Beaten

ppl. a. For forms see BEAT v. Used adjectively in many of the senses of the verb.

  1.  Struck with repeated blows.

1599.  Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), 124. On whom … so many … beaten breasts, and lift uppe eyes attended.

1633.  P. Fletcher, Elisa, II. l. Sleep beaten breast; no blows shall now molest thee.

1859.  Barnes, Rhymes Dorset Dial., II. 4. Wi’ drubbens of a beaten drum.

  2.  Struck or pressed by frequent feet; trodden; worn hard, bare, or plain by repeated passage. Often in fig. expressions.

1477.  Norton, Ord. Alch., in Ashm. Introd. 3. A Booke of secrets given by God; to men Elect, a Beaten-Trod.

1583.  Babington, Commandm., 97. Had wee any feeling left within our sides, and our heartes were not altogether so hard trampled and beaten as they are.

1642.  Carpenter, Experience, II. vi. 221. Our beaten, customary, and daily practice.

1748.  Anson, Voy., II. xii. 263. They had marched … about ten miles in a beaten road.

1751.  Johnson, Rambl., No. 86, ¶ 3. The imitator treads a beaten walk.

1860.  Tyndall, Glac., I. § 9. 64. We were far from the beaten track.

1865.  M. Arnold, Ess. Crit., viii. (1875), 318. Subjects out of the beaten line of the reading and thought of their day.

  † 3.  Well-worn, trite. Obs.

a. 1543.  Fenner, Def. Ministers (1587), 98. These also are knowen and beaten sentences alleadged by Bishop Iewell.

1642.  R. Carpenter, Experience, IV. ix. 159. If God had talked to them … in a worne and beaten phrase.

1712.  Addison, Spect., No. 289, ¶ 6. One of the most ancient and most beaten Morals.

1756.  J. Warton, Ess. Pope (1782), I. iii. 102. This Essay … on a beaten subject.

  † 4.  Of persons: Inured to (anything), experienced.

a. 1593.  H. Smith, Serm. (1866), I. 220. Rehoboam’s sage and beaten counsellors.

1603.  Knolles, Hist. Turks, K (1621), 870. An armie … most strong and puissant, old beaten souldiors almost throughout it.

1611.  Cotgr., Fauls rompu, a subtill fellow, one that hath bin much beaten to the world.

a. 1639.  S. Ward, Serm. (1862), 117 (D.). A beaten politician of our times.

c. 1700.  Gentl. Instruc. (1782), 522 (D.). A man beaten to the trade may wrangle … better.

  5.  Worked by hammering, as metal.

  a.  Hammered into thin foil or leaf; shaped by the hammer, as repoussé work.

c. 1300.  in Wright, Lyric P., ix. 35. Hire gurdel of bete gold is al.

1483.  Cath. Angl., 30. Betyn gold, braccea.

1611.  Bible, Numb. viii. 4. Vnto the flowres thereof was beaten worke.

1659.  in Rushw., Hist. Coll., I. 769. The Earls of Carstile and Holland, Ambassadors, were both clad in Beaten-Silver.

1760.  Mrs. Delany, Autobiog. (1861), III. 591. Fine ladies in beaten silver, and glittering with jewels.

1879.  C. Hibbs, in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 263/1. It resembles, therefore, beaten or repoussé work.

  b.  Hence, because the purest gold is the most malleable: Fine, of pure quality, also fig.

1535.  Coverdale, 1 Kings x. 16. Two hundreth speares of beaten golde.

1670.  Eachard, Cont. Clergy, 103. Sincere and pure beaten virtue, like the gold of the first age.

  † c.  Overlaid, inlaid, embossed, damascened with gold or other precious material; embroidered. Obs.

a. 1300.  K. Alis., 1518. An ymage was therynne, Y-beten al with gold fyne.

c. 1340.  Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 78. Enbrawded & beten wyth þe best gemmes.

c. 1400.  Roland, 287. Baners beten with gold.

1470.  Harding, Chron., cxcv. ii. The lordes … w^t penouns proudly bette.

1611.  L. Barry, Ram Alley, III. in Dodsley (1780), V. 452. [Clad] In beaten velvet.

1641.  Baker, Chron. (1679), 236/1. A red fiery Dragon, beaten upon white and green Sarcenet.

  6.  Pounded small; whipped up to uniform consistency.

1535.  Coverdale, 1 Kings v. 11. Twentye quarters of beaten oyle.

1667.  Boyle, Orig. Formes & Qual., 15. Beaten Glasse is commonly reckoned among Poisons.

1769.  Mrs. Raffald, Eng. Housekpr. (1778), 295. Season it with beaten mace.

  7.  Conquered, defeated.

1562.  J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 95. One of the beaten syde, Ran home.

1855.  Macaulay, Hist. Eng., IV. 94. The beaten army had now lost all the appearance of an army.

  8.  Overcome by hard work, exhausted. Dead-beaten: exhausted as if to death. Cf. BEAT ppl. a.

1681.  Temple, Mem., III. Wks. 1731, I. 331. Use of an old beaten Horse.

1854.  Blackw. Mag., April, 459/2. At the next post-house the unhappy animals [post-horses] are left dead beaten.

1878.  H. Smart, Play or Pay, v. 89. There is little object in going on with a beaten horse.

  9.  Systematically scoured for game.

1883.  Pall Mall Gaz., 1 Oct., 2/1. More satisfaction in killing a pheasant put up in the open than from a beaten cover.

  10.  With prec. sb. in instrumental relation, as weather-beaten, wave-beaten, etc. See BEAT v. 6.

1579.  E. K., in Spenser’s Sheph. Cal., Jan. Argt., His … winter beaten flocke.

1596.  Drayton, Bar. Wars, Ded. 1. Anchor of my poore Tempest-beaten State.

1620.  Quarles, Jonah (1638), 27. The weather-beaten Ship.

1873.  Black, Pr. Thule, 1. A desolate waste of rain-beaten sea.

  11.  With adv., as beaten down, dejected, subdued.

1876.  Geo. Eliot, Dan. Der., II. xxvii. 176. The beaten-down consciousness.