arch. and dial. Forms: see below. [OE. þréatian weak vb., pa. t. þréatode, f. þréat, THREAT sb.:—OTeut. type *þrautôjan.]
A. Illustration of Forms.
1. Pres. stem. α. 1 þreatian, 3 -en, -in, þretie(n, þræten, þreat, 3–5 þrete, 5 þreete, 5–6 threte, 6 threete, 6–7 threate, 6– threat.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxvii. § 1. Þa … þreatiað eal moncynn mid hiora þrymme.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 623. Me ham walde þreatin & leaden unlaheliche.
a. 1225. Juliana, 13. Nulle ich þe her onont þreate se þu þreate buhe ne beien.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 1609. Me myd stone & lugge þreteþ.
1483. Cath. Angl., 385/2. To Threte, minari.
1530. Palsgr., 755/2. I threete, or I thretten one to do hym harme, je menasse.
1600. Threat [see B. 5].
β. 4–6 thret, thrette, 4–7 thrett.
13[?]. Cursor M., 18247. Nu þai thrett [v.r. thret] vs sare. Ibid., 19181. Þar-for sal we thret þam herd.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xlii. (Agatha), 147. Gyf be fyre þu threttis me.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. clx. 194. Whan ye be at Parys … ye do thret thenglysshmen. Ibid. (a. 1533), Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), Gg iij b. She … thretteth them that be absent.
γ. 3 þrattien, -en.
c. 1205. Lay., 20341. Swiðe heo gunnen þrattien [c. 1275 þretie] Arður þene king. Ibid., 18738. Þrattest [see B. 4 a].
2. Past tense. α. 1 th-, þreatade, -ode, 2 -ede, 3 þreated, þræted, þret-, þrætt-, þrettede, 4 þreted, 5–6 thretid, 6– threated.
c. 725–c. 1000. [see B. 1].
c. 1160. [see B. 2].
c. 1205. Lay., 504. Þe king þræted [c. 1275 þretede] Brutun. Ibid., 27131. Summe þrætteden [c. 1275 þrettede] heore ueond.
c. 1250. Ðreated [see B. 3].
13[?]. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., liv. 33. Harde þei þreted me in her þouȝt.
c. 1440. Thretid [see B. 3].
a. 1529. Skelton, Wofully Araid, 13. The Jewis me thretid.
1673. Wood, Life, 14 July (O.H.S.), II. 266. I threated to geld the translator.
β. 3–4 þrette, 4 þret, 4–5 thrett, 4–6 thret, thrette, 5 threte, (thred).
c. 1250. Ðrette, c. 1300 Þrette [see B. 5].
13[?]. Cursor M., 19603. Saulus … thrett [v.rr. þrette, þret] All þe cristen.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 44. Þe corsaynt & þe kirke he thrette for to brennyng.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 10493. He chased the Troiens & thret.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 81. And þan he thred hur.
c. 1440. Generydes, 500. She threte hym sore.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccclxxxiii. 645. They thret them of London.
γ. 2–4 þratte, 4 þrat, 5 thrat(t, 5–6 thratte, 6 thrate.
c. 1200. Ormin, 15514. He þratte stirne wind o sæ & itt warrþ stille & liþe.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 937. Þe aungelez hasted þise oþer & aȝly hem þratten.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1980. Fele þryuande þonnkkez he þrat hom to haue.
c. 1400. Laud Troy Bk., 6907. Thei thrat him alle, tho he was tan.
1589. R. Robinson, Gold. Mirr. (Chetham), 37. Albion Isle he thrate.
3. Pa. pple.: 3 i-ðrat, 4–5 þret, -tt, -tte; 4–6 threted, 7 thrent, 5– threated.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 304. Ich was ined [MS. T. iðrat] þerto.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1725. Þer he watz þreted, & ofte þef called.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 707. Þik & þrathly am I thret.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, X. lxii. 520. Ful sore are we threted.
1472. Sir J. Paston, in P. Lett., III. 38. That poor woode is soor manashed and thrett.
1631. Threat [see B. 3].
B. Signification.
† 1. trans. To press, urge, try to force or induce; esp. by means of menaces. (With clause or inf.)
c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (O.E.T.), 1275. Maceratus, þreatende. Ibid., 2169. Urguet, threatade.
a. 900. O. E. Martyrol., 18 April, 58. Adrianus se caser[e hine] þrentade þæt he Criste wiðsoce.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt v. 12. Ðæm nedende vel ðæm ðreatende [Vulg. uolenti] huerfa ðec ne acerre.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., I. 416. Þa cempan … hine ðreatodon þæt he ðære deadan anlicnysse his lac offrian sceolde.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 248. Ne mei he [the devil] buten scheawe þe uorð sumhwat of his apeware, & oluhnen, oðer þreaten þet me bugge þerof.
13[?]. [see A. 2 γ].
c. 1470. Ashby, Dicta Philos., 308. Who that wol nat be feire entreted, Must be foule & rigorously threted.
1501. Plumpton Corr. (Camden), 157. Ever they thratte me that I shold goe to London.
1638. Hamilton Papers (Camden), 4. They … thrett privatt men to singe the Covenatt.
† 2. To rebuke, reprove. Obs. Cf. THREAP v. 1.
a. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Th.), lxvii. 27 [lxviii. 30]. On wuda þu wildeor wordum þreatast.
c. 1160. Hatton Gosp., Luke ix. 55. And he be-wente hine and hyo þreatede.
c. 1200. [see A. 2 γ].
