Obs. exc. dial. Also 1, 4 wedd, 3–6 wedde, (5 wede, weed); 5–9 Sc. wad, (5 vad), 9. Sc. and dial. wadd; 7 wade. [Com. Teut.: OE. wed(d neut. = OFris. wed neut., pledge, covenant, OS. weddi neut., pledge (MLG. wedde pledge, wager, etc.), (M)Du. wedde fem., wages, OHG. wetti neut. (MHG. wette, wet neut., fem., pledge, wager, etc., mod.G. wette fem., wager), ON. veð neut., pledge (MSw. väþ neut., pledge, wager, Sw. väd neut., wager), Goth. wadi neut., earnest-money, pledge:—OTeut. *waðja-m, cogn. w. L. vadem (vas) masc., surety (whence vadimōnium bail), Lith. wadúoti to redeem a pledge. The OTeut. word was adopted in the Rom. langs.: see GAGE sb.1, WAGE sb.]
1. A pledge, something deposited as security for a payment or the fulfilment of an obligation; sometimes of a person, a hostage.
a. 1122. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1016. & heora freondscipe þær ʓefæstnodon, ʓe mid wedde ʓe mid aþe.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 394. Ne telleð me him god feolawe þet leið his wed ine Giwerie uorto acwiten ut his fere?
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6798. If þat þou … O pur man tas wedd o clath Yeil[d] again þat clath … Ar sun ga dun þat ilk dai.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., xxxix. 110. He hath hewe sum wher a burthen of brere, tharefore sum hay-ward hath taken ys wed.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. V. 244. I lerned amonge Lumbardes and Iewes a lessoun … to legge a wedde and lese it.
1382. Wyclif, Ezek. xviii. 7. He shal ȝeelde the wed [Vulg. pignus] to the dettour.
c. 1389. Eng. Gilds (1870), 91. And qwo-so come after prime be smeten, he shal pay jd, or leye a wed.
1436. E. E. Wills (1882), 107. Item I wolle that the prioresse & the house of Chesthunt haue freely theire Weddys ayen withouten any mony payenge.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 519/1. Wedde, or thynge leyyd yn plegge, vadium, pignus.
c. 1450. Godstow Reg., 155. And he nother his heires shold never take wedde of the forsaide Anneys or of her assignes.
1458. Forman’s Monumt. Christ’s Hosp., Abingdon, 70. For now is Culham hithe i com to an ende,… Few folke there were coude that wey wende, But they waged a wed or payed of her purse.
a. 1500. in Arnolde’s Chron. (1811), 18. Yf any man of our landis … take any tolle or custume of the citezens of London other wyse than they shuld the Sherefs of London shall take wed of hem at London.
1560. Rolland, Seven Sages, Prol. iii. My buke to borrow greitlie scho did Inquyre, Ane wed thairfoir scho said scho wald doun lay.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 42. Some things are borrowed and lent, be giving and receaving of ane wad. Ibid., Stat. Alex. II., 18. And gif he may not giue wades … he sall remaine as wade: aye and quhill he enter the pledges, quhilkis he promised.
1776. Herd’s Sc. Songs, II. Gloss., Wad or wed, pledge, wager, pawn.
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, xxxiv. I thought the chield Morris looked devilish queer when I determined he should remain a wad, or hostage, for my safe back-coming.
b. fig., or in reference to staking one’s life (cf. 2 c, 4).
1340. Ayenb., 102. Þis adopcion is ase weddes ase zayþ saynte paul huerby we byþ zikere þet we ssolle habbe þe eritage of oure uader. [Cf. Vulgate pignus, Eph. i. 14.]
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. III. 195. Hedde I be Marchal of his Men … I durste haue I-leid my lyf, and no lasse wed, He hedde beo lord of þat lond.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xviii. (Egipciane), 624. For oure sawete one quhilk [tree] vas he put, & his blud schede, & for ws put nane vthir wed.
1399. Langl., Rich. Redeles, III. 309. And ho so grucche or grone, aȝeins her grette willes, May lese her lyff lyghtly, and no lesse weddis.
c. 1400. Beryn, 2984. No les wed ben lyvis!
c. 1530. Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903), 59. He that lawith at a mynstrels worde, gevith to hym a wedde.
