a. and adv. Forms: see next. [OE. tóweard adj., f. tó, TO prep. + -weard, -WARD. So OS. tôward, -werd, OHG. zuowart, -wert, adjs. In OE., when used attributively, inflected like other adjs.; when in the predicate, uninflected exc. with pl. -e. The advb. use appears to arise out of the predicative use of the adj., or from the neuter adj.]
A. adj. † 1. That is to come, coming, future. Obs.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxix. § 11. Tacn þæs toweardan welan.
971. Blickl. Hom., 15. Be þisse ondweardan tide, ʓe eac be þære toweardan.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Mark x. 30. On toweardre [Hatt. G. towearde] worulde ece lif.
11[?]. 12th Cent. Hom., xiv. 136. Næfð he næfre þærof forȝyfenesse, ne on þisse weorlde, ne on þa towearden.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. iv. 22. He, either envying my toward good, Or of him selfe to treason ill disposd.
1613. Chapman, Rev. Bussy D’Ambois, I. i. The toward victor of the whole low Countryes.
† b. predicatively. Coming or going (to be), about to be, future. Obs.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xi. 1. He nat hwæt him toweard bið, hwæðer þe god þe yfel.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gen. xviii. 18. He ys toweard on micelre mæʓðe. Ibid., xlix. 1. Ic eow cyðe þa þing þe eow towearde synd. Ibid., Deut. xxix. 15. Eallum mannum, þam þe nu sint and þam þe towearde sint.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt. (1814), 48. And she grew and amended dayly, so that she was towarde to be fayrest creature of ye worlde.
† 2. Approaching, imminent, impending. Obs.
c. 890. trans. Bæda’s Eccl. Hist., IV. i. (1890), 256. Hy nedde se towearda winter, þæt heo stille wunedon.
971. Blickl. Hom., 195. Forþon þe he ær nolde onʓytan þone towerdon deaþ.
1586. J. Hooker, Hist. Irel., in Holinshed, II. 154/2. Dispatching also a messenger to hir maiestie of these toward broiles and rebellion.
b. pred. Now rare or Obs.
c. 890. trans. Bæda’s Eccl. Hist., IV. xiv. [xi.] (1890), 294. Mid þy he … onʓet þæt him deaðes dæʓ toweard wæs.
a. 1000. Læceboc, II. xlvi., in Sax. Lecchd., II. 256. Tacn hu sio adl toweard sie.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), V. 101. Also for werre and batailles þat were toward [L. propter imminentia bella].
1462. J. Paston, in P. Lett., II. 121. Mak as merry as ye can, for ther is no joperte toward not yet.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 387. For so moche as wynter was towarde.
1582. N. T. (Rhem.), Acts xxvii. 20. No smal storme being toward [imminente] al hope was now taken away.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., V. iv. 35. There is sure another flood toward, and these couples are comming to the Arke.
1795. Montford Castle, II. 50. There was a trifling banquet toward, at which they would be glad of his company.
1877. Macquoid, Doris Barugh, xviii. (E.D.D.). Ah knawed fower weeks sin’ at ther war a wedding toward.
c. In progress, going on; being done.
1838. Caroline Fox, Old Friends (1882), 229. Louis Buonaparte has reached France from London to see what is toward.
1892. A. Murdoch, Yoshiwara Episode, 60. News of the encounter that was toward had spread…, and all the inmates … had pushed into the ante-room where the contest was in progress.
1893. Rider Haggard, Montezuma’s Dau., xxi. A fierce hope smote me … when I saw what was toward.
d. ‘Getting on,’ forward, advanced.
1893. Cornh. Mag., Nov., 522. Glidders’s operations were well toward.
3. Of young persons: Promising, ‘hopeful,’ forward; making good progress in learning or practice; disposed, apt, or willing to learn; docile. = TOWARDLY a. 2. Obs. or arch.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 42/278. Swuch a child touward as þou art i-loked.
1538. Cromwell, in Merriman, Life & Lett. (1902), II. 163. On the behalfe of a ryght towarde yonge man, Edwarde Bashe, this Berer.
