Forms: 1–5 bót, 3–6 bote, 4–7 boote, 5– boot. Also 4 bott, bout(e, 5 both; north. 4–6 but(e, 5 boyte, buyt, 6 buit. [Com. Teut.: OE. bót fem., corresponds to OFris. bôte, OS. bôta (MDu. and Du. boete, LG. bote), OHG. buoȥa (MHG. buoȥe, mod.G. busze), ON. bót (Sw. bot, Da. bod), Goth. bôta ‘boot, advantage, good’:—OTeut. *bôtâ- (Aryan type *bhādā-), prob. a derivative of root bat- (Aryan *bhad-) ‘good, useful’: see BETTER. Hence the vb. BEET, to make good or better.]
I. Good, advantage, profit, use.
1. Good: in phrase To boot: ‘to the good,’ to advantage, into the bargain, in addition; besides, moreover.
c. 1000. Daniel, 200 (Gr.). Cuð ʓedydon, þæt hie … noldon; oft hie to bote bealde ʓecwædon.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1825), 163 (Mätz). A hundreth knyghtes mo … and four hundreth to bote, squieres of gode aray.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., XIV. 268. Bi assent of sondry partyes and syluer to bote.
1543. J. Willoughby, in Strype, Cranmer (1694), App. 66. Mr. Gardiner to sign for himself, and Serles to boot.
1652. Earl Monm., trans. Bentivoglio’s Hist. Relat., 171. To boot that he had received many distastes from the French. Ibid., 9. To boot with the Councel of the States General, the United Provinces have three Councels apart.
1653. trans. Carmeni’s Nissena, 42. To boot that it was commonly whispered about, [etc.].
1660. Pepys, Diary, 13 Feb. For two books that I had and 6s. 6d. to boot I had my great book of songs.
a. 1679. T. Goodwin, Wks. (1861), I. 88. He shall have all things into boot.
a. 1711. Ken, Damonet, Poet Wks. 1721, IV. 505. Would you give yours, and your whole Flock to boot.
1867. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), I. iv. 222. One who held all Gaul and all Britain, with seemingly Germany to boot.
b. In Sc. to the boot, into the boot (buit).
1645. Rutherford, Lett., 357. Some … who would exchange afflictions, and give you to the boot.
1814. Scott, Wav., xviii. Alice, who … was, to the boot of all that, the best dancer of a strathspey in the whole strath.
† 2. That which is ‘thrown in,’ or given in addition, to make up a deficiency of value; a premium, compensation, odds. Obs. exc. Sc. dial.
1483. Cath. Angl., 49. Bute [v.r. Buyt], auctorium, augmentum.
1593. G. Fletcher, Licia (1876), 9. Were all the world offered to make a change, yet the boote were too small.
1597. Skene, Expl. diffic. Wds., s.v. Bote (Jam.), The aine partie that gettes the better, giues ane bote, or compensation to the vther.
1600. Heywood, 1 Edw. IV., III. i. Wks. 1874, I. 44. If I were so mad to score, what boote wouldst thou giue me?
a. 1652. Brome, Queen, IV. iv. Doct. Too many a man … will change with thee And give good Boot.
1726. Cavallier, Mem., IV. 313. Now I am convinced that my Religion is better than yours since you give me so much Boot.
† 3. Advantage; profit; avail, use. Chiefly in interrog. or negative phrases or their equivalent, as It is no boot: it avails not, it is no use. To make boot of, to make profit of, gain by; to gain.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 89. Quat bote is to sette traueil On thyng þat may not auail.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 448. Agayne þe wyles of women to wer is no bote.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., xvi. I bare the of my body, quat bote is to layne?
1535. Lyndesay, Satyre, 1082. But cum scho to the Kings presence, Thair is na buit for vs to byde.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., III. xi. 19. O spare thy happy daies, and them apply To better boot.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. v. (1641), 42/2. Then loose they all the sheats, but to no boot.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., IV. i. 9. Giue him no breath, but now Make boote of his distraction.
1606. G. W[oodcocke], Hist. Ivstine, 22 a. They … lost all that before they had made boot of.
1681. R. Knox, Hist. Ceylon (1781), 333. We thought it no boot to sit longer … and so took up our bags, and fled.
1693. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 272. To no boot, frustra.
