v. Obs. (Also 3 pa. pple. iswaued.) [Three OE. verbs coalesced under this form: (1) swefan (pa. t. swæf, swǽfon) str. intr. to sleep; (2) (ʓe)swebban (pa. t. -swefede, pa. pple. swefed) wk. trans. to put to sleep or to death (cf. SWEB), corresponding to OS. an-sweðian, OHG. intswebben (MHG. ent-sweben), ON. svefja:—*swafjan; (3) ʓeswefian (pa. t. ʓeswefode, pa. pple. ʓeswefod) to put to sleep; f. swef-: swaf-: swuf- (cf. ON. sofa, svaf, svofinn to sleep and søfa to put to death): see SWEVEN.]
I. 1. intr. To sleep, sink to rest, become quiet.
Beowulf, 119 (Gr.). Fand þa ðær inne æþelinga ʓedriht swefan æfter symble.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Exod., 36 (Gr.). Swæfon seledreamas.
c. 1205. Lay., 25548. Wederen alre selest, and þa sæ sweuede.
II. 2. trans. To put to sleep (or to death), lull to rest; also, to stupefy.
Beowulf, 679 (Gr.). Ic hine sweorde swebban nelle.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (Hessels), S 399. Sopio, suebbo.
a. 950. Guthlac, vi. (1909), 136. Þa was he sæmninga mid leohte slæpe swefed.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 474. Se apostol Matheus þa dracan ʓeswefode.
a. 1175. Cott. Hom., 233. He blisseð hus mid dȝeies [sic] licht, he sweueð hus mid þiestre nicht.
c. 1205. Lay., 3073. Mid þære wræððe he wes isweued [later text igremid] þat he feol iswowen. Ibid., 15706. Þenne ich wæs on bedde iswaued.
