Forms: 4–7 victorie (4 uict-, 4–5 vittorie, 6 Sc. wictorie, -orrie), victorye, 4– victory (5 Sc. wictory); 4–6 vyktorye (4 fyctorye), vyctory (6 vyctorie); 4–5 vict-, 4 wict-, vikt-, 5 vittori. [a. AF. and OF. victorie (var. of OF. and F. victoire), ad. L. victōria, f. victor VICTOR sb.1 Cf. Sp. and Pg. victoria, It. vittoria.]
1. The position or state of having overcome an enemy or adversary in combat, battle or war; supremacy or superiority achieved as the result of armed conflict.
a. With the, as in the phr. to have (get, win) the victory. Also const. of (an enemy, etc.).
13[?]. K. Alis., 7663 (Laud MS.). Of troye was þerinne al þe story, Hou Gregeis hadden þe victory.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 3370 (Kölbing). He þonked þe king of glorie, Þat him hadde ȝouen þe victorie, To ouercomen his fomen.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), II. 167. Þese men … beeþ i-woned to haue the victorie and þe maistrie in euerich fiȝt.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 6134. Our goddis the gouerne, & soche grace lene, Þat þou the victorie wyn, thi worship to saue.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), ii. 5. When any man had þe victory of his enmy.
c. 1420. Lydg., Assembly of Gods, 1011. To wete whyche of hem shuld haue the victory. Ibid., 1790. Thus they contynu fyght for the victory.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., iv. 9 (Harl. MS). So þis yong knyȝt … fought with the enemeys, and wan þe victorie.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., xxxvi. (Percy Soc.), 190. I … for her sake shalbe invincible Of this great monster to have the victory.
1535. Coverdale, Dan. vii. 21. I behelde, and the same horne made battail agaynst the sayntes, yee and gat the victory off them.
1592. Kyd, Span. Trag., I. ii. 64. In all this turmoyle, three long houres and more, The victory to neither part inclinde.
1611. Bible, 2 Macc. xii. 11. Whereupon there was a very sore battell; but Iudas side … got the victory.
1647. Hexham, I. s.v., To carrie away the victorie.
1666. Pepys, Diary, 29 July. A letter from Sir W. Coventry tells me that we have the victory.
1737. L. Clarke, Hist. Bible (1740), I. IX. 580. For Lathyrus having gotten the Victory, pursued it to the utmost.
1777. Brand, Pop. Antiq., 374. This so encouraged the Grecians, that they fought strenuously, and obtained the Victory over the Persians.
1811. G. Bruce, Poems & Songs, 19. To him … Wha … can the victory bestow On those, who to his precepts bow.
b. Without article.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 473. With few folk thai had wictory Off mychty kingis. Ibid., III. 224. Scipio … has off the templis tane The armys … In name off wictory offerryt thar.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxii. (Bodl. MS.). Þe cok crowiþ after bataile & victorie.
1412–20. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. 3868. Nor in armys conquest nor victorie Ben not assured vp-on multitude.
1457. Hardyng, Chron., in Eng. Hist. Rev., Oct. (1912), 748. Of his fose he had ay vyctory.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 15. By the whiche they crucifye the worlde, and hath victory of it.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. lxxxviii. 43. Thou hast taken awaye the strength of his swerde, and geuest him not victory in the battayll.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., IV. i. 147. Why so: then am I sure of Victorie. Now therefore let vs hence.
1654–66. Earl Orrery, Parthen. (1676), 515. Surena covered with Blood and Victory came to my Chamber.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xliii. IV. 282. Victory is the fruit of moral as well as military virtue.
1791. Cowper, Iliad, XVII. 681. For him Jove leads to victory.
1839. G. P. R. James, Louis XIV., I. 144. In following up the flying squadrons of Grammont and Chabot, [he] suffered victory to escape fron his hands.
