prep., adv., adj. ME. forms (more than 70) in þurh, þuruh, þurgh, þurȝe, þurf, þoru, þorw, þoruȝ, þorȝ, þorȝe, þorou, þorow(e, thairgh, thurf, thorgh, thorow, thorough, thorrow, thru, thro, throw, etc., with út(e, out(e, owt(e, etc.; also contr. 2 þurut, 5 þrowte, throute, 5–6 thorowte, throwt, etc. A prevalent form in 6–7 was thorow-out; through-out noted first in 6. [In OE. two words, þurh THROUGH, út OUT, later gradually combined or hyphened. Cf. Ger. durchaus (16th c. in Grimm).]
A. prep. † 1. Through and out at the other side; completely or right through (a material body, or a place); sometimes simply = THROUGH prep. 1, 2. Obs. (or arch.).
c. 1066. O. E. Chron., an. 1066 (MS. C.). He for þurhut Eoferwic.
c. 1205. Lay., 315. He … ihitte his aȝene fader Þurh ut þere broste.
c. 1305. St. Lucy, 151, in E. E. P. (1862), 105. Þo heo [St. Lucy] was þurfout þe þrote ismyte þe bet heo spac ynouȝ.
13[?]. Cursor M., 1036 (Cott.). Þis flummes four … Thoru out all oþer contres rinnes.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 4558. As liȝtliche as hit had ibeo wax, ran þe strok þanne of ys ax Chayne & tre þorȝoute.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), v. 41. The Ryuere of Euphrate ran þorgh out the cytee.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., 315 (Thornton MS.). Me buse wende one my waye, thorowte this wode.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, II. 56. Throuch oute the thikest of the pres he ȝeid.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VI. i. 121. The cald dreid … Thirland throwout hard banis.
c. 1614. Mure, Dido & Æneas, I. 153. Throughout the streets her hurling chariots roll.
1629. Wadsworth, Pilgr., iv. 35. [He] gaue vs two broad sides…, shooting … our ships through, and through out.
2. Through the whole of (a space, region, etc.); in or to every part of; everywhere in. (Cf. THROUGH prep. 3.)
† Throughout all thing (quot. c. 1380), in all points: = through all thing (THROUGH prep. 3 c).
c. 1205. Lay., 29537. Þa iwende seint Austin vorð … þurh ut Englelond.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8589. Þoru out al þat lond it [the wind] dude sorwe inou.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 4359. Thurgh-out þe world, ferre and nere.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1500. Wel y-armed þorw-out al þyng euerechone þey ware.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, II. 5. So ryff as þey ronne ȝoure rewme þoru-oute.
c. 1440. R. Gloucester’s Chron., 6901 (MS. δ). Throute al þe londe sone þys word drou.
1558. Warde, trans. Alexis’ Secr. (1568), 40 b. That great and vehement plague in the yere 1348 which crepte thorowe oute all the worlde.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 21. In euery parish throughout the Realme.
1599. Chapman, Hum. Dayes Myrth, Plays, 1873, I. 51. Yet hath the morning sprinckled throwt the clowdes, But halfe her tincture.
1674. Brevint, Saul at Endor, 247. Thro-out all the Catholic Countries.
1783. Hailes, Antiq. Chr. Ch., ii. 31. The Jews throughout the empire.
1883. Gilmour, Mongols, xviii. 213. Throughout the length and breadth of the country.
b. Through or during the whole of (a period of time or course of action); from beginning to end of. (Cf. THROUGH prep. 4, 5.)
c. 1540. Pilgr. T., 195, in Thynne’s Animadv. (1875), App. i. 82. And so thorow-out the hole story.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., I. i. 42. Ne’re throughout the yeere to Church thou go’st.
1641. Milton, Church Govt., I. i. There is not that thing in the world of more … urgent importance throughout the whole life of man, than is discipline.
a. 1672. Wood, Life, 3 May, an. 1661 (O.H.S.), I. 393. A. W. … was present throut all the transactions.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 78, ¶ 8. Hippocrates, who visited me throughout my whole Illness.
