v. arch. Forms: 4, by-, bewreie(n, bywryghen, biwray, 4–5 bi-, by-, bewrey(e, 4–6 by-, bewrie, -ye, 4–7 bewraie, -ye, 6– bewray. [ME. bewreien, f. BE- + wreien: see WRAY. Probably more or less of a conscious archaism since the 17th c.; the ordinary modern equivalent is expose.] Always trans.
† 1. To accuse, malign, speak evil of. Obs.
c. 1314. Guy Warw. (A.), 3379. Ac biwrayed þou war to me, & þerfore haue he maugre … Þat ouȝt sigge bot gode of þe.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 3879. Wikkid-Tunge hath custome ay, Yonge folkis to bewreye.
† 2. To expose (a person), by divulging his secrets, or telling something that one knows to his discredit or harm. Hence passing into, To expose or reveal (the unknown doer of an act.) Obs. or arch.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 4116. That ye no schal me bywryghen Of that Y wol to yow sayn.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 1336. Alle the sothe sche gan hem say, And bad hem nought hir biwray.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 34. Bewrethyn, or wreyyn [1499 bewreyen], prodo, recelo, revelo.
1481. Caxton, Reynard (Arb.), 36. They were of my next kynne · whom gladly I wold not bewraye.
1510. Love, Bonavent. Mirr., xiv. E iv b. Say nat this now and bewrye me nat.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1321/2. That who so would bewraie the dooers thereof, should haue fortie crownes for their labour.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 7. For feare to be enforced by torments to bewray his confederates.
† b. To expose (a deception). Obs.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par., Pref. 11. In bewraiyng the iugleyng sleightes.
a. 1601. Nowell, in Strype, Ann. Ref., I. I. xxxix. 451. Finding therein certain notable untruths … he did bewray them to the auditors.
3. To divulge or reveal (secrets) prejudicially.
c. 1386. Chaucer, 2nd Nun’s T., 147. A conseil … Which that night fayn I wolde vn to yow seye So that ye swere ye shul it nat biwreye.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., 182 (2nd vers.). Happely … thou woldest be-wreye my counsaile.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. cxxi. [cxvii.] 345. None shulde issue out to bewray their entreprice.
1599. Pass. Pilgr., 352. Yet will she blush … To hear her secrets so bewray’d.
1600. Dekker, Fortun., 109. The talke of kings none dare bewray.
1819. Scott, Ivanhoe, xxxiv. Villain!… thou wouldst not bewray our counsel?
† 4. Less specifically: To reveal, divulge, disclose, declare, make known, show. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 226. Ne dorste he nat to hire his wo biwreye.
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. ii. His entent there can no man bewreye.
c. 1500. Dunbar, Tua mariit Wemen, 41. Bewrie, said the Wedo, ȝe weddit wemen ȝing Quhat mirth ȝe fand in maryage.
1576. Thynne, Ld. Burghley’s Crest, 218. The horn’d Diana chaste, is silver brighte Whiche waninge moone dothe unto us bewraye.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., II. iv. 3. Write downe thy mind, bewray thy meaning so.
1611. Bible, Prov. xxix. 24. Hee heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.
† 5. To reveal the presence of, or expose (a fugitive) to his enemies, or to justice; to betray. Obs.
1535. Coverdale, Isa. xvi. 3. Bewraye [Wyclif, betraȝe; 1611 bewray] not them that are fled.
1548. Hall, Chron., in Ellis, Orig. Lett., III. I. 100. He … bewrayed his guest and master to John Milton then sherif of Shropshire.
1628. Hobbes, Thucyd. (1822), 65. He was bewrayed unto them.
6. To reveal, expose, discover (unintentionally, and usually what it is intended to conceal); = BETRAY 6. a. the existence or presence of (something).
1579. Lyly, Euphues (1636), D vj. Thy hot words bewray thy heauy wrath.
1611. Bible, Prov. xxvii. 16. The ointment of his right hand which bewrayeth it selfe.
1644. Bulwer, Chirol., 2. The blushes of Aurora bewray the early approach of the bright Emperour of the day.
1738. Wesley, Psalms, xxxvi. 1. My heart to every Vice inclin’d, The Sinner’s closest Sin bewrays.
a. 1849. H. Coleridge, Ess. & Marg. (1851), II. 168. A smoke and a crackling that bewrayed the ligneous and carbonaceous quality of the fuel.
1863. Mrs. C. Clarke, Shaks. Char., xii. 311. The mental bias in every writer will casually bewray itself.
b. the true character of.
1535. Coverdale, Matt. xxvi. 73. Thy speach bewrayeth the.
1585. Abp. Sandys, Serm. (1841), 395. A mans speech and gesture will bewray his thoughts.
1634. Capt. Smith, Virginia, III. ix. 79. The extremity of his feare bewrayed his intent.
1645. Milton, Colast., Wks. (1851), 345. His very first page notoriously bewraies him an illiterat and arrogant presumer.
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq., I. App. (1876), 610. A touchstone to bewray the half-learned.
c. a fact (expressed by a clause).
1607. Shaks., Cor., V. iii. 95. Our raiment And state of bodies would bewray what life We haue led since thy exile.
1649. R. Hodges, Plain Direct., 27. The childe did bewray, that hee would beray himself.
1692. Washington, trans. Milton’s Def. Pop., x. Your very speech bewrays you to be a right Balaam.
† 7. To exhibit incidentally; = BETRAY 7. Obs.
1575. Laneham’s Let. (1871), 56. Nothing more bewraying hiz age then hiz wit.
1600. Tourneur, Transf. Metam., To Rdr. 14. This Pluto-visag’d world hell doth bewray.
a. 1631. Donne, Poems (1650), 106. O foole, which yesterday Might’st have read more than all thy books bewray.
1763. Kames, Elem. Crit., II. xii. 43. He never once bewrays a smile.