† c. A nuptial pledge or promise. Obs.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xli. (Agnes), 400. Here-of in vitnesyng remanis ay þe forsad ryng one þe fyngire of þat ymag of vad of weding in-to vag.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 94. Bot ferst, er thou be sped, Thou schalt me leve such a wedd, That I wol have thi trowthe in honde That thou schalt be myn housebonde.
† 2. In various phrases the sb. assumes the contextual sense: The condition of being pawned, mortgaged, given up as a hostage, etc. (Cf. PLEDGE sb. 6.) Obs.
a. To, in wed: as a pledge or hostage. In wed of: as security for (a payment, etc.).
For dead wed (= MORTGAGE) see DEAD a.
Beowulf, 2998. Ond þa Iofore forʓeaf anʓan dohtor, hamweorðunge, hyldo to wedde.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2198. Ðis symeon bi-lef ðor in bond, To wedde under Iosepes hond.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xxiv. 88. But if þou pay now, I shal holde thi wif to wed, tyll tyme þat I be paied fully my salary.
1460. Extracts Aberd. Reg. (1844), I. 405. That na induellande of this burgh … tak in wed ony gudis that Wat Cutlaris wife bryngis for ony penyworthis oythir than dry siluer.
1488. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 98. [13l. 10s.] quhilk he had gevin away at the Kingis command, and had the Thesauraris signet in wed tharof.
1530. Burgh Rec. Edin. (1871), II. 28. Item, that na maner of parsonis man nor woman tak ony claith in wedd fra vtheris.
1561. Burgh Rec. Stirling (1887), 79. Ane chenyie of gold … quhilk the Lady Caterene … deliverit him in wed of the sowme of ane hundreth and tuenty merkis.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 333. The Scotis sulde gyue Cumbirland,… in wedd of payment of the hail soume.
† b. To set, put, lay to or in wed, to betake on wed: to pawn, pledge (valuables), to deposit (money) as security; to mortgage (land); to give up (a person) as a hostage. To take out of wed: to redeem (something pledged). Obs.
a. 900[?]. Ælfred’s Dooms, xxxvi. Ʒif mon … hræʓl … to wedde selle.
c. 1205. Lay., 25172. Mi lond ich wulle sette to wedde for seoluere.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8083. He … leide willam is broþer to wedde normandye & borowede þer uppe of him an hondred þousend marc.
1382. Wyclif, Amos ii. 8. And on clothis leyde to wedde thei eeten bysidis eche auter.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, V. 31. Hym was levere legge to wedde [L. distrahere] his vessel of silver and of gold … þan greve provinces and londes and þe senatoures.
c. 1412. Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 4904. And yf he stire you and meeve Your jewels ley in wedde, certein he Lovethe your estate and prosperitee.
1430. Reg. Mag. Sig. Scot., 38/2. Wyt yhe me in my strenyeand myster til haf put in wede til my lowyt … frend Andro Osteler … al the landis of [etc.].
1450. Rolls of Parlt., V. 205/2. His plate and other goodes sold, and in wed layed.
c. 1450. Merchant & Son, 162, in Hazl., E. P. P., I. 143. Fadur, y schall do my parte to helpe yow owt of peyne, Yf y schulde leye my selfe to wedd, or that ye come ageyne.
1462. in Spalding Club Misc., V. 22. His tua sponys … at wer laid in wede to the said Thome.
1483. Cath. Angl., 412/1. To take owt of Wedde, depignerare.
c. 1500. Lyt. Geste Robyn Hode, 212. My londes bethe sette to wedde … To a ryche abbot … Of saynt Mary abbay.
1536. Bellenden, Cron. Scot. (1821), I. p. lvii. He that sald his swerd, or laid it to wed, was degradit of auctorite, and banist, as unworthy creature, out of thair cumpany.
1567. in 6th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., 643/2. Layd in wed to Maister Robert Rychartson … in pledge of fywe thousand pundis thir jowellis after following.
1573. in Inventaires de la Royne Descosse (Bannatyne Club), Pref. p. cliii. All that was lefte of the juelles unlayde to wed.
