[f. prec. sb.]
1. trans. To cross (water) by means of a ford; to wade through.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, I. iii. § 6. Adams shin-bones must haue contained a thousand fadome, and much more, if he had foorded the Ocean; but this opinion is so ridiculous, as it needes no argument to disprove it.
a. 1674. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., IX. § 88. His Horse, which were then above three thousand, should at the same time Ford the Severn not far from Glocester (as they might have done) and so joyn with his Foot.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 340. They found the river so shallow, that they easily forded it, bulls and all.
1849. Grote, Greece, II. lxx. (1862), VI. 260. As no mention is made of a bridge, we are to presume that they forded the river—which furnishes a ford (according to Mr. Ainsworth), still commonly used, at a place between thirty and forty miles from its junction with the Tigris.
1884. The Saturday Review, LVII. 14 June, 780/1. Mr. C. Gregory’s ‘Water Lane,’ a causeway on which two pretty girls pass while an old woman in a cart is fording the brook which crosses the lane, forms a very pleasing combination of landscape and figure.
fig. a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon., iv. § 70 (1642), 299. Which speech passing from her, more troubled Herod, and made him enquire more narrowly after the truth, which he followed to purpose, so far that at last he foorded it.
1642. Milton, An Apology against Smectymnuus (1851), 318. His last Section which is no deepe one, remains only to be foarded, and then the wisht shoare.
1701. Rowe, Amb. Step-Moth., I. i.
| Whence this Advantage may at least be made, | |
| To ford his Shallow Soul. |
b. causatively.
1726. De Foe, Hist. Devil, I. xi. (1840), 151–2. Had Satan known that God intended to ford them [the Israelites] over the Sea, if he had not been able to have prevented the miracle, he would certainly have prevented the escape.
2. intr. To cross (over) by means of a ford.
1675. Ogilby, Brit., 90. You ford over the Owse, and leave Rokesdon Church on the Left.
1727. Philip Quarll (1816), 5. The access to it was very dangerous, by reason of the rocks, which reached so far under water, being in some places too shallow for boats, and in others too deep to ford over.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St. Pierre’s Studies of Nature, III. 93. The noise of it’s waters terrified Virginia; she durst not venture to put her feet into it for the purpose of fording over.
1823. Southey, Hist. Penins. War, I. 727. The French were in great force opposite on the right bank of the Henares; some of their detachments forded both on the right and left of the Spaniards’ position; but light troops had been stationed on both the flanks, who skirmished with them, and repelled them till night.
b. To wade. rare.
1748. F. Smith, Voy. Disc. N.-W. Pass., I. 93. There were young Swans, and Goslings in the Ponds, amongst which our People had the greatest Success, as they could ford into the Water, and reach them with Cutlashes, or knock them down with Sticks.
fig. 1817. Coleridge, Lay Serm., 408. In the New Testament there are shallows where the lamb may ford, and depths where the elephant must swim.
