Obs. or arch. Also 5 encloy, 8 ancloy, 5–6 acloy. [a. OFr. encloye-r, earlier encloër (mod. enclouer):—late L. inclāvā-re to drive in a nail, f. in in + clāvāre to nail, f. clāv-us nail. The Anglo-Fr. en-, an-, being formally associated with OE. an-, on-, was worn down to a-, by aphesis of which came the later cloy. By further confusion with a:—L. ad, acloy became in the literary spelling of 6–7 ac-cloy, as a-cuse became ac-cuse. Hence the series en-cloy, an-cloy, a-cloy (cloy), ac-cloy.] The development of meaning is fully seen under CLOY.
1. To drive a nail into a horse’s foot when shoeing; hence, to lame. lit. and fig.
c. 1325. Polit. Songs., 335. Thus knihtshipe [is] acloied and waxen al fot lame.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XXI. 296. With crokes and with kalketrappes · a-cloye we hem echone.
c. 1440. Prompt. Parv., A-cloyed, Acclaudicatus, inclavatus, Acloyȝen (acloyin), Acclandico, acclavo, inclavo.
1530. Palsgr., 416. I a cloye with a nayle as an yuell smythe dothe an horse foote, Je encloue. I wolde ryde further but my horse is a cloyed … est encloué.
1607. Topsell, Four-footed Beasts (1673), 323. Of Accloyd or Prickt, Accloyd is a hurt that cometh of shooing, when a Smith driveth a nail in the quick, which will make him to halt.
1725. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Prict, Prict, otherwise call’d Ancloy’d, Cloy’d and Retraised, a Misfortune which befalls Horses, when by the Negligence, or Unskilfulness of the Farrier, they are prick’d in driving the Nails.
2. To pierce, stab. rare.
1470. Harding, Chron., lxx. 5. 5. Of his people many [were] slain and foule acloyed.
3. To stop up an aperture as with a nail, peg, or other obstruction, to stop a passage. See CLOY. Hence,
4. To block, obstruct, clog, choke. lit. and fig.
c. 1430. Lydgate, Bochas, III. xxi. 92 a (1554). Wherby his purpose should be encloyed.
1555. Fardle of Facions, II. viii. 172. Otherwise the housebande menne should in siede tyme … be muche acloyed and hyndered by the fowels.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., II. vii. 15. But mucky filth his braunching armes annoyes, And with uncomely weedes the gentle wave accloyes.
1647. H. More, Song of the Soul, II. i. I. xii. They are ill accloy’d With cloddie earth, and with blind duskishnesse annoy’d.
1652. Ashmole, Theatr. Chem. Brit., lv. 201. For with what Mettall soever that Mercury be joyned, Because of her Coldnes and Moistnes sche ys acloyd.
1676. Cudworth, Serm., 1 John ii. 3 (ed. 3), 55. Heaven [is] … Holiness, freed from those encumbrances that did ever clog it and accloy it here.
1835. Browning, Paracel., Wks. 1863, I. 29. Discovering the true laws by which the flesh Accloys the spirit.
5. To fill full. a. To fill to satiety. b. To overfill, overload, burden, oppress.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Assembly of Foules, 518. Whoso it doth, full foule himself acloyeth, For office uncommitted oft annoyeth.
1430. Lydgate, Chron. Troy, I. x. The people in sorowe and wo acloyed.
1557. Paynell, Barclay’s Jugurtha, 28 b. Many other of his sect were corrupt and accloyed with bribes.
1567–9. Jewel, Def. Apol. (1611), 373. We are accloied with Examples in this behalfe.
1581. T. Howell, His Devises (1879), 189. Whose wanton Fole by her sweete mylke acloyde Oft kicks the Nurse.
1610. G. Fletcher, Christ’s Vict., in Farr’s S. P. (1848), 72. Their brain sweet incense with fine breath accloyes.
1611. Cotgr., To accloy: see, to cumber, to overcharge.
6. To over burden (the stomach); to nauseate.
1519. Horman, Vulgaria, xi. 32 b. My stomake is accloyed.
1530. Palsgr., 416. I acloye ones stomacke with excesse of meate and drinke, Jengloutis.
7. To disgust, weary, become offensive to.
1530. Palsgr., 416. I acloye, I forwery, Je lasse. He acloyeth me horrybly: il me lasse horriblement.
1593. G. Harvey, Pierces Super., 138. What honest mynde or civill disposition is not accloied with these noisome and nasty gargarismes.
1704. Ray, Creation, II. 230. They … would be accloyed with long Nights very tedious.