1597. J. S., Cert. MS. Poems, Way to Thrift, F 6. And lay to wed both pot and panne When the fire clean is blowne out.
17[?]. Druken Wife o’ Gallowa, v. in Herd, Sc. Songs (1776), II. 39. My Sunday’s coat she has laid it a wad.
† c. fig. Often, to lay one’s life, head, to wed, used to confirm or guarantee an assertion or an undertaking (cf. 4). Obs.
971. Blickl. Hom., 131. Þæs Halʓan Gastes, se wæs of heofenum onsended … to wedde þæs heofonlican eþles.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 16670. Þare he gaf his suete flesche for ur ranscun in wedd.
1338. R. Brunne, Chron. (1725), 246. Sir Adam of Stretton fulle hard was he led, Nouht without encheson, I lay my gloue to wed.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVIII. 31. Lyf seyth þat he likth and leyth his lif to wedde, Þat [etc.].
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 423. Herby þei myght bye mennis synnes, and laye hor soules in wedde, þat oþer mennis soules shulde be saved.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 95. And thus his trowthe he leith to wedde.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xv. 167. Thei … profreden here hedes to wedde, but ȝif it wolde falle as thei seyden.
c. 1400. Gosp. Nicodemus (Galba), 100. Þaire carping þare no thing þou knew, We lay oure heuiddes in wed.
1430–40. Lydg., Bochas, VIII. xxiv. (1554), 194 b. The sweord of Arthur he durst not abide, Lest he should lay his lyfe to wed.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xxviii. 56. I dar lay my heede to wed, Or that we go vntill oure bed That we shall here anothere.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, IV. 633. Ȝit felle Sothron left the lyff to wed. Ibid., IX. 1209. My hed to wed, Lochlewyn he past to se.
a. 1500. in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1903), 247. A leche hath layd hys hed to wed To make a plaster that wolde me please.
c. 1530. Hickscorner, C j. I warraunt you she wyll neuer saye you naye My lyfe I dare laye to wedde.
† d. To lie or be to or in wed: to be in pawn. lit. and fig. Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 360. Lat hym be war, his nekke lith to wedde.
1464. Paston Lett., II. 146. For in London lyth to wedde many ryche jowells of ouris.
1497. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 345. Item … giffin to the Prothonotar, to quit out the Duke of Yorkis broune hors that lay in wed in the toune, xiiij lib.
c. 1518. Skelton, Magnyf., 2168. He may rynse a pycher, for his plate is to wed.
1556–7. Rec. Inverness (New Spalding Club), I. 5. The forsaid pece of land wes lyand to hyme in wed of ten pundis.
† 3. Something taken or left that serves as evidence. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 4402. Bot for mi cri ful suith he [Joseph] fled And left wit me a taken wedd [Gött. a tokin in wedd]; His mantel es bi-left wit me, þat ilk man þee sothe mai see. Ibid., 7706. Fra þe kings aun bedd þus he [sc. David] broght a priue wedd.
4. A stake in a game or wager. Also fig. † To lay wed: to wager (cf. 2 c).
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 320. Now boþe her wedde lys, And play þai biginne.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, i. (Petrus), 488. Lat Symone one fer stand fra þe bede, And ȝe sal se, I lay wede, Þe fendis craft sone onhyde.
1540. St. Papers Hen. VIII. (1836), V. 178. He harde the Kynge say … that He trestyd to gett that proffett that never Kynge of Scottes had, and He shulde other have yt, or yt shulde coste Hym the best wed He had to leysse.
1665. Brathwait, Comm. Two Tales, 166. It is a dear wade, when your Life lies upon last Stake.
1670. Blount, Glossogr. (ed. 3), Wed, a gage or pawn; a word still retained in the Country sport, called Pray my Lord a course in your park.
1721. J. Kelly, Sc. Prov., 19. A Wad is a Fool’s Argument. Spoken when, after hot disputing, we offer to lay a Wager that we are in the Right.
1802. Sibbald, Chron. Sc. P., IV. Gloss., Wadds, a youthful amusement, wherein much use is made of pledges.
1808. Jamieson, Wadds.… In this game, the players being equally divided … each lays down one or more wads or pledges at that extremity where the party, to which he belongs, chuse their station. A boundary being fixed at an equal distance from the extremities, the object is to carry off the wads from the one of these to the other.