1598. B. Jonson, Ev. Man in Hum., II. i. Where proving A toward Imp.
1600. Heywood, 1st Pt. Edw. IV., Wks. 1874, I. 5. There was neuer mother had a towarder son.
1625. B. Jonson, Staple of N., II. i. Vouchsafe my toward kinsman, gracious madam, The favour of your hand.
† 4. Disposed to do what is asked or required; willing, compliant, obliging, docile. (The opposite of FROWARD a. 1.) Obs. or arch.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxvi. 159. Goode sir, be toward þis tyme, And tarie noght my trace, For I haue tythandis to telle.
1472–3. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 6/1. Of their fre wille, toward, herty and lovyng dispositions.
1532. Cromwell, in Merriman, Life & Lett. (1902), I. 350. What shalbe your towarde mynde herin I pray you to Aduertise me.
1592. Shaks., Ven. & Ad., 1157. Peruerse it shall be, where it showes most toward, Put feare to valour, courage to the coward.
1713. Steele, Guard., No. 142, ¶ 3. Miss hath hitherto been very tractable and toward.
1738. trans. Guazzo’s Art Conversation, 233. A Child of a toward Disposition.
b. Of things: Favorable, propitious: the opposite of untoward. rare.
1850. Gladstone, Homer, II. 100. She can order out a rattling zephyr … or simply a toward breeze. Ibid. (1868), Juv. Mundi, viii. (1870), 281. He too sends for the Greek ship a toward breeze.
1902. Daily Chron., 29 May, 3/2. There are plenty of what we may call toward coincidences in Mr. Yoxall’s book.
5. Left, as opposed to right. dial.
[From the fact that the left side of a horse, etc., is toward the person who mounts or leads it. Cf. NEAR a. 3.]
1866. Blackmore, Cradock Nowell, xxii. ‘Mark, does Mr. Cradock Nowell generally shoot with cartridges?’ ‘He laiketh mostways to be with a curtreege in his toard barryel, sir.’ ‘Oh, keeps a cartridge in his left barrel, does he; and fires first the right, I suppose?’
1879. Miss Jackson, Shropsh. Word-bk., s.v. Frommet, A harvest-field term. Toërt is left hand…. ‘Theer, now yo’n chucked it down toërt way.’
† 6. ? Forthcoming, ready at hand; in existence, ‘going.’ Obs. (Quotations obscure.)
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 1101. Of proude princes sones, douȝti men toward, Fulle foure schore. Ibid., 1443. He has a sone dere, On þe triest man to-ward of alle douȝti dedes, Þat any man vpon molde may of here.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. I. 214. And ȝe, route of ratons of rest men a-wake, Ne were þe cat of þe court And ȝonge Kytones to-warde.
c. 1530. Ld. Berners, Arth. Lyt. Bryt., cxiv. (1814), 540. And this chyld was the most fair chyld toward of the world, and wel fourmed, byg and myghty. [orig. & si estoit l’enfant le plus beau qu’oncques fut veu grand & gros & bien forme.]
1559. Aylmer, Harborowe, 12. I shewed you the lyke towarde in a man of late.
B. adv. (Cf. MHG. zuowart adv.]
1. In a direction toward oneself, or toward something aimed at. Obs. or arch. † Toward and froward (dial. fromward), to and fro.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter cxviii[i]. 8. To-ward, fra-ward, forlete me noght.
a. 1400. in Halliwell, Rara Mathem. (1841), 58. Come toward and go froward til þe perpendicle … falle vpon þe mydel lyne of þe quadrant. Ibid., 66. Go toward and froward til þou se þe toppe of þat thing in þe mydel of þat myrure.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XII. xvi. 634. He rode many Iourneyes bothe toward and froward.
1858. Bushnell, Serm. New Life, xi. (1869), 148. The motion is outward and not toward, as we conceive it to be in happiness.
b. To the left or near side (of a horse, etc.). dial.
1711. Lond. Gaz., No. 4917/4. The forepart of his Mane longest, the one part being short, lies toward, the other fromward. [Gloucester, Hampsh., Wilts, in Eng. Dial Dict.]
2. Onward (in a course), forward (lit. and fig.).
1426. Lydg., De Guil. Pilgr., 12159. Al that thow wendyst ha be toward, Ys but a passage that goth bakward.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXX. (Percy Soc.), 148. The time renneth toward right fast.
1529. More, Dyaloge, Wks. 110/1. By that way, ye faith went well toward, and one heritique so tourned did turne many other.
1888. Berksh. Gloss., Towart, towards; forward. When a come a little tow-art I could zee as ’twas a pawle cat.
