[a. F. cure-r (in OF. to take care of, to clean):—L. cūrāre to care for, take care of, cure, f. cūra care.]
I. † 1. a. trans. To take care of; to care for, regard. b. intr. To take trouble; to take care.
1382. Wyclif, Acts viii. 2. Forsoth men dredeful curiden [Vulg. curaverunt] or birieden Stheuene. Ibid., Tit. iii. 8. That thei that bileuen to God, curen, or do bisynesse, for to be bifore in goode werkis.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., III. 844. In hilles is to cure To set hem on the Southe if thai shall ure.
1603. Philotus, lxxxv. Of all thy kin curit not the greif.
a. 1618. Sylvester, Job Triumphant, III. 386. Whose ragged Fathers I refus’d to keep My Shepheard’s Curs, much more to cure my sheep.
1623. A. Taylor, Christ’s Mercy. I cur’d and cur’d for all that were in woe.
† 2. trans. (and absol.) To take charge of the spiritual interests of (a parish, etc.). Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XX. 323. The Frere … hyed faste To a lord for a lettre, leue to haue to curen, As a curatour he were.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 6845. I walke soules for to cure.
1581. J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 314. Sithence this Bishop is carefull and diligent in curyng his owne charge.
II. † 3. trans. To treat surgically or medically with the purpose of healing (a disease, or a patient). Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., II. v. (1495), 32. Angels ben callyd Leches and Physicyens for they cure and heele soules.
c. 1400. Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 94. For & he [the cankre] be curid, þat is to seie kutt or I-brent, þei perischen þe sunnere.
1530. Palsgr., 504. Je cure is I cure or helpe as a surgyen dothe.
1592. West, 1st Pt. Symbol., § 102 B. If … the said H. shal … refuse any longer to be dressed or cured by ye said F. of the said infirmitie.
4. To heal, restore to health (a sick person of a disease). Also fig.
1382. Wyclif, Luke viii. 43. Sum womman … which hadde spendid al hir catel in to lechis, nether myȝte be curid of ony. Ibid. (1388), 2 Kings v. 3. The prophete schulde haue curid hym of the lepre which he hath.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 110. Curyn’, or heelyn’ of seekenesse … Sano, curo.
1538. Starkey, England, II. ii. 185. Nature hyrselfe curyth the patyent.
1611. Bible, Luke vii. 21. Hee cured many of their infirmities and plagues.
1803. Med. Jrnl., IX. 548. The cold application was of great use … and she was soon cured.
1883. G. Lloyd, Ebb & Flow, II. 160. To be cured of a troublesome complaint.
fig. c. 1530. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866), 36. Thow shalte nevyr be curyd if thowe oonys knowe the cryme of thyne owne true wyfe.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., III. ii. 441. Ros. And thus I cur’d him [of love]…. Orl. I would not be cured, youth.
1752. A. Murphy, Gray’s-Inn Jrnl., No. 14, ¶ 2. This has cured me from attempting any sport of that kind.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 2, ¶ 1. Disappointment seldom cures us of expectation.
1832. W. Irving, Alhambra, II. 148. Time cured him of his grief.
† b. transf. To repair, make good (anything damaged). Obs.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Kings xviii. 30. He curede the auter of the Lord, that was destruyed.
a. 1656. Ussher, Ann., VI. (1658), 264. And there he cured such of his ships as had any wayes been bruised.
5. To heal (a disease or wound); fig. to remedy, rectify, remove (an evil of any kind).
14[?]. Circumcision, in Tundale’s Vis. (1843), 91. Hyt cureth sores, hyt heleth every wownd.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 9 b. The whiche cureth, releueth & heleth all defautes.
1610. Shaks., Temp., I. ii. 106. Your tale, Sir, would cure deafenesse.
1665. Glanvill, Sceps. Sci., 50. Deep search discovers more ignorance than it cures.
1708. Motteux, Rabelais, V. xvi. Well, quoth Fryar John … what can’t be cur’d must be endur’d.
1791. Burke, Corr. (1844), III. 357. To cure the evils brought on by vice and folly.
1872. E. Peacock, Mabel Heron, I. ix. 166. He had been successful in curing more than one smoky chimney.
Mod. The question whether pulmonary consumption can be cured.
† 6. intr. (for refl.) To be cured, get well again. Obs. rare.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., I. ii. 49. One desparate greefe cures with anothers languish.
a. 1774. Goldsm., trans. Scarron’s Com. Rom., I. 179. Saldagne’s wounds were in the fair way of curing.
1791. Gibbon, Lett., Misc. Wks. 1796, I. 232. I must either cure or die.
7. To prepare for keeping, by salting, drying, etc.; to preserve (meat, fish, fruit, tobacco, etc.
1665. Hooke, Microgr., 161. What their way is of dressing or curing Sponges … I cannot learn.
1711. Act 9 Anne, in Lond. Gaz., No. 4874/1. Hops … brought to be cured and bagged at such Ousts.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), I. ix. 152. I had grapes enough … to have cured into raisins.
1745. De Foe’s Eng. Tradesman, xxvi. (1841), I. 258. Herrings cured red from Yarmouth.
1788. T. Jefferson, Writings (1859), II. 443. The beef cured and packed by them.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Weal & Woe, i. 2. A warehouse … where salt for curing the fish … was stored.
b. intr. (for refl.) To be or become cured.
1668. Stubbe, in Phil. Trans., III. 705. In Jamaica the Sugar cures faster in ten days, than in six months in Barbadoes.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), I. vii. 119. They [grapes] might cure and dry in the sun.
1887. West Shore, 451/2. The bunch grass cures on the roots, as it stands, and remains as hay until it is renewed in the spring.
† 8. To clear (land), as for a crop. Obs.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), I. xvii. 295. We had gotten as much Land cured and trimmed up, as we sowed 22 Bushels of Barley on. Ibid. (1722), Col. Jack (1840), 168. I had a large quantity of land cured, that is, freed from timber.