† 5. A gage of battle. Obs.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 8404. Tak ȝe non hede of þeyr grete host, ffor wel ȝe wot þei ar bot bost,… ffor þem our wed schal nought be leued.
c. 1435. in Kingsford, Chron. London (1905), 54. ‘This shull I preve with my body, and se here my wedde’: and threwe fforth his hode.
† 6. Comb. (all Obs.): wed-bed, the marriage bed; wedbedrip Law, some kind of BEDRIP (the force of wed- is uncertain); wed-breach, breach of covenant (OE.), adultery; wed-break [as if OE. *wedbreca], an adulterer; wed-brother [cf. ON. veðbróðir], a sworn brother; wed-fee, a wager, the prize in a contest; wed-fere, a spouse; wed-keeper, a stakeholder; wedman, a married man; pl. married people; wed-shooting (Sc. wad-), shooting for a prize; wed-spite nonce-wd. SPITE-WED.
In the later instances referring to marriage prob. directly associated with WED v.
a. 1650. Old Robin, 9, in Percy Fol. MS., I. 235. They had not in their *wed bed laid, scarcly were both on sleepe, but vpp shee rose.
1798. W. Taylor, in Monthly Mag., V. 367. Those priests the wed-bed who renounce.
c. 1325. in Kennett, Par. Antiq. (1818), I. 575. Et debet unam *Wedbedrip pro voluntate dominæ.
c. 1020. Wulfstan, Hom., xxxiii. (1883), 164. Eac syndan wide … þurh aðbrycas and ðurh *wedbrycas and ðurh mistlice leasunga forloren and forloʓen.
1638. W. Lisle, Heliodorus, II. 29. This crime of wed-breach.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter xlix. 18. If … with *wedbrek [Vulg. cum adulteris] þi dele þou sete.
c. 1100. O. E. Chron. (MS. D), an. 1016. Coman beʓen þa cyningas to gædre … & wurdon feolaʓan & *wed broðra.
c. 1205. Lay., 14469. Send after mine sune Octa & æfter … Ebissa his wed-broðer.
c. 1300. K. Horn (Laud MS.), 295. He tok wit him anoþer þat was hornes wed broþer.
c. 1330. Florice & Bl. (Abbotsf. Club), 163. We beth wed brethren and trewthe iplight.
c. 1400. Brut (1906), 120. O þow false traitoure! haste þow my trewe wed-broþer slayn for cause of me?
c. 1420. Avow. Arth., x. Butte carpe we now of ther othir thre, How thay preuyd hor *wedde-fee.
1504–5. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., III. 128. Item, to Dande Doule, that the King tynt on ane wedfee, xiiij s.
a. 1600. Montgomerie, Devot. Poems, iii. 7. Sleep na mair in sleuth and sin, Bot … richtly rin That hevinly wedfie for to win Vhilk he prepairs for his.
1620. in A. Maxwell, Hist. Old Dundee (1884), 408. [He] put in the hands of Thomas Scot … twa double-angels of gold upon ane woodfie betwix himself and Alexander Hering.
1637. Rutherford, Lett. to Alex. Gordon, 16 June. It is folly then for men to say, this is not Christ’s plea, he will lose the wed-fee, men are like to beguile him that were indeed a strange play.
13[?]. Sir Beues (A), 3168. I trowe, he is nouȝt now here, þat schel be me *wedde-fere!
1591. R. Bruce, Serm. Edin., C 4 b. For as to this conscience, it is a faithfull *wedkeeper: the gages that it receiveth, it randeris.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., iii. 400. Me thynk my hert ryfis,… To se sich stryfis *wedmen emong. Ibid., xiii. 65. We sely wedmen dre mekyll wo.
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 806/22. Hic sponsus, a wedman.
1792. Statist. Acc. Scot., II. 509. Many amuse themselves … with shooting for prizes, called here *wad-shooting.
c. 1560. Sir T. Smitt, in Strype, Life (1698), App. 24. You may well be called Mr. Agamus or Misogamus, Surnamed in right English, *Wedspite, or Spitewed. For I never heard Man speak so despitefully against Wedding and Marriage of the Queens Majesty in my Life.
