v. Sc. Also 7 expeed. Pa. pple. 6 expeid, 7 exped, 7–8 expede. [ad. L. expedīre: see EXPEDITE v.]
† 1. refl. To get (oneself) out of a difficulty; to extricate; = EXPEDITE 1 b. Obs.
1645. Rutherford, Tryal & Tri. Faith (1845), 243. They shall never expede themselves.
† 2. trans. To get out of hand; to accomplish, complete, dispatch. Cf. EXPEDITE 2 and 3. Obs.
1513–75. Diurn. Occurr. (Bannatyne Club), 281. James lord Sanctjohne … obtenit litill or nathing of his errands expeid.
1560–1. 1 st Bk. Discipl. Ch. Scot. (1621), 10. That the matter may be the better & sooner exped.
a. 1657. Sir J. Balfour, Ann. Scot. (1824–5), II. 148. The assessor to expeed all bussines the second weeke.
1716. Wodrow Corr. (1843), II. 145. I shall omit other things of my ordinary studies till I get that expede.
3. To send out, issue officially (a document); = EXPEDITE 4. To expede letters (Scots Law): ‘to write out the principal writ, and signeted, sealed, or otherwise completed’ (W. Bell, Dict. Law Scot., 1861).
1600. Sc. Acts Jas. VI. (1816), 219. That the said Infeftment be expede in dew forme.
a. 1651. Calderwood, Hist. Kirk (1843), II. 495. Als sufficient as if the samine were expede by the Generall Assemblie of the kirk.
1679. Burnet, Hist. Ref., I. ii. His Bulls were expeded at Rome.
1687. A. Lovell, trans. Bergerac’s Com. Hist., II. 136. My Pass-ports then were expeded.
1752. J. Louthian, Form of Process (ed. 2), 218. After the Letters are expede, the private Party employs a Macer or Messenger to execute the same.
1827. in Law Times Rep., L. 708/2. Executors … with power … to … expede confirmations.
1884. Law Times, 8 March, 345/2. A Scotch notary public will expede a notarial instrument.
† 4. To hasten (a person); to dispatch with all speed. Obs. rare.
1600. in Pitcairn, Crim. Trials Scot., II. 286. I man intreit yowr lo[rdship] to expede Bowr.
Hence Expeding vbl. sb.
1595. in Spottiswood, Hist. Ch. Scot. (1677), VI. 413. The expeding of Signatures.
1678. Trans. Crt. Spain, II. 9. The expeeding of Penaltas commissions.