1847. Grote, Greece, II. xxxi. IV. 229. Victory still continued on the side of Athens.
1881. F. W. H. Myers, Wordsworth, 80. When in victory … Nelson passed away.
c. personif.
1563. B. Googe, Eglogs, etc. (Arb.), 124. In fyne lo Victorye at hande…, Bent for to spoyle our Foes of Fame.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., V. iii. 79. Fortune, and Victory sit on thy Helme.
1667. Milton, P. L., VI. 762. At his right hand Victorie Sate Eagle-wing’d.
1783. Crabbe, Village, II. 152. Victory seems to die now thou art dead.
1820. Keats, Hyperion, II. 342. That was before we knew the winged thing, Victory, might be lost, or might be won.
1885. Harper’s Mag., April, 819/2. He … has now fallen in the arms of victory.
d. Used interjectionally as an expression of triumph or encouragement. (Cf. VICTORIA1 1.)
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., IV. vi. 1. Saint George, and Victory; fight Souldiers, fight. Ibid. (1593), 3 Hen. VI., V. i. 113. Lords to the field: Saint George, and Victorie.
1681. Flavel, Meth. Grace, xxviii. 479. The day of a believer’s death is better than the day of his birth. Never till then, do we put off our armour, sheath our sword, and cry victory, victory.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, V. Song vi. Victory, Victory to the prostrate nations! Ibid. (1821), Hellas, 948. Victory! Victory! Russia’s famished eagles Dare not to prey beneath the crescent’s light.
2. An instance or occasion of overcoming an adversary in battle, etc.; a triumph gained by force of arms.
Cadmean, Pyrrhic victory: see those words. Moral victory: see MORAL a. 7 c.
13[?]. Sir Beues (A.), 2500. Ofte he þankede þe king in glori Of is grace & is viktori.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xxiii. 1. A bedel, þat eftere þe victory cries þat all þe land is þe victors.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., Prol. 22. These olde aprouede storyis Of holynesse, of regnys, of victoryis, Of loue, of hate [etc.].
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 3. Lyke for Davyd aftyr his victory Reyjoyssed whas alle Jerusalem.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 33. The ix. [labour of Hercules] is the gret victorie of the beste Achildes, that blewe out fyre at his mowth.
1508. Dunbar, Poems, vii. 66. At parlament thow suld be hye renownit, That did so mony victoryse opteyn.
1584. Powel, Lloyd’s Cambria, 11. Let vs … choose vnto vs a head, to leade, direct, and gouerne vs,… sith without a head, there is no victorie to be looked for.
1601. Chester, Love’s Mart., 33. This Brytish King in warres a Conqueror, And wondrous happie in his Victories.
1659. B. Harris, Parival’s Iron Age, 53. Where, after they have been repulsed or routed, they have rallyed, and carried away many glorious victories.
1769. Robertson, Chas. V., III. ¶ 25. The victory at Villalar proved as decisive as it was complete.
1815. Morning Chron., 22 June. We stop the press to announce the most brilliant and complete Victory ever obtained by the Duke of Wellington.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. ii. 90. The victory was great; but, like many victories it was fatal to the conquerors.
3. Supremacy or superiority, triumph or ultimate success, in any contest, struggle or enterprise.
a. With the, or in pl., etc.
13[?]. Leg. Rood (1871), 88. Mak þis in þine armes forþi, Þan sall þou haue þe victori.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xxvi. 6. I hope þe victory thoro his help.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. III. 331. Se what Salamon seith in Sapience bokes, That hij þat ȝiueth ȝiftes þe victorie wynneth.
14[?]. Tundale’s Vis., 88. Whom [sc. martyrs] Cryst Jesu eternally in glory Ordeyned hath a palme of his victory.
1526. Tindale, 1 John v. 4. This is the victory that ouer commeth the worlde, euen oure fayth.
1573–80. Harvey, Lett., Wks. (Grosart), I. 136. From my chamber the daye after mye victorye.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxxi. § 7. Such is euer-more the final victorie of all truth.
