Forms: 1–2 furð-, furþor, 1 Northumb. forðer, -ur, -or, 2–4 furð-, furþer (furthir), 3–5 forðere, -ðre, -þer(e, -þir, -thir(e, 3–6 forther(e, (3 forer), 4–5 furþere, 4–7 furder, 5 forder, (6 fourther), 6– further. See also FARTHER adv. [OE. furðor = OS. furthor (early mod.Du. voorder); for the formation, and the relation to Goth. faurþis, OHG. furdir, etc.: see FURTHER a.]

1

  1.  To or at a more advanced point of progress: a. of space; lit. and fig.; occas. with omission of go. Proverb, To go further, and fare worse. (Cf. FARTHER A. 1 a.)

2

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Josh. x. 12. Ne gang þu mona onȝean Achialon anne stæpe furþor.

3

c. 1050.  O. E. Chron., an. 1039. Eode se sæster hwætes to lv penega and eac furðor.

4

c. 1205.  Lay., 4880. He furðer lað, to Seguine duc.

5

a. 1240.  Ureisun, in Cott. Hom., 203. Nere þe heorte so cold þat ne schulde neuer sunne habben for-ðer in-ȝong þer þis brune were.

6

a. 1250.  The Proverbs of Ælfred, 128, in O. E. Misc., 110.

        Nere he for his weole
neuer þe furþer.

7

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. Wace, Prol. 182. Vnto þe Cadwaladres; No forer, þer makes he ses.

8

c. 1340.  Richard Rolle of Hampole, Prick of Conscience, 440.

        Þarfor I wille, ar [I] forthir pas,
Shew yhou what a man first was.

9

c. 1340.  Cursor Mundi, 10156 (Fairf.). As furthir in this boke we rede.

10

c. 1400.  Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 221. I lete make a pipe of silvir and putte it in at her mouþ & passede forþere þan þe wounde was.

11

1494.  Fabyan, Chron. (1811), I. cxxvii. 107. Forthere then ye chapell dore noon of them wold enter.

12

1535.  Coverdale, Job xxxviii. 11. Hither to shalt thou come, but no further, and here shalt thou laye downe thy proude and hye wawes.

13

1546.  J. Heywood, Prov. (1867), 51. You … might haue gone further, and haue faren wurs.

14

1559.  W. Cunningham, Cosmogr. Glasse, 60. But or we further proced, marke this figure.

15

1593.  Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., III. ii. 169. His eye balles further out, than when he liued.

16

1615.  J. Stephens, Satyr. Ess., 26. Go tell a trades-man he deceives … And he will answere … Go further on, you will be cheated worse.

17

1641.  Milton, Animadv. (1851), 187. Ere a foot furder we must bee content [etc.].

18

1655.  Sir E. Nicholas, in The Nicholas Papers (Camden), II. 336. Taken out of their bedds in the Tower and carryed on shipboard, and whence further is vnknowen.

19

1719.  De Foe, Crusoe, II. v. They kept out of sight further and further.

20

1771.  Foote, Maid of B., I. Wks. 1799, II. 214. Folks may go further and fare worse, as they say.

21

1813.  Shelley, Q. Mab, IX. 182. Whose stingings bade thy heart look further still.

22

1855.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 1. It was not thought safe for the ships to proceed further in the darkness.

23

  b.  of time. (Cf. FARTHER A. 1 b.)

24

c. 1290.  Beket, 2321, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 173. So þat forþere in þe ȝere: it was wel onder-stonde … In ȝwat manere he was a-slawe.

25

1896.  Act 59 & 60 Vict., c. 39 § 1. The acts … shall be continued until the 31st day of December 1897 and shall then expire unless further continued.

26

  2.  To a greater extent; more. (Cf. FARTHER A. 2.)

27

c. 1050.  Byrhtferth’s Handboc, in Anglia (1885), VIII. 299. Nu wille we furðor geican þurh godes mihta.

28

a. 1225.  Juliana, 47. & ȝef ich mahte [wurche his wil] forðre ich walde beo þe feinre.

29

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 28869 (Cott.). And for þer mater es gode to knau, Of almus sal i for-þer drau. Ibid. (c. 1340), 858 (Trin.). Leue we now of þis spelle Of oure story furþere to telle.

30

a. 1400–50.  Alexander, 523. And if ȝow likis of þis lare to lesten any forthire.

