Supple v.

Forms: 4–7, 8–9 Sc. and north. dial. souple, 7, 8–9 Sc. soople, (4 souplen, 5 supplyn, -on, -un, 6 soupil, sopel, sowple, 6, 9 suple, Sc. sowpel, 7 suppel), 6– supple. [f. SUPPLE a., after OF. asoplir (mod.F. assouplir). See also SUPPLY v.³]

  1.  trans. To soften, mollify (the heart or mind); to cause to yield or be submissive; to make compliant or complaisant. Obs. or arch.

1390.  Gower, Conf., III. 256. Thus this tirannysshe knyht Was soupled.

c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 2244. And he, that pride hath hym withynne, Ne may his herte, in no wise, Meken ne souplen to servyse.

1532.  More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 437/1. Menne are so supled and made humble in hert, y^t they will willingly goe shew themselfe their own sinnes to the priest.

1583.  Golding, Calvin on Deut. xiv. 81. Hee meekeneth and suppleth them as if a wilde beaste were tamed.

1625.  Donne, Serm. 24 Feb. (1626), 45. Men soupled and entendred with Matrimoniall loue.

1655.  Fuller, Ch. Hist., II. iii. § 3. Suppled with Sicknesse, he confessed his Fault.

a. 1703.  Burkitt, On N. T., Luke xxiii. 42. How powerful must that grace be, which suppled that heart in a moment, which had been hardening in sin for so many years.

1760.  Sterne, Serm., III. 212. To mollify the hearts and supple the temper of your race.

1815.  Scott, Guy M., lv. When I conclude my examination of Dirk Hatteraick to-morrow—Gad, I will so supple him!

  b.  intr. and refl. To be submissive or compliant to. Obs. or arch.

c. 1440.  Jacob’s Well, 280. Here hertys arn so harde … þat it mowe noȝt brestyn ne supplyn to goodnes.

1742.  Richardson, Pamela, III. 392. Having a Spirit above suppling himself to an unworthy Mind for sordid Interest sake. Ibid. (1748), Clarissa (1810), IV. xxxvi. 241. Then her family, my bitter enemies—to supple to them, or if I do not, to make her as unhappy as she can be from my attempts.

1877.  Tennyson, Harold, I. i. 80. And he hath learnt, despite the tiger in him, To sleek and supple himself to the king’s hand.

  2.  To make (skin, leather, and the like) supple, pliant or flexible.

1530.  Palsgr., 726/2. I shall sowple your gloves.

1542.  Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., VIII. 132. For twa barkit hors hidis,… xv. s. Item for sowpelling and grathing thairof, iiij. s.

1559.  Morwyng, Evonym., 366. Wull vnskoured suppled in wine or vinegar.

1601.  Holland, Pliny, XXIII. viii. II. 171. Touching the bitter Almond tree, the decoction of the roots thereof, doth supple the skin and lay it even and smooth without wrinkles.

1638.  Davenant, Madagascar, 19. Rude, dull Mariners … this Oyntment use Not to perfume, but supple their parch’d Shooes.

1721.  Phil. Trans., XXXI. 168. After they have soaked the Hide for some time, they stretch and supple it.

a. 1722.  Lisle, Husb. (1757), 270. They may stand in some muck-hill, or moist place, in order to supple their claws.

1791.  Cowper, Odyss., XXI. 215. When we have chafed and suppled the tough bow.

1839.  Ure, Dict. Arts, 767. When the skins have been sufficiently swelled and suppled by the branning, they may receive the first oil.

1863.  Morn. Star, 1 Jan., 6. A Basle manufacturer, who uses fine silk, which is weighted or ‘supled,’ as the trade term goes.

1876.  in Textile Colourist, III. 102. [Patent, Périnaud, for] Suppling re-dyed silks.

1915.  J. Buchan, Hist. War, iii. 90. Men lame from hard new boots not yet suppled by use.

  b.  intr. for pass.

1844.  Browning, Garden Fancies, II. viii. And clasps were cracking and covers suppling!

  † 3.  To reduce the hardness of, to soften. Also absol. Obs.

1545.  Raynalde, Byrth Mankynde, 55. Hote and moyste thinges, whiche haue the properte to lenifye and sople.

1567.  Maplet, Gr. Forest, 88. His onely bloud being kept warme suppleth the Adamant stone.

c. 1586.  C’tess Pembroke, Ps. CXLVII. iii. The rayne … Supples the clods of sommer-scorched fields.

1598.  Chapman, Iliad, VI. [X.] 469. She that supples earth with blood.

1659.  Gentl. Calling (1696), 14. The Earth … must be mollified and suppled with their sweat, before it will become penetrable.

1710.  T. Fuller, Pharm. Extemp. (1719), 2. The sweeter, softer and thicker Ale is, the more it suppleth, filleth and nourisheth.

1725.  Fam. Dict., s.v. Walnut, The Shells grow tender, especially, if you supple ’em a little in warm Cows Milk.

1728.  E. Smith, Compl. Housew. (1750), 287. This medicine … will … soften the asperity of the humours … relaxing and suppling the solids at the same time.

  † 4.  To soften or mollify (a wound, swelling, etc.) by applying an unguent, a fomentation, etc.; to anoint with oil. Also in fig. context. Obs.

