Obs. Forms: [1 tyllan, pa. t. tylde], 3 tulle(n (ü), pa. t. tulde, 4–5 tille, tylle, 5 tyll, 4–7 till (4 til, 6–7 pa. t. and pple. tild): see also TOLL v.1 [OE. *tyllan (in comb. fortyllan to draw away, seduce), early ME. tullen (ü), ME. tylle, tille, till. Ulterior history obscure.]

1

  1.  trans. To draw, attract, persuade; to entice, allure, coax; to win over.

2

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 320. Mi liht onswere, oðer mine liht lates, tulde him erest upon me. Ibid., 414. Ne tulle ȝe to þe ȝete none unkuðe harloz.

3

a. 1300.  Cursor M., 12175 (Cott.). To þe scole him for to till [v.r. tille].

4

a. 1340.  Hampole, Psalter xxiv. 2. Þof þai waite nyght and daye with ill suggestions to till me til syn.

5

13[?].  Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xxix. II. 38. On of þe Iewes Malicious Tilled þe child in to his hous.

6

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, xxx. (Theodera), 159. For eth is a man to til to do it þat is his wil.

7

1471.  Ripley, Comp. Alch., V. xliii., in Ashm. (1652), 158. Lest wyth theyr flatteryng they so the tyll That thou agre unto ther wyll.

8

1581.  A. Hall, Iliad, IV. 71. He tild them for to trye And proue with him the combate.

9

1600.  Holland, Livy, XXI. xi. 399. By tilling them on, and alluring them with hope of great rewards.

10

1609.  C. Butler, Fem. Mon., ii. (1623), D iv. The sunne rising doth oftimes till them forth.

11

1666.  M. M., Solomon’s Prescript., 83. Devils … labouring to … till thee on.

12

  b.  absol.

13

13[?].  Cursor M., 27307 (Cott.). He sal him til a-mendes drau,… wit wordes soit and mild, Als moder tilland dos hir child.

14

a. 1591.  H. Smith, Wks. (1866–7), I. 299. As though his eyes would draw his heart, as the bait tilleth on the hook.

15

  2.  To draw (physically).

16

a. 1400–50.  Alexander, 5479. Þai [sirens] droȝe þam doun in-to þe depe & drowned þaim … Or els þai tillid þaim to þe trees.

17

  b.  intr. ? To proceed, go. (Cf. ‘draw near.’).

18

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 2492. Sire graunte me þanne, quaþ hengist, ȝif it is þi wille As moche place as mid a þuong ich may aboute tille.

19

c. 1330.  R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 128. To gile no to fraude wild he neuer tille. [But this may be 1.]

20