Forms: 4 stres, stresce, 6 Sc. straisse, 4–6 stresse, 6– stress. [In early use prob. a. OF. estrecier = It. † strizzare:—popalar L. *strictiāre, f. strictus: see STRAIT a. In later use f. STRESS sb.]
† 1. trans. To subject (a person) to force or compulsion; to constrain or restrain; to compel to (do something). Obs.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 3726. Ȝyf þou for yre bygynne wykkednes Þat no man may lette þe, ne stres.
c. 1450. Gesta Rom., xxvii. 103. It is displesing to me þat I have grevid god so muche, for the whiche I am stressid to come heþere.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, V. 90. They leaue not thee, but vs also, who here are come not strest In thy quarrell to spend our bloud.
† b. To abridge the liberty of; to confine, incarcerate. Obs.
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 8001. Þe dampned bodyse salle fredom mys; For þai salle be stresced in helle als thralle.
1530. Palsgr., 738/2. I stresse, I strayght one of his liberty or thrust his body to guyther, je estroysse. Ibid. The man is stressyd to soore, he can nat styrre him.
1556. J. Heywood, Spider & F., lxxxii. 23. At time of this graunt, I was (as who say,) Stressed by you: your prisoner (as it were).
† 2. To subject to hardship; to afflict, distress, harass, oppress; in passive, to be ‘hard up.’ Obs.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., I. 124. In that storme so stranglie tha war straist, Mony war lost and mycht no langer lest.
1559. Aylmer, Harborowe, P 1. These Romaines … being stressed and almoste brought to the last cast.
1563. Mirr. Mag., Henry Duke Buckhm., xxxix. The dread wherewyth him selfe was strest.
1653. E. Waterhouse, Apol. Learning, 155. If the Magistrate be so stressed that he cannot protect those that are pious and peaceable, the Lord help.
1824. Scott, St. Ronan’s, x. I wad say naething mair than that I was stressed for the penny money.
† b. To tax or burden (one’s pecuniary resources). Obs.
1584. Lodge, Hist. Forbonius & Prisceria, G ij. Lead by couetousnesse, for that he woulde not stresse his coffers.
3. To subject (a material thing, a bodily organ, a mental faculty) to stress or strain; to overwork, fatigue. Now chiefly Sc.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., II. (Arb.), 126. Bycause they shoote wyth a softe lowse, and stresses not a shaft muche in the breste where the weyghte of the bowe lyethe.
1548. Patten, Exped. Scot., Peroration P ij b. I … thearfore [was] dryuen to stresse my memorie ye more for callinge the same too mind again.
1551. Recorde, Cast. Knowl. (1556), 53. So that the Meridiane maye entre iustlye into those socketts, and turne in them without stressynge.
1704. F. Fuller, Med. Gymn. (1718), 135. The Nerves are quite stress’d with a Load of Wine.
1715. Ramsay, Christ’s Kirk Gr., II. xviii. Some were like to tine their sight, Wi’ sleep and drinking strest.
1722. Wodrow, Corr. (1843), II. 638. Let me know how your eyes are. Dont stress them.
1756. Mrs. Calderwood, in Coltness Collect. (Maitland Club), 260. The Capucines are commonly imployed to preach, but the method here is not to stress themselves by saying too much at once.
1815. Scott, Guy M., xxiii. ‘I could gar him show mair action,’ said his master, ‘but … it would be a pity to stress Dumple.’
1894. P. H. Hunter, James Inwick, vi. 74. Them wha had kent him a’ his days said that he had ne’er stressed himsel’ wi’ wark.
b. intr. for refl. ? Sc.
1901. G. Douglas, House w. Green Shutters, 5. A horse the feet of which struck sparks from the paved ground as they stressed painfully on edge to get weigh on the great waggon.
c. Mech. (cf. STRESS sb. 5 c).
1883. Thomson & Tait, Nat. Phil., § 832 (ed. 2), I. II. 423. When a solid is stressed, the state of stress is completely determined when the amount and direction of the three principal stresses are known.
1892. C. T. C. Monthly Gaz., June, 179/1. It is a well known fact among engineers that a metal structure … must not be stressed to more than one-third of its ultimate breaking stress.
4. To lay the stress or emphasis on, emphasize (a word or phrase in speaking); to place a stress-accent upon (a syllable).
1859. Meredith, R. Feverel, ii. Stressing the epithet to increase the defiance.
1892. S. A. Brooke, E. Eng. Lit., I. Pref. p. xi. I used alliteration whenever I could, and stressed as much as possible the alliterated words.
1893. Bridges, Milton’s Prosody, 74. If a boy were told … that it saved the monotony of a pentameter to stress the penultimate.
b. fig. To lay stress on, emphasize, bring into prominence (a fact, idea, etc.). Chiefly U.S.
1896. Mod. Lang. Notes, XI. 78/2. A sketch of the history of the Troy legend was outlined, and its popularity in medieval literature stressed, as the theme for numerous romances.
1901. G. B. Halsted, in Science, 8 Nov., 705. In the Columbus report I particularly stressed the work of two authors.
1906. W. H. Fleming, Slavery, 34. Physical facts, stressed by an ineradicable race pride, bar the way against assimilation.
† 5. intr. Of tears: To burst forth, gush. Obs.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 2128. Ay when he sang his messe, Þe teres out of his eyen stresse.
Hence Stressing vbl. sb.
1540. Palsgr., Acolastus, IV. vi. V iv b. Is the strength and lustinesse … of my body … nothyng worne (by excedyng or ouer moch stressyng of nature?).
1915. Nation (N. Y.), 6 May, 487/1. If … the offending film … stirred his heart to mutiny and rage, the potentialities for evil in less-balanced minds need no stressing.
