Fast v.²

Forms: 1–2 fæstan, 2 fæsten, 2–3 festen, 3–4 south. dial. vesten, 3–4 fasten. Orm. fasstenn, 4–5 fastyn, faste, south. dial. vaste, 4– fast. Pa. t. 1 fæstte, 2–3 feste, 4 faste, 7 fast, 3 fastede, 4–5 fastid, Sc. fastit, 4– fasted. Pa. pple. 3 ifaste, south. dial. i-, y-vast, 4 fast, fasten, 4–5 fastid, Sc. fastyt, 4– fasted. [Com. Teut.: OE. fæstan = OFris. festia, MDu., mod.D. vasten, OHG. fastên (MHG. vasten, mod.G. fasten), ON. fasta (Da. faste, Sw. fasta), Goth. fastan:—OTeut. *fastêjan. The Goth. word has also the sense ‘to keep, to observe,’ of which the sense ‘to fast’ was originally a specific application; cf. med.L. observare ‘to fast.’ In accordance with this presumed derivation, the ecclesiastical use of the word is here placed first, though the wider sense 2 appears in OE. and in all the modern Teut. langs.]

  1.  intr. To abstain from food, or to restrict oneself to a meagre diet, either as a religious observance or as a ceremonial expression of grief.

971.  Blickl. Hom., 27. Þæt ure Drihten æfter þæm fulwihte fæstte.

c. 1050.  Byrhtferth’s Handboc, in Anglia, VIII. 311. éon sceal man fæstan on þam ærran sæternes dæge.

c. 1175.  Lamb. Hom., 29. Ic wulle gan to scrifte and forleten and festen þer fore.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 20. Hwon ȝe vesteð ine winter.

1340.  Ayenb., 50. God him hat ueste.

c. 1400.  Maundev. (Roxb.), iii. 10. Þai fast noȝt þe Seterday na tyme of þe ȝere.

1483.  Caxton, G. de la Tour, A vj. Yf ye may not faste the thre dayes.

1542.  Becon, Potation for Lent, Early Wks. (1843), 107. He also teaches us the true … manner of fasting.

1600.  Shaks., As You Like It, III. v. 58.

a. 1711.  Ken, Serm., Wks. (1838), 163. When he fasted, his diet was afflicting, and such as became a mourner; not to humour, but to chastise nature; not to pamper his appetite, but merely to appease it.

1782.  Priestley, Corrupt. Chr., II. VIII. 129. Some persons fasted before Easter.

1842.  J. H. Newman, Par. Serm., VI. i. 1. We fast by way of penitence.

  fig.  a. 1300.  Cursor M., 27916 (Cotton Galba). To fast fro all syn.

1634.  Sir T. Herbert, Trav. (1638), 259. Prosper’s saying, That to fast from sinne, is the best fast.

  b.  with mention of the kind of spare diet permitted. Const. on; † formerly also in, to, with, and quasi-trans. in phrase to fast bread and water.

c. 1305.  Edmund Conf., 24, in E. E. P. (1862), 71.

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, XI. 383. Thai fastit bred and vattir ilkone.

a. 1450.  Knt. de la Tour (1868), 12. [She] fasted … two tymes in brede and water.

1562.  J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 100.

1588.  Shaks., Loves Labour’s Lost, I. i. 303. Kin. Sir I will pronounce your sentence: You shall fast a Weeke with Branne and water.

1844.  Lingard, Anglo-Sax. Ch. (1858), II. x. 120. He fasted on bread, herbs, salt, and water.

  2.  gen. To go without food. † Also (contextually) to go without drink. Const. from.

c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., I. 200. Genim ðysse sylfan wyrte leaf, syle etan fæstendum.

c. 1220.  Bestiary, 126. [Ðe neddre] fasteð til his fel him slakeð.

c. 1300.  Havelok, 865. Two days þer fastinde he yede.

a. 1300.  Cursor Mundi, 17345 (Trin.). Fro mete & drinke for to fast.

c. 1400.  Maundev. (1839), v. 58. He [a camel] may well faste fro drynk 2 dayes or three.

1606.  Shaks., Ant. & Cl., II. vii. 108. I had rather fast from all, foure dayes then drinke so much in one.

1607.  Topsell, Serpents (1608), 780. She must either quench her thirst with that, or fast.

1657.  W. Rand, trans. Gassendi’s Life of Peiresc, II. 220. If he shou’d fast all day from eating and drinking, he should prevent the sickness which threatned him.

1671.  Milton, P. R., II. 284. Fasting he went to sleep, and fasting wak’d.

1796.  Mrs. Glasse, Cookery, xv. 265. Drink half a pint [of Pork Broth] in the morning fasting.

1855.  Milman, Lat. Chr. (1864), II. III. vi. 90. If the monk was obliged to be absent during the whole day, he was enjoined to fast rather than partake of food abroad.

  transf.  1525.  Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. cci. [cxcvii.] 615. The doughter of Fraunce … this fyue or syxe yere … shall nat be able to kepe hym company … he hath answered … that … thoughe he faste a season, he shall take it well a worth.

1611.  Shaks., Wint. T., IV. iv. 612. I haue sold all my Tromperie: not a counterfeit Stone, not a Ribbon, Glasse, Pomander, Browch, Table-booke, Ballad, Knife, Tape, Gloue, Shooe-tye, Bracelet, Horne-Ring, to keepe my Pack from fasting.

  b.  Irish Antiq. To fast against, upon (a person): said with reference to the custom of sitting without food or drink at the door of a debtor, or any person who refused to satisfy some lawful demand.

1865.  Hancock, trans. Senchus Mor., I. 115. I deem it right that they be fasted upon before distress shall be taken from them.

1873.  W. K. Sullivan, O’Curry’s Anct. Irish, I. Introd., 283. Where the defendant was a Rig, the plaintiff was obliged to ‘fast’ upon him … before he made his distress.

1887.  W. Stokes, trans. Tripartite Life St. Patrick, I. 219. Patrick blessed the irons so that they became the more easily used, and he went to the king to Rath-Tréna. And Patrick fasted against him.

  c.  quasi-trans. in various nonce-uses.

1596.  Shaks., Tam. Shr., I. i. 109. Their loue is not so great Hortensio, but we may blow our nails together, and fast it fairely out.

1668.  Etheredge, She wou’d if She cou’d, IV. ii.

  † 3.  trans. To pass (time) fasting; to keep or observe (a day, etc.) as a time of abstinence. Also, To fast out. Obs.

c. 1275.  The Passion of our Lord, 30, in O. E. Misc., 38. Þo he hedde heom [fourty dawes] yuast þo luste hym ete.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 6558 (Cott.).

1553.  Becon, Reliques of Rome (1563), 168. Telesphorus … appoynted firste of all, Lente to be fasted.

a. 1681.  Wharton, Fasts & Fest., Wks. (1683), 30. The Ember Weeks … are four … and anciently Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, in each Fasted.