[f. STEADY a.
OE. had ʓestędeʓian (once) to bring to a standstill.]
1. trans. To keep from rocking, shaking, tottering, or similar movement.
1530. Palsgr., 734/1. I stedye, I sattell, or set faste a thing, je me arreste.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., L j. And vnder them is the bone of the hele, of the whiche all the fote is stedyed.
1745. P. Thomas, Jrnl. Anson’s Voy., 156. They … carried out a Cable and Anchor to steddy the Ship.
1791. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 226. These stones being fixed … by a pair of wedges on each side…, and still further steadied by joint wedges at the head of the dovetails.
1828–32. Webster, s.v., Steddy my hand.
1850. New Monthly Mag., Aug., 420. He … brought him again to the surface, turning him on his back … and steadying the floating body with one hand.
1899. Allbutt’s Syst. Med., VIII. 26. The chronic drunkard, who takes a glass of spirits to ‘steady the hand.’
1901. T. J. Alldridge, Sherbro, xx. 202. So strained do one’s muscles become that one’s legs shake violently, and it is impossible to steady them.
b. To support upon the feet, to keep from falling.
1848. New Monthly Mag., Oct., 159. Steadying her between us,… we handed her along as well as we could to the platform.
1851. Mrs. Browning, Casa Guidi Wind., I. 12. A little child, too, who not long had been By mother’s finger steadied on his feet.
refl. 1853. Mrs. Gaskell, Ruth, xxiv. They walked apart, he back to the inn,… she to steady herself along till she reached the little path.
1914. W. W. Jacobs, Night Watches, 113. Then, steadying herself by the wall, she tottered into the front room.
c. intr. for refl.
1849. Froude, Nemesis of Faith, 163. If he could only have been permitted some few months or years of further silent communing with himself, the reeling rocking body might have steadied into a more constant motion.
1910. Encycl. Brit., III. 271/1. The shot may be unsteady for some distance after leaving the muzzle, afterwards steadying down, like a spinning-top.
2. trans. To settle (one’s mind, thoughts, etc.).
1530. Palsgr., 734/1. I love nat this waverynge mynde of yours, I wolde have you stedye your mynde upon somwhat.
1866. R. W. Dale, Disc. Spec. Occas., i. 3. It is hard to steady our thoughts.
b. To bring (troops) to a steady condition.
1901. ‘Linesman,’ Words by Eyewitness, viii. 169. The Wakkerstroom commando … stayed the demoralised … men,… and a formidable force was soon steadied on the already prepared position.
c. To make (hounds) steady from hare, etc. (Cf. STEADY a. 3 c.)
1901. Westm. Gaz., 4 Jan., 4/3. The eighteenth century was well advanced before hounds were finally steadied from deer or hare and trained to hunt fox.
3. Naut. To keep (a vessel) to the direct line of her course. Also absol. (From the word of command Steady! See STEADY adv. b.)
1627. Capt. Smith, Sea Gram., ix. 37. Steady, that is, to keepe her right vpon that point you steare by.
1858. Merc. Mar. Mag., V. 82. The Corsair … put her helm to port, and then steadied.
1875. F. T. Buckland, Log-Book, 348. The bow of the boat well steadied towards the advancing wave.
b. intr. for refl.
1798. Coleridge, Anc. Mar., III. v. She doth not tack from side to side … Withouten wind, withouten tide She steddies with upright keel.
c. To steady the helm: to keep it in the position in which it has been put.
1875. Bedford, Sailor’s Pocket Bk., x. (ed. 2), 354. Steady the helm.
4. To cause to go at a less impetuous pace; to bring to a more regular rate of progress. Also intr. for refl.
1812. Sporting Mag., XXXIX. 267. All horses in their career require to be steadied by a pull.
1849. Cupples, Green Hand, xvi. (1856), 157. As the tide steadied, this said creek proved to be a smaller river.
1861. Trollope, Orley F., II. x. 75. He turned his horse, and without giving the beast time to steady himself he rammed him at the fence.
1892. Rider Haggard, Nada, 210. See! he steadies his pace, be gathers himself together, and now he leaps!
5. To keep (a person) from irregularity of conduct; to make sober in habit. Also intr. for refl., also with down.
1848. Q. Rev., Sept., 360. He breaks off … from folly;… he steadies down … and lives in usefulness and repute.
1861. J. Pycroft, Agony Point, xviii. I. 283. He was being steadied by increasing responsibilities.
1877. Chamb. Jrnl., 21 April, 241/1. But though his wife was a quiet and respectable young woman, his marriage does not appear to have steadied him.
1878. Susan Phillips, On Seaboard, 34. But she steadied when she married Bill.
6. Comm. intr. To become more free from fluctuation; also with up.
1913. Times, 9 Aug., 19/5. Wheat … after fluctuating narrowly, but with a downward tendency, steadied up slightly near the end on better cables.
Hence Steadying vbl. sb. (also concr. and attrib.); Steadying, Steadied ppl. adjs.
1736. Hawksmoor, Lond. Bridge, 12. For placing the Grand Pier in the Middle of London Bridge;… I am of Opinion, he did it … To be a Steadying for the whole Machine.
1827. Faraday, Chem. Manip., xix. (1842), 525. Placing a block … at such a distance … that the back of the blow-pipe may bear slightly against it. If these steadying-blocks be formed [etc.].
c. 1860. H. Stuart, Seaman’s Catech., 7. See the … steadying lines fast.
1862. Catal. Internat. Exhib., II. xi. 25. The sling is attached to the scroll or steadying-piece placed behind the guard.
1876. T. Hardy, Ethelberta, xvii. I. 176. My dear mother, you will be necessary as a steadying power—a flywheel, in short, to the concern.
1883. Manch. Guardian, 22 Oct., 5/3. It has worked … with a steadying influence on the balance of political power.
1884. St. James’s Gaz., 10 May, 6/2. Look for instance at the gulls…: how those that are going into the picture, battle against the breeze, while those that come out sweep on with steadied wings.
1890. Gladstone, in Morley, Life, X. iv. (1903), III. 422. I derived from him what I thought very valuable and steadying knowledge.
1905. Daily News, 10 Oct., 2/1. Gold shares displayed some irregularity … but showed finally a more favourable disposition, which produced a steadying effect on markets generally.
