Obs. Forms: 5 tirue (-ve), tyrve, -we, 5–6 teruo (-ve), (9 tirvie). [Known c. 1330 in the comp. OVER-TERVE: app. representing an OE. *tierfan = OLG. *tęrðan, OHG. zęrben,:—*zarðjan, refl. to turn, turn over or about: cf. OE. tearflian to roll over and over, wallow. If this is right, the better form is terve. (Texts of MSS. printed before 1900 have usually n for u (= v), the word being taken as a variant of turn.)]
1. intr. To turn; esp. to turn upside down, topple over, fall down; also fig. to turn to some course or action.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 430. Erthe dymmed by dene, ded men Roose, The gret tempull top terued to ground.
c. 1425. Disp. Mary & Cross, xxxvii., in Leg. Rood, 207 (MS. Roy.). Truyt and treget to helle schal terve.
c. 1440. Psalmi Penitent. (1894), 45. To trecherie schulde we noght terve [rhyme kerve].
1567. Golding, Ovid’s Met., V. I v b. Ioues ymage … made with crooked welked hornes that inward still doe terue [rhyme serue].
[1819. W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d (1827), 206. He made him tirvie down and tapple Head-foremost wi’ a bang.]
2. trans. To turn; esp. to overturn, overthrow; also fig.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 1512. How his towne was taken and tiruyt to grounde. Ibid., 4763. The grete toures þai toke, tiruyt the pepull. Ibid., 10197. To take you with tene & tirue you to ground.
c. 1420. Brut, 378. Our stakez made hem top ouyr terve, eche on oþer, þat þay lay on hepis.
c. 1422. Hoccleve, Min. Poems, xxiv. 573. Shee That had him terued with false deceitis.
b. To turn to some course or to do something.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 2943. Throgh whiche treason betydes, & teruys vmqwhile Bolde men to batell and biker with hond.
c. To turn over, up, or down (the edge or hem of a garment). (Cf. TARF, TURF sb.2)
1482. Caxton, Contin. Higden’s Polycron., VIII. xiii. The yemanry hadde theyr hosen teruen [? terued] or bounden bynethe the knee hauynge longe jackys.
Hence † Tirving vbl. sb., turning; concr. a border turned back or up.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 494/2. Tyrf, or tyrvynge [v.r. tyrwynge] vp on an hoode or sleue.
