Forms: α. 4–5 vitaile (5 -aille), 4–6 vitayle, -aylle, 6 vitaill; 4–5 vetayle, 5 -aille; 4 vytaile (5 -aille), 4–6 vytaylle, 5 -ayle; 4–7 vittaile (6 Sc. victaile), 6 vytteyle, vittaill- (Sc. wictaill). β. 5 Sc. vitt-, wittale, 5–6 vitale (5 vytale). γ. 4 vitele, 5–6 vitel; 5 vetele, 5–6 vitell-; 5 vytel, 6 -ell; 5 vitule, 6 -alle. δ. 5 vittall, 6 vitt-, vyttell; 5 Sc. wittule, 6 Sc. wittall, wictill; 6 vitle, 6–7 vittle (7 wictle). ε. 6–7 victuaile (6 Sc. wictuale), 6–8 victuall (6 Sc. wictwall), 6– victual (7 victu’l). [ad. AF. and OF. vitailler (also OF. vit-, victuailler), f. vitaille VICTUAL sb. Cf. Sp. vituallar, Pg. vitualhar, It. vettovagliare.]
1. trans. To supply or furnish (a ship, castle, garrison, body of troops, etc.) with victuals, esp. with a store to last for some time.
α. 13[?]. Coer de L., 1382. Two hundred schyppys ben wel vytailid, With force hawberks, swerdes and knyvys.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, III. 339. For thaim thocht thai mycht sekyrly Duell thar, quhill thai war wictaillit weile.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 194. I charge you and bidde this, That ye the same Schip vitaile.
c. 1450. Brut, II. 428. That Towne and the Castelle weren welle vitailid and eke mannyd.
1472. Paston Lett., Suppl. 143. Thei stuffe and vetayll sore the place.
1485. in 10th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. V. 318. That no … man victaile, nor make to be victailed, none of the saide men of warre.
1523–4. R. Gruffithe, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. I. 193. They have ayded and vittailed the Kyng’s enymyes.
1553. Brende, Q. Curtius, D vij. So great an army as he had … could not be vitailed in a desolate countrey.
β. 1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 63. The castell weill vittalit thai With met, and fwaill can purvay.
1473. Warkw., Chron. (Camden), 2. Certeyne castelles … whiche they hade vytaled.
c. 1520. M. Nisbet, Acts xii. 20. Thai askit pece, for alsmekile that thare cuntreis war vitalit of him.
γ. c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 274. He were … ȝit more traitour, ȝif he lettide oþere knyȝttis … to vitele þes men asegid.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 4710. At this tenydon truly was a tried castell…. Wele viteld, I-wisse, for winturs ynoghe.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 205. When he had vyteld his schippis, and made hym redy.
1482. Cely Papers (Camden), 109. Thaye hawe vetellyd and mannyd the town of Ary.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, lix. 203. It was impreyngnable so it were well vytellyd.
1534. in Star Chamb. Cases (Selden), II. 290. They may always vitalle theire townes, castelles and fortresses with suche playntie of vitalles.
1550. J. Coke, Eng. & Fr. Heralds, § 75. Richard … distroyed th’ oost of the Egiptians comminge to vytell the Soldane in Jerusalem.
δ. c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., II. 1580 (Cott. MS.). Eneas gert twa schippis be Wittulyt and laid to þe se.
1490. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 129. Eftir at the Kingis schip wes chaysit in Dumbertane,… send with Johne of Haw to vittall hir,… xviij li.
1555. Bradforth, in Strype, Eccl. Mem. (1721), III. App. xlv. 129. For, saye they, yf we have the sea to vyttell us, we shall have powre to rule Ingland.
1587. Harrison, England, II. i. (1877), I. 6. The king … commanded the Londoners not to aid nor vittell them.
1611. J. Davies (Heref.), in Coryat, Crudities, i. 3. He his Gorge with Grapes did vittle.
1670. Milton, Hist. Eng., VI. Wks. 1851, V. 248. New Ships in every Port were builded, vittl’d,… and appointed to meet all at Sandwich.
