arch. Forms: 3–5 aparaile, 4–6 -ayle, 5 ap- or app-areil(e, -eyl(le, -aill(e, -yl, appairelle, 5–6 aparal(l, apparayl(e, -ayll(e, 5–7 -ail(e, -al(l, -ell, 6 aperayle, appareyll, -ayrayl, 6–7 -aral, -arrell, aparel(l, 5– apparel. Aphet. 4 parail, -ayl. Also 5 enparel. In inflexions -l is at present usually doubled before a vowel in G. Brit., left single in U.S. [a. OFr. apareille-r, aparaille-r (mod.Fr. appareiller), cogn. with Pr. aparelhar, Pg. apparelhar, Sp. aparejar, It. apparecchiare:—Romanic *adpariculāre to make equal or fit, f. ad to + *paricul-um (It. parecchio, Sp. parejo, Pr. parelh, Fr. pareil), dim. of L. par equal. The 15th-c. spellings were almost endless, the typical being aparai·l, passing with retracted accent to apa·rel. For app-, see AP- pref.1] Usually trans. or refl.
† 1. trans. To make ready, or prepare (for a purpose); to fit out, get ready, put into proper order.
c. 1250. Kent. Serm., in O. E. Misc., 26. Hi hedden aparailed here offrendes.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 375. Ye oughte purveyen yow and apparaile [v.r. -aillen, ayle, -el] yow in this caas with greet diligence.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, cii. 134. To aparaille mete and drinke for hym.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Cyrurg. The hert hath two eares … to let the ayre in and out that is appareylled for it fro ye lunges.
1631. Markham, Way to Wealth, III. II. iv. (1668), 115. Aparel it [the wine] thus: take the whites only of ten Eggs, [etc.].
† b. intr. (for refl.). Obs. rare.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ix. 8. In the meane tyme the quene aparailed for her needis and besynesse.
† 2. To make preparations for (an event, work). Obs.
c. 1314. Guy Warw., 22. Therl dede anon aparaile Gyes dobing.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 2473. There he wolde hire weddynge aparayle [v.r. apparaylle, -eylle, -aille].
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), O iiij b. The Romaynes shulde apparell his triumphe … right glorious and rychly.
3. To furnish, or fit up with things necessary (a room, a ship, etc.). Also fig. arch.
1366. Maundev., xx. 217. Alle thinges, that men apparayle with ony Halle.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxliii. 290. Ryal shippes that were ful wel arayd and enparelled and enarmed.
1502. Ord. Crysten Men (W. de W.), II. xvii. Martha was desyrous to lodge our lorde and his appostles, and to aparayle them.
1590. Swinburn, Testaments, 154. The cause wherewith the prohibition is saide to bee apparelled.
1605. Camden, Rem., 46. The which Chappell … his executors did fully make, and apparail.
a. 1670. Hacket, in Wallcot, Life, App. (1865), 159. Honest communication apparelleth the mind with good thoughts.
1863. Longf., Wayside Inn, Mus. T., xiv. 9. Never … owned a ship so well apparelled.
† 4. To prepare, equip or accoutre for fighting.
c. 1325. Cœur de L., 4333. Ser Fouke gan hym apparayle With hys folk the toun to assayle.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IX. 132. The Kingis men … thame apparalit Till defend, gif thai thame assalit.
1470–85. (ed. 1634) Malory, Arthur (1816), II. 18. They apparalled them to joust Sir Gawaine.
1655. Fuller, Ch. Hist., IV. 107. Apparelled … with his Bow and Quiver of Arrows.
a. 1672. Wood, Life (1848), 85. I have apareled my solldiors … upon my creditt to the Marchant.
5. To array with proper clothing; to attire, dress. (Now the ordinary sense, but somewhat arch., and hardly in spoken use.)
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. II. 186. Apparayleden him as a prentis. Ibid. (1393), C. III. 224. And parailed hym lyke here prentys.
1494. Fabyan, VII. ccxxxiii. 267. The Enpresse … apparaylyd hyr & hir company in whyte clothynge.
1538. Starkey, England, 130. Be not appayraylyd in sylkys and veluettys.
1610. Healey, St. Aug. City of David, 833. Apparelling him with sot-like habites.
1611. Bible, Luke vii. 25. They which are gorgeously apparelled.
1774. J. Bryant, Mythol., II. 124. All the vestments … in which they used to apparel their Deities.
1838. Southey, Charlemain, xii. All apparell’d in costly array, Exulting they come to the palace of Aix.
† b. To invest (with an official robe). Obs. rare.
1576. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 73. To apparell Canterbury with the Archbishop of Londons Palle.
6. In many fig. senses: cf. to clothe. arch.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., I. ii. 8. Þe fyrste somer sesoun þat … apparaileþ þe erþe wiþ rosene floures.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., III. viii. 147. [The sonne] apparaylleth the trees with leues.
1558. Bp. Watson, 7 Sacram., ii. 11. To be appareled and cladde with Christe and his rightwisnes.
1608. Tourneur, Reveng. Trag., I. i. When thou wert appareld in thy flesh.
1635. A. Stafford, Fem. Glory (1869), 44. She apparrell’d them [her thoughts] in a cleare, smooth calme of language.
1806. Wordsw., Ode on Intim. Immort., 4. When meadow, grove, and stream, To me did seem Apparelled in celestial light.
† 7. To deck, adorn, embellish. Obs. exc. as 6.
1366. Maundev., xiv. 153. Clothes … apparayled with greet Perles.
1388. Wyclif, Luke xxi. 5. The temple … was apparailid [1382 ourned, Tindale garnissed, 1611 adorned] with gode stoonus.
1565. Calfhill, Answ. Treat. Crosse (1846), 122. Ye apparel it with a few pearls of Scripture.
1741. T. Robinson, Gavelkind, ii. 29. To be apparelled with the Title of Gentry.
† 8. fig. To dress up (speciously), to trick out. Obs.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., III. ii. 12. Looke sweet, speake faire … Apparell vice like vertues harbenger.
1615. T. Adams, Spir. Navig., 55. They apparrell bloud-red murther … in the white robes of religion.
1636. B. Jonson, Discov. (1692), 696. To apparel a Lye well, to give it a good dressing.
