[f. L. confœderāt- ppl. stem of confœderāre, or possibly from the much earlier ppl. adj. CONFEDERATE: see prec. (The pa. t. was sometimes also confederate.) An earlier form was CONFEDER through French.]
1. trans. To unite (persons or states) in a league, bring into alliance, ally; to form into a confederation. Const. with, together, † unto.
1532. Hervet, Xenophon’s Househ., iv. (1768), 18. To bringe him presentes fro the cites of Grece, confederated vnto him.
1577. Hellowes, Gueuara’s Chron., 331. To confederate and set them at agreement.
1660. trans. Amyraldus’ Treat. Relig., III. i. 304. It confederates men with God and between themselves.
1757. Burke, Abridgm. Eng. Hist., Wks. 1842, II. 587. To confederate others in their design.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 7, ¶ 9. The writers of news, if they could be confederated, might give more pleasure to the public.
1884. Macm. Mag., Nov., 27/1. To endeavour to confederate the Windward Islands.
fig. 1700. S. Parker, Six Philos. Ess., 54. Cold Vapours … intimately confederated and congeal’d.
b. For an evil or unlawful purpose. Cf. CONFEDERACY 1 b.
1555. in Strype, Eccl. Mem., III. App. xlvi. 140. An utter enemie unto the saide Bisshope, confederated with the principal adversaris aforesaide.
1623. Hexham, Tongue-Combat, 26. Gone astray, and wickedly confederated with Heretickes.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), I. xiv. 93. To confederate all the family against me.
1849. Cobden, Speeches, 37. Neither in England nor Ireland have there been 100 men confederated together with arms to war against the Crown and Government.
2. refl. To ally oneself; to enter into a league, or conspiracy.
1531. Elyot, Gov., II. xii. Their willes and appetites daily more and more so confederated them selfes.
1543–4. Act 35 Hen. VIII., c. 12. The … frenche kyng … hath confederated hym selfe with the greate Turke.
1649. Selden, Laws Eng., I. xvi. (1739), 31. All the people in the Folkmote shall confederate themselves as sworn Brethren, to defend the Kingdom.
1828. E. Irving, Last Days, 43. In what way any man can … confederate himself with so many great principles of falsehood.
† b. To ally oneself sexually. Obs.
c. 1555. Harpsfield, Divorce Hen. VIII. (1878), 254. One that had in her most abominable … desires confederated herself … with her own natural brother.
3. intr. (for refl.) Of persons or states: To enter into a league, ally or league oneself (with.)
1557. North, trans. Gueuara’s Diall Pr., 213 a/2. There one frend confederate with another, so that their hartes were maryed.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Alíar, to confederate, to allie himselfe.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 120. His valiant sister Peria-con-Connq, confederating with foure Sultans..., habited like foure Virgins, entred his Bed-chamber, and with a silken halter strangled him.
1728. Newton, Chronol. Amended, i. 122. The Pisæans confederated with several other Greek nations, and made war upon the Eleans.
1825. T. Jefferson, Autobiog., Wks. 1859, I. 30. The larger colonies had threatened they would not confederate at all, if their weight in Congress should not be equal to the numbers of people they added to the confederacy.
1863. Morning Star, 17 Dec., 5/5. When this contest commenced in 1861, but six States confederated.
b. In bad sense: To conspire. Cf. 1 b.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 222. A Merchant … together with his sonne and a Broker had confederated to buy great store of merchandises vpon their credit, of purpose to breake and to inrich themselues.
1701. Lond. Gaz., No. 3760/3. [Unpaid troops] who threaten to Confederate if speedy Care be not taken to satisfie them.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. 100. If any sworn servant of the king’s houshold conspires or confederates to kill any lord of this realm.
1779–81. Johnson, L. P., Blackmore. The wits easily confederated against him.
