v. Obs. Forms: 1 lǽcnian, lécnian, lácnian, 2 lechnien, pa. pple. ilechned, 3 lacnien, lechinien, lechni(e, lecnen, 4 lechnen. [OE. lǽcnian, lácnian = ON. lǽkna, Goth. lêkinôn:—OTeut. *lǣkinôjan, f. *lǣkjo-z LEECH sb.1] trans. To cure, heal, lit. and fig. Also absol. to administer medicine.
c. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., IV. xviii. [xvi.] (1890), 308. Se ða in þæm ilcan dælum deaʓollice læcnod [v.rr. lacnad, lacnod] wæs from his wundum.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Luke iv. 23. La lece lecne ðec seolfne.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram., xxxiii. (Z.), 203. Medeor, ic lacniʓe.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 83. Adam wes ilechned þurh god almihte solf.
c. 1205. Lay., 16589. To lechinien [c. 1275 lechnie] þa wunden of leofenen his cnihten. Ibid., 19500. Sa me scal lacnien [c. 1275 lechni] his leomes þat beoð sare.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 330. Uorte lecnen mid þe seke, & forte healen mide hire cancre.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. IX. 189. Lame men he lechede [MS. M. lechnede].
Hence † Lechning vbl. sb.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., I. 106. Se ærest of þyssum wyrtum læcnunge ʓesette.
a. 1225. Juliana, 6. Wið uten lechnunge of hire libben he ne mahte.
a. 1240. Ureisun, in Cott. Hom., 202. Hit beo mi lechnunge hit beo mi bote.
