Now rare exc. in pa. pple. Also 4 tresce. [ME. a. F. tresser, OF. trecier (12th c. in Littré) = Pr. tressar, trezar, It. trecciare to arrange in a tress, braid, plait; goes with TRESS sb.
The OF. form trecier indicates a late L. type *triciāre, f. tricia, trecia (or *trichia): see TRESS sb.]
1. trans. To arrange (hair) in tresses.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 569. And with a ricbe golde treasour Her hedde was tressed queintly.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 255. And hou hir yelwe her was tresced And hire atire so wel adresced.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 502/1. Tressyn heere, trico.
1623. trans. Favine’s Theat. Hon., II. iv. 78. The Sicambrians were observed by their yellow haire, tressed and knit in cordons.
1827. Roberts, Voy. Centr. Amer., 29. The hair was worn long and tressed behind with a cord.
1867. Morn. Star, 19 Sept. Neither sex wears any covering on the head, preferring to tress … that with which nature has provided them.
b. To arrange or dispose (threads, etc.) in braids.
1862. [see tressing below].
1904. Westm. Gaz., 24 May, 1/3. The tiny fingers threw the bobbins swiftly from side to side, moved the pins on the pricked paper pattern, tressed the lace that had to be finished before eventide.
2. intr. Of the hair: To fall in tresses; to admit of being arranged in tresses.
1867. Morn. Star, 19 Sept. The hair of the Abyssinians is … sufficiently long to tress well.
Hence Tressing vbl. sb.
c. 1425. St. Mary of Oignies, I. i., in Anglia, VIII. 135/34. Tressynge & tiftynge of here.
1862. Catal. Internat. Exhib., Brit., II. No. 4542. Skilful tressing, and most careful workmanship and finish, in which the exhibitor endeavoured not to be surpassed by any of his fellow competitors.