1799. Nelson, in Nicolas, Disp. (1845), III. 307. Throughout my command in the Levant seas.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq., II. vii. 78. Harold and Swegen…, by their invasion of Denmark, gave him full occupation throughout the year.
† 3. By means of, by the action of, by, from: = THROUGH prep. 7–8. Obs. rare.
a. 1240. Wohunge, in Cott. Hom., 271. Ich hit rewli fordide þurh-hut mine sunnes.
13[?]. Cursor M., 16317 (Cott.). Sai me nu qui Þou ert als prisun tan, Thoruut þis biscop and his men?
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 3489. Thurghout my deming outerly, Than had he knowlege certeinly, That Love me ladde in sich a wyse.
B. adv.
† 1. Right through, quite through, so as to penetrate completely. Obs.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Saints’ Lives, xii. 55. Swa þæt þæt spere him eode þurh ut.
a. 1300. Sarmun, xxxiv., in E. E. P. (1862), 5. Sei sinful man … wel aȝt þi hert þroȝ ute cleue.
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 3115. Fele men lyeth … With bryght brondys throw-owte borne.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XIX. vi. 781. One of the barres of yron kytte the braune of his handes thurgh out to the bone.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, lv. 186. The shelde was perced through out.
† b. Right through from beginning to end (of a time, an action, a book, etc.); to the end of a journey without stopping. Obs.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4737. Þus thre daies in þat thede thurgh-out þai lengid.
1656. D’chess Newcastle, Nature’s Pict., C ij. I never read a Romancy Book throughout in all my life.
1660. F. Brooke, trans. Le Blanc’s Trav., 24. The Merchants … rest here in their journy to the Indies, whereas before they went throughout, without landing here.
2. Through the whole of a body, region, etc.; in or to every part, everywhere.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 27. Ane berninde glede þet hine al forbernað þurut to cole.
c. 1290. St. Brendan, 476, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 232. Þoru-out swart and brenninde.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 1261. This virgine fulle of splendour and thorgh out lumynouse.
1544. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), VI. 210. A furde gowne lyned with foxe thorow-oute.
1607. Shaks., Timon, V. i. 212. Tell Athens, in the sequence of degree, From high to low throughout, that [etc.].
1611. Bible, John xix. 23. The coat was without seame, wouen from the top thorowout.
a. 1700. Dryden, Epit. on Sir P. Fairborne, 15. His youth and age … All of a piece throughout, and all divine.
1880. Geikie, Phys. Geog., V. xxxi. 562. The plains of Central Europe … are clothed with a vegetation which has one common character throughout.
b. Through the whole of a time or course of action; at every moment or point; all through.
1766. Fordyce, Serm. Yng. Wom. (1767), II. ix. 56. Act on these Principles throughout.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Berkeley the Banker, I. ix. Do not treat me as if I had not been your friend and adviser throughout.
1866. J. Martineau, Ess., I. 206. Mr. Spencer treats the two cases as parallel throughout.
1885. Manch. Exam., 22 Sept., 5/6. To-day has been beautifully fine throughout.
† 3. Completely, entirely, thoroughly. Obs.
c. 1200. Vices & Virtues, 73. Ȝif ðu wilt … bien ðurhut god mann.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 877. Þeyh summe men beon þurhut gode & þurhut clene on heore mode.
c. 1300. Beket, 262. If he hadde of his owe flesch thurfout seignurye.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VII. xxiii. 250. Ther was no man … sholde hele hym thorou oute of his wound.
† C. adj. Obs. 1. Thorough, out-and-out.
1387–8. T. Usk, Test. Love, II. v. (Skeat), l. 105. Often, when there is a throw out shrewe, he coineth al the gold,… to haue in his bandon. Ibid., vi. 1. 69. All the bodily goods … comen oft to throw out shrewes.
1670. Brooks, Wks. (1867), VI. 115. I cannot charge such throughout saints … with that horrid profanation of the Sabbath.
2. That is so throughout; permanent. rare.
1901. Beverley, Glory of Grace, 4. The uninterrupted, and throughout Efficiency of grace.
