Forms: 4–6 frusch(e, frus(s)he, (4 frussche, fruyshe, froche), 6– frush. Also (sense 5) 8 frust. [a. OF. fruissier, froissier (mod.F. froisser):—popular L. *frustiāre to shiver in pieces, f. L. frustum fragment: see FRUSTUM.]

1

  † 1.  trans. To strike violently so as to crush, bruise, or smash. Obs.

2

c. 13[?].  K. Alis., 1814. To frusche the gadelyng, and to bete, And none of heom on lyve lete.

3

c. 1380.  Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 201. Lest þei frushen her owne brest at þe hard stoone.

4

c. 1477.  Caxton, Jason, 138. They frusshed his helme & made him a meruaillous wounde in his hede.

5

1588.  Greene, Pandosto (1592), 10. High Cædars are frushed with tempests, when low shrubs are not toucht with the wind.

6

1609.  Heywood, Brit. Troy, XI. lxv.

        Their Launces broake, they try their burnisht blades,
A thousand fiery starres at euery rushing
Fly from their helmes, with fury each inuades
His opposite, their mutuall Armors frushing.

7

  † b.  with adv. or advb. phrase. Obs.

8

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, Petrus, 588. Harnise and sched & body all Fruschit in peciss vndir small.

9

c. 1500.  Lancelot, 1201. Thei fond his scheld was fruschit al to nocht.

10

1534.  More, On the Passion, Wks. 1275/1. Enmyty wil I put betwene thee and the woman … she shal frushe thyne head in peeces.

11

1569.  Stocker, trans. Diod. Sic., III. ii. 107. His sworde caught betwene the spokes of one of the wheles, wherewith he was immediatlie drawen vnder the wheles, aud there frushed and brused to death.

12

1609.  Bible (Douay), Judg. v. 11. The chariottes were frushed together.

13

  † c.  To dash (a person) aback, down, etc. Obs.

14

1380.  Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 204. Where evere þis spirit takiþ him he fruyshiþ him doun.

15

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 3225. Þai … frusshit hom abake. Ibid., 5931. He frusshet so felly freikes to ground.

16

  † d.  fig. To crush, disable. Obs.

17

c. 1470.  Henry the Minstrel, Wallace, III. 197. The Sothroune part so frusched was that tide, That in the stour thai mycht no langar bide.

18

c. 1510.  More, Picus, Wks. 9/1. Refreshing all his membres that were bruised and frushed with that feuer.

19

1577.  Stanyhurst, Desc. Irel., in Holinshed, Chron. (1807–8), VI. 38. The dwellers when they are sore frusht with sicknesse, or so farre withered with age as there is no hope of life, they request to be conueied by boate to the greater Island, where they are no sooner inshored, than they yéeld vp their ghosts.

20

  † 2.  intr. To rush violently; also with in, out, together. Also in comb. again-frushe: see AGAIN- 2.

21

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, XVI. 161. Horss com thair fruschand, hed for hed.

22

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 11893. Þan the freike shuld frusshe out, & a fyre make. Ibid., 11927. The grekes … Frushet in felly at the faire yates.

23

c. 1400.  Melayne, 469.

        A fire þan fro þe crosse gane frusche,
And In þe Saraȝene eghne it gaffe a dosche.

24

c. 1400.  Maundev. (1839), xxii. 238. Thei frusschen to gidere fulle fiercely.

25

c. 1430.  Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 3831.

        He com frushing, and leid on,
And sleugh ther many a worthie mon.

26

c. 1450.  Merlin, 208. Thei frussht bothe on an hepe, the horse and his maister.

27

  3.  trans. To rub harshly, scratch. Obs. exc. dial.

28

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 13940. He … ffowle frusshet his face with his felle nailes.

29

c. 1430.  Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy), 39. With his berde he frusshed hir mouthe un-mete.

30

[1877.  N. W. Linc. Gloss., Frush, to rub, to rub bright, to polish.]

31

  † 4.  intr. To break, snap; to break or become broken under pressure; to become crushed. Obs. rare.

32

1489.  Barbour’s Bruce, XII. 57 (Edin. MS.). The hand-ax-schaft … fruschit … in twa.

33

1665.  J. Webb, Stone-Heng, 219. Timber-Work … to keep the Arras from frushing.

34

  † 5.  trans. The technical expression for: a. To carve (a chicken); cf. BREAK v. 2 b. b. To dress (a chub). Obs.

35

c. 1430.  Lydg. Hors, Shepe & G. (Roxb.), 33. A chekyn [is] frusshed.

36

1513.  Bk. Keruynge, in Babees Bk. (1868), 265. Termes of a Keruer … frusshe that chekyn.

37

1708.  W. King, Cookery, 33. Persons of some Rank, and Quality, say, Pray cut up that Goose: Help me to some of that Chicken … not considering how indiscreetly they talk, before Men of Art, whose proper Terms are, Break that Goose, frust that Chicken.

38

1726.  Gentleman Angler, 149. Frushed is a Term used for a Chub or Chevin when it is dressed; as to Frush, i.e. to Dress.

39

1787.  Best, Angling (ed. 2), 168. Frush a chub, dress him.

40

  6.  To straighten, set upright (the feathers of an arrow). Obs. exc. Hist.

41

1548.  Hall, Chron. (1809), 418. How quikly the Archers bent their bowes and frushed theire feathers.

42

1611.  Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. xix. § 56. The Archers strict vp their sleeues, bent their Bowes, and frushed their feathers.

43

1877.  Miss Yonge, Cameos, Ser. III. xx. 189. The soldiers closed their helmets and shook their bills; the archers strung their bows and ‘frushed’ their arrows. Each side stood ready for the last of the hundred battles of the Plantagenets.

44

  Hence † Frushing vbl. sb. Obs.

45

1375.  Barbour, Bruce, XII. 50.4 At the assemble thair, Sic a frusching of speris wair That fer avay men mycht it her.

46

c. 1530.  Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 18. Than began great feest and ioy in the palays, and daunsyng of ladies & damoyselles, & frusshyng of speres, & bateryng of harneys wt swerdes in euerye strete of the citie.

47

1562.  Bulleyn, Dial. Soarnes & Chir., 39 b. Euery riuyng, or frushyng of mannes fleshe, whiche maie be … by meanes of a wounde, and without a wounde.

48

1589.  Florio, Ammaccatura … a frushing together.

49