Constrain

v. Forms: 4 constrane, 4–5 -streign(e, -straygne, 4–6 -streyn(e, -strayn(e, 4–7 -strein(e, (5 -stryne), 5–6 north. -strene, 6 Sc.- stranȝe, 5–7 -straine, 6– -strain. Pa. pple. 4–5 constreint, 5–6 -straynte, 6 Sc. -strane. [ad. OF. constreindre, -aindre, ppl. stem constreign-, -aign- (in mod.F. contraindre, It. costrignere, constringere):—L. constring-ĕre to tie tightly together, compress by tying, f. con- together + stringĕre to draw tight.]

  1.  trans. To force, compel, oblige:

  a.  a person to do anything. (The usual const.)

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 914. It constreigneth me to do yow grace and mercy.

a. 1400.  Cursor M., Insertion p. 990. Bot þai constrayned [MS. -oyned] him to dwelle, þat he no farrer might.

c. 1430.  Life St. Kath. (1884), 11. Þese iiij notable þynges moste nedes constreyne ȝow to enclyne to oure ententes.

1538.  Starkey, England, II. iv. 123. Constreynyd to lerne the Latyn tong.

1606.  G. W[oodcocke], trans. Hist. Ivstine, 67 a. Power … to constraine them delyuer that by force.

1607.  Shaks., Cor., V. iii. 100. Since that thy sight … Constraines them weepe.

1758.  S. Hayward, Serm., xvi. 479. He never constrained them to walk in the paths of iniquity.

1818.  Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), V. 145. A writ issues to the sheriff … to constrain the party to appear.

  b.  a person to (into) a course of action, state, place, etc.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Clerk’s T., 471. Though I do thing to which I am constreynit.

1393.  Langl., P. Pl., C. VI. 54. Men sholde constreyne no clerke to knauene werkes.

1535.  Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 652. Suppois natuir constranȝe him thairto.

1614.  Raleigh, Hist. World, II. 354. They fled into the Woods, fearing to be constrained to the Plough.

1790.  Cowper, Rec. Mother’s Picture, 86. I should ill requite thee, to constrain Thy unbound spirit into bonds again.

1840.  Mrs. Browning, Drama of Exile. And the elements shall boldly All your dust to dust constrain.

  c.  with simple object.

a. 1340.  Hampole, Psalter, xxvii. 10. With þaire fre wil, noght constraynd.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Frankl. T., 41. Wommen of kynde desiren libertee And nat to been constreyned as a thral.

1535.  Coverdale, 2 Kings ii. 17. Neuertheles they constrayned him, tyll he was ashamed, and sayde: Let them go.

1611.  Bible, 2 Cor. v. 14. For the loue of Christ constreineth vs.

  d.  absol. (without direct object.)

c. 1340.  Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1496. Ȝe ar stif innoghe to constrayne wyth strenkþe, ȝif yow likez.

1586.  Cogan, Haven Health, ccxi. (1636), 213. Sometimes if hunger constrained, they would double their commons.

1717.  Pope, Ep. to Jervas, 67. Led by some rule, that guides, but not constrains.

1873.  Lowell, Among my Bks., Ser. II. 279. The necessities of metre would naturally constrain to such forms.

  e.  Dynamics. To restrict the motion of (a body or particle) to a certain course, e.g., along a fixed curve.

1834.  Whewell (title), On the Motion of Points constrained and resisted.

1856.  Tait & Steele, Dynamics of Particle (1871), 181. A particle is constrained to move on a given smooth plane curve, under the action of given forces in the plane of the curve. Ibid., 193. If the particle be constrained by a circular tube. Ibid. (Contents), 15. String constrained by pulley.

  2.  To compel or enforce (an action, etc.); to bring about by compulsion or of necessity.

1602.  Marston, Antonio’s Rev., V. vi. Other vowes constraine another course.

1603.  Philotus (1835), 10. It is vnpossible that loue should be constrained, where affection breedes not likyng.

1614.  Stirling, Dooms-day, 8th Houre (R.). O! what strange things … Could this man tell, amazement to constraine?

a. 1679.  Earl Orrery, Hen. V., I. ’Twas a Crime To punish what you did constrain from him.

1725.  Pope, Odyss., I. 22. Calypso in her caves constrain’d his stay.

1741.  Watts, Improv. Mind (1801), 278. Where there is not sufficient testimony to constrain our assent, yet there ought to be due deference paid to the narratives of persons wise and sober.

1800.  Addison, Amer. Law Rep., 2. The … constrained presumption, that the child whose death was concealed, was killed by the mother.

  † 3.  To force out; to produce by effort, ‘to produce in opposition to nature’ (J.). Obs.

1607.  Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1673), 183. They rub their udders with Nettles untill they constrain bloud.

c. 1640.  Waller, Battle of Summer-Isl., I. Poems 1705, 61.

  † b.  To force, assume or produce by straining (any behavior or expression of feeling). Obs.

c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 5316. Which desire is so constreyned That it is but wille feyned.