† 4. loosely, Well-being, weal. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1008 (Gött.). Paradis hit is a … lond of lif of roo & rest Wid bliss and bote broidin best.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg. (1867), 12. Ihesu! þou brouȝtist man to boote.
II. The making good or mending of anything; the means of doing so; repair; remedy, relief.
† 5. The repair of decaying structures, e.g., bridges; also, a contribution levied for keeping these in repair. Only in OE. (in such combs. as burhbót, brycgbót, etc.) exc. in late writers on legal antiquities.
a. 1000. Thorpe’s Laws, I. 380 (Bosw.). Brycgbota aginne man ʓeorne.
c. 1250. Gloss. Law Terms, in Rel. Ant., I. 33. Briggebote, refere punz à passer.
1670. Blount, Law Dict., Burgbote.
1839. Keightley, Hist. Eng., I. 83. The ‘Bricgbote.’
† b. The right of a tenant to take timber, etc., for repairs, firing, and other necessary purposes, from off the landlord’s estate; common of estovers. In comb., as fire-bote, house-bote, hedge-bote, etc.
1528. Perkins, Prof. Bk., i. § 116. If a stranger grant all manner of Estouers unto me … by this grant I shall have Housbote, Plowbote, and Haybote.
1553. Procl., in Strype, Eccl. Mem., III. I. iii. 30. All other lands, tenements … &c., with reasonable fire-boot, cart-boot, plow-boot, hedge-boot, within the woods of the said manor.
1604. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 437. To deliver to the sayd tenants house boot and high boot.
1669. Worlidge, Syst. Agric. (1681), 322. Boot, necessary Timber or Wood for necessary uses; as Plough-boot, House-boot, Fire-boot.
1765–8. Blackstone, Comm., II. 25. The Saxon word, bote, is of the same signification with the French Estover.
1844. Tupper, Crock of Gold, vii. 56. No allowances of hedgebote, or housebote.
† 6. esp. A medicinal cure or remedy. Obs.
a. 1000. Cynewulf, Elene, 299 (Gr.). Þe eow eaʓena leoht fram blindnesse bote ʓefremede.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 120. Monie kunnes remedies … & misliche boten.
c. 1305. St. Kath., 304, in E. E. P. (1862), 98. Noble relik hit is: sike men to habbe of bote.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 424. Anon he yaf the sike man his boote.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 45. Bote of [1499 or] helthe, salus.
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Mark v. 27. She wente unto another for boote that put her in more assuraunce of healthe.
† 7. Help or deliverance from evil or peril; assistance, relief, remedy, rescue. Often in phr. boot of bale; cf. BALE sb.1 6. concr. A means or agent of help, relief or remedy; also, a personal agent, a helper. Obs. (or arch.)
a. 1000. Cynewulf, Andreas, 949 (Gr.). Him sceal bot hraðe weorðan in worulde.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., I. 398. Her ys seo bot hu ðu meaht þine æceras betan.
1297. R. Glouc., 408. Our Lorde … bote þerof him sende.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. VI. 196. For þat was bake for bayarde · was bote for many hungry.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Chan. Yem. Prol. & T., 928. God sende euery trewe man boote of his bale.
c. 1420. Sir Amadace, xvii. God, that is bote of alle bale, Dame, Cumford the.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas, I. iv. (1554), 8 a. The poore not wist where to find bote.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, II. vii. [vi.] 106. To vencust folkis is a confort and bute.
1557. Primer, Praier bef. Sacrament. I come as a wretche to thee my Lord … to thee my boote.
1591. Greene, Maidens Dreame, li. ‘Virgin,’ quoth she, ‘no boot by tears is had.’
1867. G. Macdonald, Poems, 144. Laid his sword where he had found Boot for every bale.
† b. To do (one) boot: to render help or remedy to; to be of service, advantage or profit to; to do good to.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 88 (MSS. T. C.). Ne halp hit me nout to don her one bote.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sqrs. T., 146. And euery gras that groweth vp on roote She shal eek knowe and whom it wol do boote.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., IV. 110. Two basketfull of bene chaf doth boote … to grettest treen.
