Obs. Forms: 3–4 þra, (5–7 Sc.) thra, 4–5 þro, thro, throo (5 throe). [ME. a. ON. þrá-r ‘stubborn, obstinate, unyielding, refractory, persistent, zealous, eager, keen,’ adj. cognate with prá sb.: see prec.]
1. Stubborn, obstinate, persistent; reluctant to give way, or accede to a request.
(The spelling throw in quot. c. 1500 is app. due to confusion with other words.)
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5803 (Cott.). King pharaon … cs ful thra [Trin. þro], Lath sal him think to let þam ga. Ibid. (13[?]), 28092 (Cott.). Vn-buxum haf i bene, and thra A-gayn my gastly fader al-sa.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 5246. Þat were þro men in threpe, & thre-tyms mo.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl. (Shaks. Soc.), II. 11. In this place, be you never so throe, Shall you no longer dwell.
c. 1500. Smyth & his Dame, 317, in Hazl., E. P. P., III. 213. Be thov neuer so throw, I shal amende the sonne, I trow.
c. 1560. A. Scott, Poems (S.T.S.), xiii. 31. Than be not thra ȝour scherwand to confort.
1603. Philotus, xl. Scho is sa ackwart and sa thra, That with refuse I come hir fra.
b. Of a corpse: Stiff, rigid.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4452. Graffis garnyscht of gold & gilten tombis Thurghis to thrawyn in quen ȝe þraa worthe.
2. Stubborn in fight, sturdy, bold; fierce. Also fig.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 777. Þei þou be þro, Lat mo men wiþ þe ride On rowe.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3757. They … thristis to þe erthe Of the thraeste mene thre hundrethe.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 3570. Thir wordes herd the knyghtes twa, It made tham forto be mor thra.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 6422. Merion … With þre thousaund þro men þrong hym vnto. Ibid., 6446, 6462, etc.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IX. 846. Wallace with him had fourty archarys thra.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VIII. xii. 128. And Gelones, thai pepill of Sithya, In archery the quhilk ar wonder thra.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (Rolls), I. 250. The Albionis, thocht tha war neuir sa thra, Out of the feild on force wer maid to ga.
3. Angry, wroth, furious, violent.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., A. 344. Anger gaynez þe not a cresse, Who nedez schal þole be not so þro.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, ii. (Paulus), 504. As he, þat firste wes cristis fa, And in thra will his men can sla.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 3968. Wan bay come to þe dupe Ryuer, Þat wilde was & thro, Entrye þanne ne darst hy noȝt.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 147. He bethought hym full thicke in his throo hert.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 2075. Sche dyd me oonys an evyll dede, My harte was wondur throo.
c. 1475[?]. Sqr. lowe Degre, 1017. With egre mode, and herte full throwe, The stewardes throte he cut in two.
4. Keen, eager, zealous, earnest.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 14392 (Cott.). Ful deueli war þai Iuus thra Þair blisced lauerd for to sla.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 615. Rohand was ful þra Of tristrem for to frain.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 3264. Þre M. of men þat þro were to fiȝt.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 470. Mony thoughtes full thro thrange in hir brest.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., V. vi. 1198. Sancte Gregor … Made special and thra oryson þat God walde grant his saule to be … fre.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl. (E.E.T.S.), 451. Falsched to further he was euer throe.
[1775. John Watson, Hist. Halifax, 547. A person is said to be thro about any thing, who is very keen or intent about it.]
b. fig. Of a thing: Ready, apt, disposed.
a. 1425. Cursor M., 16560 (Trin.). Þei … cut þis tre in two … What þei wolde þerof shape: Þerto hit was ful þro.
B. adv. Obstinately; vigorously; boldly.
a. 1425. Cursor M., 5997 (Trin.). Ȝitt þe kyng hem helde ful þro For wolde he not lete hem go.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 6032. Oxen twenty and twa War drawand þis bell full thra.
c. 1470. Golagros & Gaw., 60. The berne bovnit to the burgh … and thrang in full thra.
