Swink v.

arch. and dial. Forms: 1 swincan, 3 swinken, (Orm. swinnkenn, 3–4 suink(e, 4 suinc, suynk, squink, squynke, Ayenb. zuynke), 3–6 swynke, 4–6 swynk, 4–7 swinke, (6 swincke), 4– swink Pa. t. α. 1–3 swanc, (1 pl. swuncon), 3–4 swonke, swank, 3 swunke, swonc, (4 suanc, squank, 5 swanke). β. 4 swinkid, 8 swinked. Pa. pple. 3 i-swunke(n, swunnkenn, 4 (i-)swonke, 6 -swonck, 7 swonk, 9 swunk. β. 6, 9 swinked, 7–8 swinkt. [OE. swincan, pa. t. swanc, swuncon, pa. pple. *swuncen, parallel formation to swingan, SWING v.¹]

  1.  intr. To labor, toil, work hard; to exert oneself, take trouble.

  Often alliterating with sweat.

Beowulf, 517 (Gr.). ʓit on wæteres æht seofon niht swuncon.

c. 1000.  Ælfric, Hom. (Th.), II. 441. Martha swanc, and Maria sæt æmtiʓ.

a. 1200.  Moral Ode, 254, in O. E. Hom., I. 175. [Hie] luueden … hordom & drunken & a doules werche bliþeliche swunken.

c. 1200.  Trin. Coll. Hom., 179. Ðe underlinges þenchen oðe dai hu hie muȝen mest swinken and spenen here flesh & here blod.

c. 1205.  Lay., 7488. He swonc i þon fehte þat al he lauede asweote. Ibid., 17408. Heo swunken [c. 1275 swonke] ful swiðe.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 404. Ase þauh a mon þet heuede longe i-swunken and failede efter his sore swinke.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 2877. Ic … swanc and michil sorwe dreȝ.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 1047. Adam … suanc and suet and eue his wif, Of þe erth to win þar lijf.

c. 1300.  Havelok, 798. Swinken ich wolde for mi mete. It is no shame forto swinken.

13[?].  Sir Beues (A.), 3107. Þow hauest so swonke on hire to niȝt [etc.].

c. 1384.  Chaucer, H. Fame, III. 85. Hit … maketh alle my wyt to swynke On this castel to be-thynke.

a. 1400[?].  Morte Arth., 2961. He … Sweltes ewynne swiftly, and swanke he no more!

1426.  Audelay, Poems, 57. Let me never in slouth stynke, Bot grawnt me grace for to swynke.

1560.  Becon, New Catech., Pref. Wks. 1564, I. 289. Their pelfe, for the which they haue so swincked and sweate.

1591.  Spenser, M. Hubberd, 163. For they doo swinke and sweate to feed the other.

1622.  Fletcher, Span. Cur., III. ii. We’ll labour and swinck.

1642.  H. More, Song of Soul, II. I. II. xii. Long have I swonk with anxious assay To finden out what this hid soul may be.

1714.  Croxall, Anoth. Canto Spenser, xxxiv. Many to up-climb it vainly strove, Swinking and sweating with their utmost Might.

1748.  Thomson, Cast. Indol., II. ii. And they are sure of bread who swink and moil.

1820.  Shelley, Lett. to Mar. Gisborne, 59. That dew which the gnomes drink When at their subterranean toil they swink.

1872.  O. W. Holmes, Poet Breakf.-t., i. 10. We poor wives must swink for our masters.

1885.  Stevenson, Pr. Otto, II. i. 68. The fellow swinking in a byre, whom fools point out for the exception.

  † b.  To journey toilsomely, travel. Obs. rare^–1.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 1656. Laban faȝnede him in frendes wune, Feren swunken ysaaces sunen. Iacob tolde him for quat he swanc So fer.

  2.  trans. † a. with cognate obj.; also, to gain by labor. Obs.

c. 1200.  [see SWINK sb. 2].

c. 1200.  Moral Ode, 321, in Trin. Coll. Hom., 229. Swunke [Egerton MS. sswunche] we for godes luue half þat we doð for eihte Nare we naht swo ofte bicherd ne swo euele bikeihte.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 110. Al his swinc forloren þet he swonc on eorðe.

1340–70.  Alex. & Dind., 855. Whan ȝe mow take … No swiche werkus to swinke as oþur swainus vsen.

c. 1386.  Chaucer, Sec. Nun’s Prol., 21. And to deuouren al that othere swynke.

  † b.  To cause to toil; to set to hard work, to overwork; refl. = sense 1. Obs.

c. 1250.  Gen. & Ex., 4018. He … wende wenden godes ðoȝt, Oc al he swinked him for noȝt.

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 23051. Þai … suonken þam bath dai and night, For to beserue vr lauerd dright.

c. 1384.  Chaucer, H. Fame, I. 16. Ne neuer thinke To besely my Wytte to swinke To knowe of hir signifiaunce.

  † 3.  trans. and intr. To drink deeply, tipple. (Cf. SWINGE v.¹ 2, SWINK sb. 3.) Obs.

c. 1550.  Bale, K. Johan (Camden), 78. I am sure then thu wylt geve it hym in a drynke. Marry that I wyll & the one half with hym swynke, To encourage hym to drynke the botome off.

1581.  J. Bell, Haddon’s Answ. Osor., 319. Swill and swincke soundly, make meery mightely.

1590.  Greene, Mourn. Garm. (1616), 15. That one Darius, a great king, being dry was glad to swink his fill of a Shepheards bottle.

1590.  Cobler Canterb., 68. Yet to drinke he would neare lin: But swincked with all his might.