1557. Tottell’s Misc. (Arb.), 177. As moules that want the earth to do them bote.
1609. F. Greville, Mustapha, V. Cho. i. (1633), 96. Meat, drinke, and drugges alike doe little boot.
c. In apprecatory phrases: as Saint George to boot! Grace to boot! i.e., to our help.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., V. iii. 301. This, and Saint George to boote. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T., I. ii. 80. Grace to boot: Of this make no conclusion, least you say Your Queene and I are Deuils.
1599. Greene, George a Gr. (1861), 257. Saint Andrew be my boot, But I’ll raze thy castle to the very ground.
d. In various proverbial phrases: as, When bale is hext boot is next: see BALE sb.1 7. Boot or bield: see BIELD sb. 3. Boot of beam: see BEAM sb.2; later boot in beam and booty beam (? i.e., boot i’ beam).
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 136. Which should … put boote in beame (as we say) securing her of a good and safe issue of her labour. Ibid., 257. What a stay, what boot in beame it is?
1674. N. Fairfax, Bulk & Selv., 111. As it had not the latter by it self, so neither had it the former in booty beme, or a power in seed.
† 8. A way of mending matters, help out of a difficulty; a better way, a resource, alternative, choice. Ther nis no bote: there is no help for it. None other boot: no other resource, no alternative.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 15. Nis ther bote nan; bute fleon thenne.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1992. Ffor If he may this monstre overcome Thanne were he quyt; ther is non other bote.
c. 1410. Sir Cleges, 355. Sir Cleges sey non othyr bote, But his askyng graunte he most.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., ccxxiii. 220. Ther is no bote but deth.
c. 1505. Dunbar, Tua Mariit Wemen, 309. I gert the buthman obey, ther wes no bute ellis.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cccxcii. 674. There was none other boote for hym but to arme him.
1578. T. Proctor, Gorg. Gallery, I. 82. For though I serve untill I sterve, I see none other Boote.
III. The making amends for mischief or wrong done; amends made.
† 9. Compensation paid, according to Old English usage, for injury or wrong-doing; reparation, amends; satisfaction made. (Only in OE., except in late writers on legal antiquities, who usually retain the OE. form bót or ME. bote.) In many combinations, as man-bote, kin-bote, thief-bote, etc.
a. 1000. Beowulf, 567. Bealuwa bisiʓum bot eft-cuman.
a. 1000. Thorpe’s Laws, I. 12. Ȝif feaxfang ʓeweorþ, L scætta to bote.
a. 1450. Sc. Acts, 1 Robr. I., ix. Alsua it is ordainyt þat nane tak meyd of a theyff [or thyft bute].
a. 1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., Index (Jam.). The Wergelt, or Theiftbote of ane theife, is threttie kye.
[1845. Stephen, Laws Eng., in Edin. Rev. (1884), April, 339. ‘If the great toe be struck off, let twenty shillings be paid him as bot.’
1854. Sir G. Nicholls, Eng. Poor Law, I. 13. ‘That he [the kinsman] make ‘bot’ for him.’
1872. E. Robertson, Hist. Ess., 178. Bot or personal compensation was paid to an ealderman, a bishop or an archbishop, by the man who fought, or drew his weapon in their presence.]
† 10. Expiation of sin, an offering by way of atonement; sin-offering; repentance by act; penance. Cf. DEDBOTE. Obs. (exc. as the OE. form may be cited by ecclesiastical antiquaries.)
971. Blickl. Hom., 35. Don we urum Drihtne soþe hreowe & bote.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Lev. iv. 28. And his gylt underʓit, bring ane gat to bote to þam temple.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 15. Gif we nulleð gan to bote … hit is riht þet me us nede.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 69. Þe wile here bot dai laste … Ure bot dai is nu and lasteð þe wile þe god wile.
a. 1240. Ureisun, 133, in Cott. Hom., 197. Þu ne uorsakest nenne mon … Ȝif he is to bote ȝeruh and bit þe uorȝiuenesse.
[1844. Lingard, Anglo-Sax. Ch. (1858), I. iii. 102. The fincs arising from these ecclesiastical crimes were paid into the treasury of the bishop under the name of ‘bots.’]
