Forms: 4–7 enemi(e, -mye, enmie, -y(e, 4–6 enne-, ennymy(e, 5–7 enimie, -ye, (4 ennymei, en(e)me, 5 annemy, elmy, enmei, 6 ennimie), 4– enemy. [a. OF. enemi (Fr. ennemi), anemi, -y, corresp. to Pr. enemie, Cat. enemig, Sp. enemigo, It. nemico:—L. inimīcus, f. in- negative prefix + amīcus friendly, friend.]
A. sb.
I. An unfriendly or hostile person.
1. One that cherishes hatred, that wishes or seeks to do ill to another; also in weaker sense, an adversary, antagonist, opponent. Const. of (or genitive case), to.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 14827. Quar es he þat godds enemy? Ibid. (c. 1340), 25350 (Fairf.). Forgiue þine eneme.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. XI. 148. He … biddeþ [vs] … Blessen vr enemys.
1398. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 5. Enpresoned falslich by enme.
c. 1440. York Myst., xvii. 329. Herowde is oure enmye.
1538. Starkey, England, ii. 49. The handys … defend the rest of the body from the iniury of ennymys vtward.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., I. v. 143. Prodigious birth of Loue it is to me, That I must loue a loathed Enemie. Ibid. (1600), A. Y. L., II. iii. 18. Within this roofe the enemie of all your graces liues.
1653. Trial Major Faulconer, in Howell, St. Trials (1816), V. 359. He was an enemy to himself in spending his estate.
1664. Marvell, Corr., Wks. 1872–5, II. 98. A worke of their enimyes and not of their neighbours and friends.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (ed. 3), II. 227. I had been no Body’s Enemy but my own.
1792. Anecd. W. Pitt, I. ii. 44. An enemy to his fellow-subjects.
1845. Sarah Austin, trans. Ranke’s Hist. Ref., II. 215. A stake was driven into the ground before his door, as a token that he was a public enemy.
1859. Tennyson, Geraint & Enid, 282. Where can I get me … arms to fight my enemy?
1872. Morley, Voltaire (1886), 12. Who does not know this temper of the man of the world, that worst enemy of the world?
b. spec. The Enemy: the Devil (cf. fiend). Also (our) ghostly or great enemy; the old enemy, † the enemy of hell; the enemy of mankind, of souls, etc.
1382. Wyclif, Luke x. 19. I haue ȝouun to ȝou power of defoulinge, other tredinge … on al the vertu of the enemy.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), V. 131. The olde enemy cryde openliche in þe ayer.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (1835), 9. That tentacyoun Betoknyth … Of oure gostly enmye.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 125. She had vij husbondes, the whiche were mischeued and slayne bi the Annemy of helle.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 4. The prynce of derknes … our goostly ennemy the deuyll.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., II. 221. Be illusion of the ennimie.
1549. Bk. Com. Prayer, Visit. Sick, Defend him from the danger of the enemy.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 273, ¶ 8. Another Principal Actor in this poem is the great Enemy of Mankind.
1820. Scott, Abbot, xvi. I defy the Old Enemy to unmask me when I choose to keep my vizard on.
c. The great or last enemy: death (cf. 1 Cor. xv. 26).
1885. [Emma L. Seeley], Border Lances, 166. Looking to see the great Enemy arise from the waters, and come up to enter within the house where the knight lay.
d. transf. and fig. (a.) One who hates or opposes (a cause, custom, state of things). (b.) Something that operates prejudicially upon, counteracts the action of.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VII. xx. (1495), 237. Eyen ben enmyes and theues.
1595. Shaks., John, III. i. 263. So mak’st thou faith an enemy to faith.
1658. Evelyn, Fr. Gard., II. § 3 (1675), 173. To destroy these Enemies [Palmer worms], you should [etc.].
1679. Penn, Addr. Prot., I. viii. (1692), 31. Vice, the Enemy of Religion, is at the same time, the Enemy of Humane Society.
1782. Lett., in Amyot, Windham (1812), I. 18. One was an enemy to thinking;—the other to drinking.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 229. He [the true judge] ought to be the enemy of all pandering to the pleasure of the spectators.
2. One belonging to a hostile army or nation; an armed foe.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6592. I ledd ȝou thoru þe strand, Vte of all ȝour enmys hand.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1204. And harde hurles þurȝ þe oste, er enmies hit wyste.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 15. The higher hond he [Bacchus] hadde And victoire of his enemies.
c. 1460. Fortescue, Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714), 121. His Hyghness schal be … of Power to subdue his Ennymyes.
