Forms: 3–5 socur(e, 3–6 socoure, 4–5 -owre, sokoure, -ere, soccoure, 4–6 socour, succur, 5–6 succoure, 6–7 sucker, (3 sucuri, soco(u)ri, -y, 4 socurry, soucouri, sokore, socre, succure, sukere, pa. pple. ysucrod, y-, i-socoured, 4–6 soker, 5 socowryn, sokery, socore, sucor, 5–6 succurre, 6 suckar, socker, 7 sucurre), 6– (now U.S.) succor, 5– succour. [a. OF. (i) socorre, suc(c)urre, secourre:—L. succurrĕre, f. suc- = SUB- 25 + currĕre to run; (ii) suc(c)urir (with change of conjugation), mod.F. secourir. Cf. Pr. socorre, secorrer, It. soccorrere, Sp., Pg. socorrer.]
1. trans. To help, assist, aid (a person, etc.).
c. 1250. Kent. Serm., in O. E. Misc., 32. Hit is us nyede þet se þet sucurede hem ine þa peril þet us sucuri ine ure niedes.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4608. I red þat þou, onan, Do gett þe a god purueur þat in þis nede þe mai socur.
1340. Ayenb., 186. Wel ssolle we … helpe and soucouri þe on þe oþer.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 172. He þat scholde me socoury to ȝen myn enymys.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VIII. 41. He … socrede Thomas of Caunturbury whan he was exiled.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 256. So schal his Soule be socoured Of thilke worschipe ate laste.
c. 1400. Anturs of Arth., xvii. Were thritte trentes of masse done,… My saule were socurt ful sone, And broȝte un-to blys.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 131. Ther is no gayne may us socoure.
1526. Tindale, Heb. ii. 18. He is able to sucker them that are tempted.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Edw. IV., 4. Duke Charles … succored them with a small pencion.
1548–9. (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Catechism, To loue, honour, and succoure my father and mother.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., II. xix. 97. There is no Favourite of a Monarch, which cannot as well succour his friends, as hurt his enemies.
1718. Prior, Solomon, II. 571. We raise the sad, and succour the distress’d.
1865. Kingsley, Herew., xix. It would behove me … to succour this distressed lady.
1867. Smiles, Huguenots Eng., xi. (1880), 184. The fugitives were everywhere made welcome, and succoured and helped.
absol. 1535. Boorde, Lett., in Introd. Knowl. (1870), 56. God succuryng, who euer kepp yow in helth & honer.
b. transf.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 213. Whan he the comun riht socoureth.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 2276. Thare myghte no siluer thaym saue, ne socoure theire lyues.
1549. Compl. Scot., Ep. 4. That his … entreprise vas conuoyit & succurrit be ane diuyne miracle, rather nor be the ingyne of men.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, 473. Garden Smilax hath long and small branches growing very high … when they be succoured with rises or long poles. Ibid., 653. The white Rose, whose stalkes … are … x. xii. or xx. foote high, and sometimes longer, if they be staied vp or suckered.
1599. Shaks., etc., Pass. Pilgr., xiv. 28. Yet not for me, shine sun to succour flowers.
absol. a. 1850. Rossetti, Dante & Circle, II. (1874), 279. Of all that thou or I can say, But one word succoureth.
2. To furnish with military assistance; to bring reinforcements to; spec. to relieve (a besieged place).
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8233. Folc of ierusalem & of damache come … & to socouri antioche uaste þuderward drou.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 12778. Sex þousand sent he … To socoure þeym.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 2610. Or we mowen bet y-socoured be wiþ Charlis & ys ferede.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 8466. All the kynges … þat comyn were to Troy, The citie to socour, with þere sute hoole.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, X. i. 413. I will socoure hym with all my puyssaunce.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. IV., 18. Yf the castel were not suckered within iii monthes.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., I. xv. 16 b. The place … coulde not haue bin fortified nor succoured.
1613–8. Daniel, Coll. Hist. Eng. (1626), 24. [He] brings a mighty Army to succour Arques, assieged by … the Dukes Generall.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), To Succour a Place, is to raise the Siege of such a Place, driving the Enemy from before it.
1876. Voyle & Stevenson, Milit. Dict. (ed. 3), 414/2. To succour,… to relieve a force requiring assistance.
† 3. To relieve or remedy (a state of want, weakness, etc.); to relieve (a diseased condition). Obs.
1526. Tindale, Mark ix. 24. Sucker myne vnbelefe. Ibid. (1526), 2 Cor. viii. 14. Let youre aboundaunce socker their lacke.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. iii. 31. To succour the weake state of sad afflicted Troy.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 602. The outward members are forced to yeeld their bloud, to succour any sudden oppression of the heart.
c. 1645. Milton, Sonn., Forcers of Consc., 18. That so the Parliament May … succour our just Fears.
absol. 1657. Tomlinson, Renou’s Disp., 301. It efficaciously sucurres in pestilentious diseases.
4. To shelter, protect. Now dial.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVII. lxxxi. (1495), 653. Greynes ben warded and socoured wyth ryndes … for to saue the inner pyth and kynde hete.
1563. Shute, Archit., B j. Some succoured them selues vnder the shadowe of trees.
1617. Moryson, Itin., II. 67. The Haven was commodious to succour weather-beaten ships.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 157. That by these Waters they [sc. sheep] might be housed, harbored, suckered, and nourished.
1893. Wilts. Gloss., s.v., An old-fashioned bonnet is said to ‘succour’ the ears. A cold wind cuts up cabbages, except where they are ‘succoured’ by bushes or walls.
5. Naut. To strengthen, make firm or taut.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. xv. (Roxb.), 44/1. To succour and ease the sheat, least it break in great winds.
1706. Phillips (ed. Kersey), s.v., Among Sea-men, to Succour is to strengthen or make more firm; as To Succour a Cable, Mast, &c.
c. 1850. Rudim. Navig. (Weale), 152. Its use is to succour the scarphs of the apron.
