v. arch. Forms: 3 astoney, 3–5 astonie, -ye, 6 astunnye, 6– astony. [A variant of ASTONE, of difficult explanation; perh. the ending is due to OF. pa. pple. estoné, estonné. The instance in the Ayenbite may be only the inf. in -ie of astone: it has pr. tense aston-eth.]
1. trans. = ASTONE; to stun, paralyse, astound, amaze.
1340. Ayenb., 126. Hou it ssolde ous ssende and astonie. Ibid., 257.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. 1871, II. 113. Þes wordis astonyeden hem.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Clerk’s T., 260. This soden cas this man astonyed so [So 2 MSS.; astoneyd–1, astoned–5].
1388. Wyclif, Isa. xxi. 4. Myn herte fadide, derknessis astonieden me [1382 dercnesses stoneid maden me].
1401. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 51. With her sterne stounes [they will] astonye al the erthe.
1526. Tindale, Matt. xxviii. 4. The kepers were astunnyed.
1557. K. Arthur (Copland), I. xvi. A myghty stroke upon the helme whyche astonyed hym sore.
1593. Nashe, Christes Teares (1613), 10. O Ierusalem … that stonest, and astoniest thy Prophets with thy peruersnesse.
1646. H. Lawrence, Comm. & Warre w. Angels. His word was with power, which astonied the auditours. [Later instances, see ASTONIED.]
2. intr. (? or absol.) (Cf. ASTONE 5.) rare.
1850. Mrs. Browning, Poems, I. 195. She stares at the wound where it gapes and astonies. [A rhyme to Adonis.]