1461. J. Paston, Lett., 23 Aug., in Paston Lett., No. 410, II. 42. God … send yowe vyttorye of yowr elmyes.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., V. iv. 22. No Enemy Shall euer take aliue the Noble Brutus.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., IX. (1843), I. 581/2. To take charge of those horse whom only their friends feared, and their enemies laughed at.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 350, ¶ 1. The Relief which a Man of Honour would bestow upon an Enemy barbarously treated.
1769. Blackstone, Comm., IV. 83. A rebel is not an enemy.
1874. Bancroft, Footpr. Time, i. 46. All outside the family, tribe, or nation were usually held as enemies.
3. The hostile force. Originally only as quasi-personified, with concord in sing.; now also as collect. with concord in pl. Also, a hostile ship.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., IV. iii. 199. ’Tis better that the Enemie seeke vs.
1793. Burke, Corr. (1844), IV. 159. They strike at the enemy in his weakest and most vulnerable part.
1813. Wellington, in Gurw., Disp., XI. 35. To draw the attention of the enemy to this quarter.
1855. Motley, Dutch Rep., VI. i. (1866), 771. He sprang on board the enemy alone.
1861. Pearson, Early & Mid. Ages Eng., 337. A storm of arrows completed the rout of the first line of the enemy; and their men-at-arms were [etc.].
b. fig.
1879. Proctor, Pleas. Ways Sc., viii. 174. Cold is the real enemy which bars the way towards the Pole.
c. colloq. or slang. How goes the enemy: = ‘what is the time?’
1839. Dickens, Nich. Nick., xix. 179.
1839. Bailey, Festus, xiv. (1848), 154.
† II. 4. [app. a subst. use of B. 1] = ENMITY. Obs. rare.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VIII. xiii. (1495), 320. Vnder the planete Mars is conteyned werre and batayle, prison and enmye.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 15. Þat cursing be riȝtwyse longen [þre condiciouns] … riȝtwisnes in þe kirk … vnriȝtwisnes in þe man cursid, & enmey of þe obstinat. Ibid., 87. On sleþ an oþer bi enemy.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 212. For to him he hadde a prevyȝe enmyȝe.
B. adj. (In many examples the word admits of being regarded as the sb. used attrib.)
† 1. Adverse, hostile, ill-disposed, unfriendly. Const. to, with. Obs.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 12930 (Trin.). Þe enemy fend þo him [Jesus] souȝt.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Cor. xv. 26. Forsoth at the laste, the enemy deeth schal be distroyed.
1514. Barclay, Cyt. & Uplondyshm. (1847), 63. Enemie to muses is wretched povertie.
1553. N. Grimalde, trans. Cicero’s Duties (c. 1600), 131 b. To mans nature … cruelty is most enimy.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., IV. i. 447. Your wife … would not hold out enemy for euer.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 100. [marg. The enemy beasts to Harts.] Harts are opposed by Wolves.
1642. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., 112. I have beene shipwrackt, yet am not enemy with the sea or winds.
1654. Earl of Orrery, Parthenissa (1676), 125. He has nothing that’s enemy to us but his name.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, I. II. vii. 127. Some evil Genius, Enemy to Mankind, must have been the first Contriver.
2. Of or pertaining to a hostile army or nation; standing in the relation of an enemy, hostile. rare in mod. use.
1388. Wyclif, Ecclus. xlvi. 7. He made assauȝt aȝens the folk enemy [1382 enmyable folc].
1598. Grenewey, Tacitus’ Ann., XI. viii. (1612), 149. Being captaines of the enemy nations.
1623. Bingham, Xenophon, 82. The Countrey is enemy, and we in danger to lose many Souldiers.
1653. Holcroft, Procopius, IV. 149. Narses medled not with Ariminum … nor with any other Enemy-towne.
1655–60. Stanley, Hist. Philos. (1701), 116/2. The Carduchi, a People Enemy to the Persians.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1834), II. 429. There is a party of enemy Indians coming that way.
1793. T. Jefferson, Writ., IV. 25 (1859). Enemy goods are lawful prize.
1881. J. Westlake, in Academy, 15 Jan., 14/3. Distinguishing … between the enemy character of individuals and of their State.