ε. 1558. Bp. Watson, Sev. Sacram., Ser. I. 3. The fift thing is when his armye is … well victualled,… then to merche forward.
1583. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., III. 97 b. Letters from the Prince, aduertising them, that hee meant the night following to victuall them.
1598. Bacon, Sacr. Medit., Miracles, Ess. (Arb.), 103. He [Christ] multiplyed the scarsitie of a few loues and fishes to a sufficiency to victuaile an host of people.
1640. Gent, Knave in Gr., I. i. B ij. A Leaguer cannot be planted, mann’d, victuall’d, and munition’d, with a small magazine.
1670. R. Coke, Disc. Trade, 34. Before the Act we could Victual Ships with good and substantial Food cheaper than the Dutch.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 28, ¶ 5. These dangerous Captains who could victual an Army as well as lead it.
1765. Museum Rust., IV. 196. The very large extent of foreign trade, which requires a great many more ships to be victualled out now than formerly.
1777. Robertson, Hist. Amer., II. (1783), I. 100. This squadron … was victualed for twelve months.
1800. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp. (1837), I. 265. I have also written … requiring the reason for which he did not victual this corps … as I ordered.
1836. Marryat, Midsh. Easy, xvi. Jack … pushed his way through the prisoners, who were being mustered to be victualled.
1865. H. Phillips, Amer. Paper Curr., II. 84. By unscrupulous foraging the troops were victualed from day to day.
fig. 1648. Beaumont, Psyche, XII. 189. They who with all riotous Dainties strive To fortify the Belly, but can finde No time to victuall and enforce [1702 recruit] the Minde!
b. refl. To provide or stock (oneself) with victuals.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 375. They vyttayled them selues with fresshe meate.
1572. in Feuillerat, Revels Q. Eliz. (1908), 163. Expences in vittelling him selfe and iii of his fellows.
1612. Selden, Illustr. Drayton’s Poly-olb., ix. 326. Lhewelin … compeld the English campe to victuall themselves with horse-flesh.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, II. (Globe), 335. If they could get Provisions to victual themselves with.
1768. in Kitson, Life Jas. Cook, vi. (1907), 90. £120 a year for victualling himself.
1819. Scott, Leg. Montrose, v. He will … do wisely to victual himself for at least three days.
1887. Field, 24 Dec., 973/1. To see that the crew properly victual themselves.
2. intr. a. To partake of victuals; to eat. Also of animals, to feed or pasture.
1577. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 187. At meales my friend who vitleth here,… Shall both be sure of better chere, and scape with lesser cost.
1587. Turberv., Trag. T., 55 b. When … euery man at boorde Had vittled well, and all was whiste.
1622. Mabbe, trans. Aleman’s Guzman d’Alf., I. 38. In houses, where men vittaile vpon the way, a man shall meete many times with a bare couple of Hens.
1822. Byron, Juan, VII. xlviii. As a … bell-wether [will] form the flock’s connection By tinkling sounds, when they go forth to victual.
1869. Blackmore, Lorna D., iii. Soon we found Peggy and Smiler [the horses] in company,… victualling where the grass was good.
b. To lay in or obtain a supply of victuals.
1615. Chapman, Odyss., III. 418. When he (there victling well, and store of gold Aboard his ships brought) his wild way did hold.
1655. Nicholas Papers (Camden), II. 322. Others [say] that he hath only victualed or taken in fresh water in those partes and is gone southward.
a. 1687. Petty, Pol. Arith., iii. (1691), 61. Because the French cannot Victual so cheap as the English, and Dutch, nor Sail with so few Hands.
1709. Lond. Gaz., No. 4582/3. Men belonging to Ships which are … Cleaning, Refitting, or Victualling at the Ports.
1725. De Foe, Voy. round World (1840), 46. Which was a voyage of such a length, that no ship could victual for.
Hence Victualled ppl. a.
1855. Kingsley, Westw. Ho! xxxii. Some five and twenty of the soundest and best victualled ships.
