the borrower.
¶ Confused in Dicts. with COLE v.1, q.v.
