Obs. exc. arch. Forms: 1–6 forbod (6 forbodd), 3–7, 9 forbode, 3, 5 forbot (5 -bote), 5–6 forbott. [OE. forbod, f. forbéodan to FORBID; = Du. verbod, MHG., mod.Ger. verbot, ON. forboð.] A forbidding; a prohibition, interdiction, prohibitory ordinance. To lay in forbode: to put under prohibition, to prohibit.
a. 1000. Pol. Laws Ælfred, xli. Ȝewitnes þæt hit þara manna forbod wære.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 11. No prest ne no bissop ne mai him chastien, ne mid forbode, ne mid scrifte, ne mid cursinge.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 763 (Cott.).
| Of al þe tres bot of an, | |
| þe midward tre is vs outtan, | |
| Our lauerd in forbot has it laid. |
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., III. iii. 291. If eny oon forbode, maad in Iewis lawe to preestis schulde binde also Cristen preestis, bi lijk skile ech other forbode maad in Iewis lawe to preestis schulde also binde Cristen preestis.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Luke vi. 73. Why dooe ye this geare whiche it is against all gods forbod to dooe on the Sabboth daies.
1626. Ainsworth, Annot. Pentat., Exod. xx. 3. Gods forbode bindeth most strictly, and alwaies, and we are borne in evil, and are prone into it, rather then to good.
b. To pass, be above or beyond, God’s forbode: said of anything outrageous or extravagant.
1515. More, K. Rich. III., in Grafton, Chron., II. 826. King Richarde, whome he before in his affaires, purposes and enterprises had holpen, susteyned and set forward above all Gods forbode.
a. 1529. Skelton, Image Hypocr., Wks. II. 425.
| It passeth Godes forbod | |
| That ever it should be. |
1596. Nashe, Saffron Walden, Wks. (Grosart), III. 99. He is beyond all reason, or Gods forbod, distractedly enamourd of his own beautie, spending a whole forenoone euerie day in spunging and licking himselfe by the glasse.
1602. W. Watson, Decacordon, 247. Marry the course that was held by them passeth all Gods forbod: as our phrase is.
c. (Over) God’s forbode = God forbid.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. VII. 176. Lordes forbode ellis!
c. 1460. Towneley Myst. (Surtees), 12.
| And, over Godes forbot be to the | |
| Thank or thew to kun me. |
1598. Florio, Diácene, god forbid, gods forbode.
1820. Scott, Ivanhoe, x. ‘Over God’s forbode!’ said Prince John, involuntarily turning at the same time as pale as death, and shrinking as if blighted by a flash of lightning.
d. A use of this phrase as an asseveration.
1575. Durham Depositions (Surtees), 303. Who toke upon hir then, with mony oothe and forbotts, that ther was never man that was fawter with hir.