1526.  Tindale, Prologue to N. T. The Evangelion,… whych sowpleth, and swageth the wondes of the conscience.

1541.  Sarum Primer, N iv (Dirige), Thou haste soupled myne heed in oyle; and my cup beynge full is ryght goodly.

1545.  Raynalde, Byrth Mankynde, 56. Anoyntmentes wherwith ye may sople y^e priuy place.

1579.  Langham, Gard. Health (1633), 315. Apply them to supple, mollifie, ripen, and dissolue all kindes of tumours hot or cold.

1590.  Spenser, F. Q., III. v. 33. She … Into his wound the iuyce thereof did scruze, And round about … The flesh therewith she suppled and did steepe.

1644.  Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 77. All the faith and religion that shall be there canoniz’d, is not sufficient … to supple the least bruise of conscience.

a. 1688.  Bunyan, Accept. Sacrif., Wks. (Offor), I. 791. Wash me, Lord, supple my wounds, pour Thy wine and oil into my sore.

  absol.  1578.  Lyte, Dodoens, 201. With the floures of Lillies there is made a good Oyle to supple, mollifie & digest.

1612.  T. Taylor, Comm. Titus ii. 1 (1619), 336. He seeketh to wound and gall, but he healeth nor suppleth not.

1662.  Hibbert, Body Div., I. 156. Pouring in oyl to supple and heal.

  † b.  transf. To rub (oil, etc.) on or into something so as to soften it. Obs. rare.

1560.  Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 334 b. He powreth out the oyle and suppleth it in.

  5.  To make (the limbs, the body, the person) supple or capable of bending easily; spec. of the training of saddle-horses (see quot. 1753).

1570.  Foxe, A. & M. (ed. 2), I. 70/1. Contrary to thexpectation of men, his body was in the latter punishment and tormentes soupled and restored.

1613.  R. Harcourt, Voy. Guiana, 55. He … went … to the Bath, and washed … his hand … therein, which soopled his fingers in such manner, that … hee could stirre and stretch them out.

1638.  Mayne, Lucian (1664), 373. I must think that the best and most proportionable exercise, which both supples the body, and renders it flexible, and pliant.

1652.  H. L’Estrange, Amer. no Jewes, 14. Oyle … such as he carried with him … to supple his joints and tired Limbs.

1749.  Chesterf., Lett. to Son, 15 May. Apply yourself diligently to your exercises of dancing, fencing, and riding,… to fashion and supple you.

1753.  Chambers’ Cycl., Suppl., s.v., To supple a horse, in the manege, is to make him bend his neck, shoulders, and sides, and to render all the parts of his body more pliable.

1765.  Chesterf., Lett. to Son, 25 Oct. The hot bath … supples my stiff rheumatic limbs.

1847.  Infantry Man. (1854), 3. In order to supple the recruit,… he will be practised in the movements.

1861.  J. Brown, Horæ Subs., II. 256. Old broken-down thorough-breds that did wonders when soopled.

1881.  T. A. McCarthy, Calisth. & Drilling, 17. This exercise is to strengthen the leg and upper arm, supple the shoulders, and expand the chest.

1897.  Kipling, Captains Courageous, ii. 45. Manuel bowed back and forth to supple himself.

  b.  fig. and allusively.

1555.  Philpot, in Coverdale, Lett. Martyrs (1564), 240. Christ annoynt vs, that we may be suppled in these euil dayes to runne lyghtly, into the glory of the lord.

1638.  A. Cant, Serm., in Kerr, Covenants & Covenanters (1895), 101. His legs were soupled with consolation, which made him run.

1639.  Fuller, Holy War, III. xviii. (1840), 147. His seven thousand whose knees were not suppled with the Baalism of that age.

1659.  Arrowsmith, Chain Princ., 395. Cheerfulness supples the joynts of our hearts, and so rendereth them nimble and active in holy performances.

1893.  Stevenson, Catriona, vii. Ye’ll have to soople your back-bone, and think a wee pickle less of your dainty self.

  6.  gen. (from 4 and 5): To make pliant, flexible or smooth; also, to tone down, modify.

1530–1.  Tindale, Jonas, Prol. To sowple thy soule with the oyle of theyr swete blessynges.

1612.  Donne, Lett. (1651), 91. That nothing hath soupled and allayed the D. of Lerma in his violent greatnesse, so much as the often libels made upon him.

1612.  T. Taylor, Comm. Titus i. 4 (1619), 63. Nor all the baulme in Gilead can so supple their positions, that we may ioyne with them.

1614.  W. B., Philos. Banquet (ed. 2), 66. The Mint … supples the sharpnesse of the Tongue, being rubbed therewith.

1626.  Donne, Serm. Easter-day (1640), 210. Some of them mollifie and souple the impossibility into a difficulty.

1642.  R. Harris, Serm. Ho. Commons, 20. There is no temptation so strong, but faith will conquer it: no affliction so great, but faith will supple it.

1742.  Young, Nt. Th., IX. 2183. His balmy bath, That supples … The various movements of this nice machine.

1867.  M. Arnold, Celtic Lit., 181. The hard unintelligence, which is just now our bane … must be suppled and reduced by culture.

1887.  Lowell, Democracy, etc., 240. To set free, to supple and to train the faculties.

1901.  J. Mollison, Poems, 180.