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter vi. 1. Lauerd, ne threte me in þi wreth.
3. To hold out threats against; = THREATEN 2.
a. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Th.), ix. 29. [x. 8]. And þreatað þone earman mid his eaʓum.
c. 1205. Lay., 641. He … þreateð þene castel & þat folc þer inne.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 4125. And wrot an canticle … Ðat ðreated ðo men bitter-like Ðe god ne seruen luue-like.
1428. in Surtees Misc. (1888), 3. Wham he thret with bodily harm.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 439. Sho apperid vnto hym & thretid hym att he was ferd for hur.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xvii. 390. It becometh not to suche a knighte as ye be, for to threte me thus.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 66. He that thretteth a dogge for his barkyng prouoketh hym to more felnesse.
1631. R. H., Arraignm. Whole Creature, x. § 2. 84. The Apostles glad, that they were threat, and beat for the Name of Christ.
1781. Hist. Europe, in Ann. Reg., 25/2. The Spaniards sent out so great a force … as seemed sufficient … to threat the British fleets and islands with the most imminent danger.
1848. Lytton, Harold, I. iv. Send for me if danger threat thee.
b. With inf. or clause as complement.
a. 1330. Otuel, 736. Hou þei … þratten roulond to die.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 8294. [The Britons] þretten Hengist to wake hys wough.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 32. Þe devull come aforn hym with a byrnand stake, and thretid hymn þat he sulde þruste itt in at his mouthe.
1461. Paston Lett., II. 25. She is thret if that she myght be take, she shuld be slayne.
a. 1517. in G. P. Scrope, Castle Combe (1852), 295. He … thret hym that he schulde make hyme aper before my lordys grase.
1611. Coryat’s Crudities, Panegyr. Verses c iij. All the Sophists he did threat Their problemes to confound.
1643. J. Eaton, Honey-c. Free Justif., 475. It would be a foolish part to set it [a kettle] beside the fire, and then charge it to be hot, and to threat it that else it shall be spilt.
c. fig. Said of things; = THREATEN 4.
1422. [see THREATING vbl. sb.].
c. 1590. Marlowe, Faust., vii. 18. A sumptuous temple … That threats the stars with her aspiring top.
1634. Milton, Comus, 39. This drear Wood, The nodding horror of whose shady brows Threats the forlorn and wandring Passinger.
a. 1717. Parnell, Bookworm, 70. To see what dangers threat the year.
1800. Coleridge, Piccolom., I. iii. 46. This tempest, which … threats us from all quarters.
1832. Fraser’s Mag., IV. 764. The fate which threats kingdoms.
4. To hold forth (something) by way of a threat; = THREATEN 3. a. with inf. or clause as obj.
c. 1205. Lay., 17300. He gon þretien swiðe þat al he wolde heom to-driue. Ibid., 18738. Þu … þrattest hine to slænne.
c. 1250. Lutel Soth Sermun, 82, in O. E. Misc., 190. Hire sire & hire dame þreteþ hire to bete.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VI. 536. Vmbeset With fayis þat to slay hym thret.
c. 1557. Abp. Parker, Ps., D ij. If the adversaries flocke to-gether … and threate to destroy the house of God.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, O. T., 413. Who is this … that threats to sweep all before him?
1681. Dryden, Abs. & Achit., 801. If ancient fabrics nod and threat to fall.
1724. Ramsay, Royal Archers, 25. And seems to threat,… ‘No man unpunish’d shall provoke my rage.’
b. With sb. or pron. as obj.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Parson’s T., ¶ 572. He threttith more þan he may parfourme.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (1531), 61. What payne & turment is thrette to the wycked & euyll lyuers.
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, vi. (1887), 47. Where thickning threates harme, there thinning fines the substance.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., V. iii. 205. Euery one did threat To morrowes vengeance on the head of Richard.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, N. T., 17. Let the Tyrants … threat what they please.
1795. Burns, Dumfries Volunteers, i. Does haughty Gaul invasion threat?
1822. Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 4. Where black neglect … threats her constant winter cold and chill.
5. absol. or intr. To offer threats; = THREATEN 5.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2023. Often ȝhe ðrette, often ȝhe scroð.
c. 1300. Havelok, 1163. Sho was adrad, for he so þrette.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 57. Bot they with proude wordes grete Begunne to manace and threte.
c. 1491. Chast. Goddes Chyld., 14. She … spekyth somtyme sharply somtyme she threteth.
a. 1541. Wyatt, Penit. Ps. vi. 30. That drede of deathe, of deathe that ever lastes, Threateth of right.
1600. Holland, Livy, VIII. xxxii. 304. Some were heard to intreat, others to threat.
1605. Shaks., Macb., II. i. 60. Whiles I threat, he liues.
1725. Pope, Odyss., II. 231. Threat on, O prince! elude the bridal day, Threat on, till all thy stores in waste decay.
1822. Byron, Werner, II. ii. 266. Threat’st thou?
1901. Savage-Armstr., Ball., 64 (E.D.D.). Whun danger threats, return.
Hence † Threat ppl. a., obtained by threats, forced, compulsory.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 26944 (Fairf.). Wiseli loke þou be shriuin & noȝt wiþ strenght þer-to driuen For þret shrift mai haue na mede.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xi. (Symon & Judas), 1338. God wald one na wyse Of ony man haf thret seruice.
