v. (Also 7 pa. pple. -ate.) [f. L. supplicāt-, pa. ppl. stem of supplicāre, f. sup- = SUB- 2 + plic-, root of plicāre to bend (cf. supplex, supplic- SUPPLE). Cf. SUPPLY v.2]
1. intr. To beg, pray or entreat humbly; to present a humble petition. Const. to or unto a person (obs.), for a thing; also with dependent clause introduced by that, or inf.
1417. in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. II. I. 55. Wee … have supplicated unto him … to attend heare.
1625. Bacon, Ess., Friendship (Arb.), 181. A Man cannot sometimes brooke to Supplicate or Beg.
1625. Ussher, Answ. Jesuit, 457. Doe we supplicate vnto these, because by these we supplicate vnto God?
1652. Needham, trans. Selden’s Mare Cl., 34. Giacomo Croato … was … assailed by an armed Bark of Pirates … and supplicate’s that som order might bee taken therein.
1654. in Verney Mem. (1907), I. 556. I supplicate to non for there good word.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 23 Feb. 1645. Supplicating for a victory over the Turks.
1771. trans. Horstius’ Parad. Soul, App. 7. O holy Mary … supplicate for the devout Female Sex.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, ix. I supplicated to know what was designed me.
1805. Wordsw., Ode to Duty, v. I supplicate for thy control.
1862. R. Vaughan, Eng. Nonconform., 44. He urged … that the rubric should not supplicate that the bread and wine might become the body and blood of Christ to the recipient.
1864. Tennyson, En. Ard., 163. Annie … Besought him, supplicating, if he cared For her or his dear children, not to go.
1876. Miss Braddon, J. Haggard’s Dau., II. 19. I have thought of you often … and have supplicated for you in my prayers.
2. trans. To petition humbly. a. with the person addressed as obj.; also with compl. clause or inf.
1642. Decl. Lords & Comm. Gen. Assemb. Ch. Scot., 11. The Assembly has humbly supplicate the Kings Majesty.
a. 1696. in Aubrey, Misc., 165. They have supplicated the Presbyterie, who judicially appointed publick Prayers to be made.
1835. Lytton, Rienzi, I. iv. 57. He had been conjoined with Petrarch to supplicate Clement VI. to remove the Holy See from Avignon to Rome.
1864. Tennyson, Boädicea, 9. Shall I brook to be supplicated?
b. with the thing sought as obj.
1660. R. Coke, Power & Subj., 244. The Church … did supplicate protection from the temporall powers.
1779. Mirror, No. 35, ¶ 3. The blessings which a fond father should supplicate from Heaven for his offspring.
1791. Mrs. Radcliffe, Rom. Forest, vi. I supplicate of you a few moments’ private discourse.
1838. Jas. Grant, Sk. Lond., 242. Supplicating a crust of bread for her famishing children.
1854. Miss M. S. Cummins, Lamplighter, xxiii. To supplicate Heaven’s blessing upon them.
3. spec. intr. In Oxford University, to present a formal petition for a degree or for incorporation. † Also trans., to present such a petition to (Congregation).
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., I. Fasti, 638. Thom. Beaumont … did supplicate to be licensed to proceed in Divinity. Ibid., 639. John Newland … supplicated for a Degree in Divinity. Ibid., 642. James Denton … sometimes Fellow of Kings Coll. in Cambridg, did … supplicate to be incorporated. Ibid., 643. Richard Ede,… Scholar in Musick, did supplicate the ven. Congregation to be admitted Bachelaur of that Faculty. Ibid., 644. Eight [men] supplicated to oppose.
1830. Oxf. Univ. Cal., 16. In the sole instance of supplicating for Graces … every Member of the House is invested … with a suspending negative upon each Grace for three times. Ibid. (1891), 76. No Graduate in any Faculty can supplicate for incorporation without … having obtained express permission from the Hebdomadal Council.
Hence Supplicated ppl. a.
1861. Wardlaw, Lect. Romans (1869), I. ii. 26. Under the supplicated guidance of the Holy Spirit.