31

1552–3.  Inv. Ch. Goods, Staffs., in Ann. Lichfield, IV. 2. There saffeli to be kepte untill the kinges majesties pleasure be therin furder knowen.

32

1559.  Abp. Hethe, in Strype, Ann. Ref., I. App. vi. 7. That the Doinges of this honourable Assembly may therein be allwayes fourther honourable.

33

1641.  Milton, Ch. Govt., II. iii. Wks. (1847), 48/2. To the intent of further healing man’s deprav’d mind.

34

1734.  Berkeley, Analyst, § 7. Certain rigorous Exactors of Evidence in Religion, Men who pretend to believe no further than they can see.

35

1749.  F. Smith, Voy. Disc. N.-W. Pass., II. 90. The Streights of Cumberland not proving a Passage, all the western Merchants declined, as did also many of the London, from being further Adventurers.

36

1862.  Stanley, Jew. Ch. (1877), I. xiii. 252. When we inquire further into the worship.

37

  3.  In addition, additionally; moreover. (Cf. FARTHER A. 3.)

38

c. 1200.  Vices & Virtues (1888), 57. Ȝiet hie seið furðer.

39

1450.  W. Somner, in Four C. Eng. Lett., 4. Forther the maister desyryd to wete yf the shipmen would holde with the duke.

40

1559.  W. Cunningham, Cosmogr. Glasse, 22. This circle I do wel remembre, but I do furder perceiue that the Sonne riseth not alway at one time, and therfore is sometime longer or he come to the meridian, and sometime shorter, so that the daies increase and decrease continually, except twyse euery yeare.

41

1560–78.  Bk. Discipl. Ch. Scot. (1621), 40. And furder we think it expedient [etc.].

42

1582.  N. Lichefield, trans. Castanheda’s Conq. E. Ind., vii. 16 b. What further than followed.

43

1749.  F. Smith, Voy. Disc. N.-W. Pass., II. 58. What further keeps the Cold from the Arm-pits is, that the Frock, which is wore under the Tockie, is always made with two Sleeves to it, sewed fast and close under the Arm-pits.

44

1875.  Manning, Mission H. Ghost, iv. 100. And, further, God is the only end that can beatify or satisfy the soul with bliss.

45

1879.  Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 92/2. The sketching-case may be … further provided with a cover.

46

  4.  At a greater distance in space; sometimes with mixture of sense 1. Also † more further, further off. (Cf. FARTHER A. 4.)

47

c. 1400.  Maundev. (1839), xxxi. 306. Oþer Yles þat ben more furþere beȝonde.

48

1578.  Whetstone, Promos & Cass., II. iv. The furder off I wretched finde both comfort and reliefe.

49

1601.  Shaks., Jul. C., II. ii. 125.

          Treb.  Cæsar I will: and so neere will I be,
That your best Friends shall wish I had beene further.

50

1630.  R. Johnson, Relations of the Most Famous Kingdoms, etc., 68. Island disjoyned no further than a ship in one day may saile unto.

51

1710.  Tatler, No. 254, ¶ 7. The Dutch Cabbin, which lay about a Mile further up into the Country.

52

1812–6.  J. Smith, The Panorama of Science and Art, I. 572. Cassini supposed the annual parallax of Sirius, which of all the fixed stars is considered the nearest, to be six seconds, from which it was calculated to be 18,000 times further from us than the sun.

53

1875.  Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), IV. 156, Parmenides, Introduction. There is nothing further from his thoughts than scepticism.

54

  b.  Phrases, † To be further: to get on. † I’ll he further, if (etc.); I’ll see you further (first): strong forms of refusal. To wish any one further: i.e., to wish him away. See also FARTHER A. 4.

55

1526.  Darrell, Lett., 1 Aug., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. III. II. 163. I … intende to be further and doo.

56

1621.  Lady M. Wroth, Urania, 16. She … wished the beast further, yet taking her wonted strength of heart, and vertuous thoughts together, she said thus.

57

1741.  Richardson, Pamela, II. 320. And so that I must not wish to incur [his Displeasure] to save any body else. I’ll be further if I do. Ibid., 377. I bow’d to him, but I could have wish’d him further, to make me sit so in the Notice of every one.

58

1873.  Punch, 3 May, 185/1. He’ll see me further first.

59

  † c.  Used as the comparative of far, as in further-fetched, compar. of far-fetched.

60

1680.  Baxter, Cath. Commun. (1684), 23. But God being infinitely more perfect then man, the phrase is further fetcht, and less proper of God then of man.

61