1605.  Shaks., Lear, II. ii. 103. This is some Fellow, Who … doth affect A saucy roughnes, and constraines the garb Quite from his Nature.

1702.  Steele, Funeral, I. (1734), 15. Could all those Shrieks, those Swoonings, that rising falling Bosom be constrain’d?

1725.  Pope, Odyss., I. 490. [He] constrain’d a smile, and thus ambiguous spoke.

  † 4.  refl. To exert or strain oneself. Obs. rare.

c. 1510.  Gesta Rom., 430. Whiche this yonge damosell seynge, constreyned herselfe, and ranne so fast, tyll at the last she had hym at a vauntage agayne.

  † 5.  a. To take by force, force to surrender. Obs.

1699.  Dryden, Ep. to J. Driden, 153. Namur subdu’d is England’s palm alone; The rest besieg’d, but we constrain’d the town.

  † b.  To violate, force. Obs.

1588.  Shaks., Tit. A., V. ii. 178. Her spotlesse Chastity, Inhumaine Traytors, you constrain’d and for’st.

  † 6.  To press hard upon, straiten, reduce to straits; to oppress, afflict, distress. Obs.

c. 1450.  Merlin, iv. 65. The grete peyne that he was Inne for the love of Ygerne, that so hym constrayned that he myght nother ete ne slepe.

1523.  Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccxxxiv. 328. He had dayly great complayntes made to hym … wherwith his hart was sore constrayned for displeasure.

c. 1532.  Dewes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 95. To constrayne, opprimer.

1596.  Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (1884), 27. That necessitie constrayne thame nocht quha ar within … this Ile hes a pasture … that may feid sum wethiris.

1859.  Tennyson, Geraint & Enid, 716. But since our fortune slipt from sun to shade … cruel need Constrain’d us, but a better time has come.

  † 7.  To compress into small compass; to contract. Obs. rare.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Boeth., I. i. 5. Þe stature of hir was of a doutous iugement, for sumtyme sche constreyned and schronk hir seluen lyche to þe comune mesure of men.

  8.  To confine forcibly, keep in bonds, imprison.

1382.  Wyclif, Ezek. xxxi. 15. Y … forbedde the floodis of hym, and constreinede many watris.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., II. iv. 15. With hundred yron chaines he did him bind, And hundred knots, that did him sore constraine.

1612.  Drayton, Poly-olb., Notes to Song ix. 145. The South-west wind constrained betwene two hils on both sides of the lake.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 634. He binds in Chains The drowzy Prophet, and his Limbs constrains.

1713.  Gay, Fan, I. 231, Poems 1745, I. 38.

1821.  Shelley, Epipsych., 398. The walls are high, the gates are strong,…—but true love never yet was thus constrained.

1879.  Butcher & Lang, Odyssey, 7. And hard men constrain him, wild folk that hold him … sore against his will.

  † b.  To check, stop, staunch. Obs.

c. 1400.  Lanfranc’s Cirurg. (MS. A), 66. If þe blood come fro grete veynes he mai nouȝt so sumtyme be constreyned. Ibid., 68. If … þou maist not sowde þe arterie ne þe veyne ne þou maist not constreyne þe blood.

  c.  To press or clasp tightly in one’s arms. poet.

1697.  Dryden, Æneid, I. 963.

1861.  Temple & Trevor, Tannhäuser, 27. And all for joy constrain’d him to his breast.

  d.  fig. To restrain within bounds, to limit.

1614.  Raleigh, Hist. World, I. Wks. 1829, II. 340. Overweak, either to resist the first inclination of evil, or after, when it became habitual, to constrain it.

1708.  Rowe, Royal Convert, III. (1766), 44. Constrain your temper, Sir; be false and meet her With her own sex’s arts.

1878.  Morley, Condorcet, 36. It was impossible … to constrain within prescribed limits the activity.

  † 9.  = CONSTRINGE, CONSTRICT. Obs.

1398.  [see CONSTRAINING ppl. a. 2].

c. 1400.  Lanfranc’s Cirurg. (MS. A), 77. Olde woundis þat ben maad … of to greet cold constreynynge. Ibid., 105. Ibid., 263. If þe spasme come … þat wole constryne þe tunge inward.

1586.  Cogan, Haven Health, cxiv. (1636), 115. Services … are … to be eaten after meat, to constraine and close up the stomacke.

1599.  Hakluyt, Voy., II. II. 335. Vehement heate resolueth the radicall moysture of mens bodies, as colde constraineth and preserueth the same.

1697.  Dryden, Virg. Georg., II. 430. When Winter Frosts constrain the Field with Cold.

  10.  To subject to restraint of behavior. rare.

a. 1745.  Swift, Directions to Footman (Seager). Leave the company to converse more freely, without being constrained by your presence.

1847.  Emerson, Repr. Men, Montaigne, Wks. (Bohn), I. 343. I … think … old friends who do not constrain me … the most suitable.