1639[?]. J. Taylor (Water P.), Part Summers Travels, 33 (Hindley, III.). The cooks hath laid small Isles of mutton, which you may invade With stomach, knife and spoon…. With these, the victory you cannot fail.
1683. Norris, Passion of Saviour, 130. This little Victory He won, Shew’d what He could have done.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 164. Observe, if he disdains to yield the Prize; Of Loss impatient, proud of Victories.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 598. But I hope I have got the Victory over my self.
1779. Burke, Corr. (1844), II. 273. We have obtained two victories,… victories, not over our adversaries, but over our own passions and prejudices.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., vi. II. 74. The victory of the cabal of evil counsellors was therefore complete.
1876. Mozley, Univ. Serm., v. (ed. 2), 189. The victory over the terror of death, in self-devotion produces the highest state of mind.
b. Without article.
c. 1315. Shoreham, VII. 407. Hyȝt moste neades for þe glorye, Elles hedde y-faylled fyctorye.
1340. Ayenb., 167. Wyþ-oute pacience non ne heþ uictorie.
1382. Wyclif, Prov. xxii. 9. Victorie and worshipe shal [he] purchace, that ȝeueth ȝiftis.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, vii. (1868), 10. And that fast is to make you haue victori ayenst youre flesshe.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxxvii. 27. All honour we this Lord with … glory,… That wan on tre trevmphe of he victory.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., IV. i. 30. The teares haue got small victorie by that: For it was bad inough before their spight.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., I. v. § 11. Men have entered into a desire of learning … sometimes to enable them to victory of wit and contradiction.
1667. Milton, P. L., XII. 570. That suffering for Truths sake Is fortitude to highest victorie.
1792. Gouv. Morris, in Sparks, Life & Writ. (1832), II. 261. He has gained no victory but over his own conscience.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xxxii. ‘There is neither victory nor defeat in the case,’ returned the Prince, drily. ‘The girl loves me not.’
1835. T. Mitchell, Acharn. of Aristoph., 430, note. The daughter of Antæus is placed at the goal, as the prize of victory.
4. The Roman goddess representing or typifying victory; a figure or statue of this.
1569. Spenser, Sonn., ‘I saw raisde vp on pillers.’ On eche side portraide was a victorie, With golden wings.
1585. T. Washington, trans. Nicholay’s Voy., I. xxi. 26 b. Within it [the chariot] was Victory sitting with two wings.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., 99. Indeed by this very same portrature … I have seen … the goddesse Victorie expressed.
1704. Hearne, Duct. Hist. (1714), I. 437. The Sepulchral Monument of one Tatius … at Sipylus; whose Tomb was adorned with Wreaths of Plenty, held up by Victories.
1788. Gibbon, Decl. & F., xlv. IV. 419. Crowned with a winged figure of Victory.
1820. Shelley, Naples, 60. Bright Altar of the bloodless sacrifice, Which armed Victory offers up unstained To Love, the flower-enchained!
1841. Thackeray, Sec. Fun. Nap., iii. 63. Statues of plaster representing … victories, and other female personages painted in oil so as to represent marble.
1864. Tennyson, Boadicea, 30. Suddenly giddily tottering,… down their statue of Victory fell.
1872. Head, Sel. Grk. Coins in Electrotype Brit. Mus., 6. Above is a flying Victory, crowning the bull with a wreath.
5. attrib. and Comb., as victory-anthem, -flashing adj., match, -worthy adj.
1552. Huloet, Victory worthy, palmarius.
1709. The Post-Boy, 1–3 Dec. The Victory Handkerchief, which gives account of … five most Glorious Victories … over the French.
1769. in Waghorn, Cricket Scores, 70. A cricket-match was played at Swaffham (being the victory match).
1820. Shelley, Liberty, xv. Lift the victory-flashing sword.
1869. W. P. Mackay, Grace & Truth (1875), 122. After we have joyfully sung the victory-anthem recorded in Romans viii.
