a. and sb. Obs. Forms: 3 cwead, 3–4 quead, 4 kuead; 3 cwed, 3–5 qued, quede, 4 kued, quet, 4–6 queed, (5 qw-), 5 queyd, quethe, qweþe; 3–4 (6 Sc.) quad, 4 (6 Sc.) 7 quade, 6 Sc. quaid. [Early ME. cwead, cwed, cwad = OFris. quad (mod.Fris. quaad, quae’), MDu. quaet, quaed- (Du. kwaad), MLG. quât, quâd-, of uncertain origin. OHG. quât (MHG. quât, kât, kôt, G. kot, koth), filth, is usually regarded as a subst. use of the same adj., but the vowel of the corresp. OE. cwéad presents difficulties.]
A. adj. Evil, wicked, bad.
c. 1205–25. [implied in QUEDSHIP].
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 536. Wapmen bigunnen quad mester.
a. 1300. Vox & Wolf, 200, in Hazl., E. P. P. (1864), I. 64. Ich habbe ben qued al mi lif-daie.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 1498 (Kölbing). Þat oþer dragoun … clowes he hadde qued.
1340. Ayenb., 17. Þe uerste is kuead, þo oþer worse, þe þridde alþerworst.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prioress’ Prol., 4. God yeue this monk a thousand last quade yeer.
c. 1420. Liber Cocorum (1862), 37. Þou take gode ale, þat is not quede.
1501. Douglas, Pal. Hon., I. lxii. This inordinate court, and proces quaid [rhyme braid, laid] I will obiect.
1560. Rolland, Crt. Venus, II. 161. The quader was his weird. Ibid., 333. Quad knaif, thow was ouir negligent.
1669. Sturmy, Mariner’s Mag., I. ii. 18. How Wind you? East. A bad quade Wind.
b. Hostile, inimical to. rare.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8535 (Gött.). Þe cyte of cartage, þat to Rome was euer quede.
1418–20. Siege Rouen, in Archæologia, XXI. 65. Owre men gaff ham sum off here brede, Thow thay to us ware now so quede.
B. sb. 1. A bad or wicked person.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 295. Ðowgte ðis quead, ‘hu ma it ben [etc.].’ Ibid., 4063. Balaam, ðat ille quad [rhyme dead].
c. 1300. Prov. Hending, xxvi. in Kemble, Salomon & Sat. (1848), 277. Ant himself is þe meste qued Þat may breke eny bred.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 8596. Kyng of Amalek was that qued, A ful fers kyng.
a. 1400. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS. (E.E.T.S.), 589/440. Kep, and saue þi gode los, And beo I-holden no qued.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., ix. 117. I am fulle bowne To spyr and spy … After that wykkyd queyd.
b. spec. The evil one; the Devil.
c. 1250. Death, 246, in O. E. Misc., 182. Ne mai no tunge telle hu lodlich is þe cwed.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6429. Hii bitoke þe qued hor soule, þe kunde eirs to bitraye.
c. 1325. Chron. Eng., 210, in Ritson. Tho thes maister was ded, Anon he wende to the qued.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XIV. 189. He shulde take the acquitance … and to the qued schewe it.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xxxvii. 634. He [Jesus] travailled … Man-kynde to byen from the qwed.
2. Evil, mischief, harm.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 72. Moni mon weneð to don welp ꝥ he deð alto cweade.
a. 1300. Vox & Wolf, 210, in Hazl., E. P. P. (1864), I. 65. Forȝef hit me, Ich habbe ofte sehid qued bi the.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 5508 (Kölbing). Com we nouȝt hider for þi qued … ac for þi gode.
1340. Ayenb., 28. Þe kueades of oþren he hise moreþ and arereþ be his miȝte.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 417. At Penbrook in a stede Fendes dooþ ofte quede.
a. 1529. Skelton, Epithaphe, 4. This knaues be deade, Full of myschiefe and queed.
Hence † Quedful a., full of evil or wickedness; Quedhead [= OFris. quadhed, Du. kwaadheid] = Quedship; Quedly adv. [= OFris. qua(de)like], wickedly; Quedness, Quedship, evil, wickedness.
1340. Ayenb., 6. Þaȝles þe wone is *kueaduol and may wel wende to zenne dyadliche.
1340–70. Alex. & Dind., 541. To quem quedfulle godeis þat quenchen your blisse.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 151. O justyse … [that] dampneth theves for to ordeyne Peys in londe … Ne for *queadhevede.
1340. Ayenb., 101. Þet þou hatye zenne and uoulhedes and kueadhedes.
c. 1300. E. E. Psalter xvii. 22 (Harl. MS.). I ȝhemed waies of Laverd wel, Ne *quedlic bare I fra mi God na del.
1340. Ayenb., 2. Naȝt kueadliche ake liȝtliche and wyþoute sklaundre.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter x. 6. Þat loues *quednes, his saule hates he.
1340. Ayenb., 40. Ofte lyese þe guode playntes be hare kueadnesse.
c. 1205. Lay., 5067. Ne sculde na cniht … on his cuhðe *quedschipe wurchen.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 387. Fox is hire to name for hire queðsipe.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 422. Al Sodomes cweadschipe com of idelnesse & of ful wombe.
