Obs. Forms: 3–4 wune, 3–6 wone, 4–7 won, 4–8 wonne, (5 wne, woone, 6 wun). [ME. wune, wōne, aphetic f. I-WUNE, I-WONE, OE. ʓewuna = OS. giwono (MDu. ghewone, MDu., (M)LG. wone), OHG. giwona (MHG. gewon(e), related to MHG. gewan, ON. vane, which represent another grade: f. Teut. ga- Y- + wun-, WON, WONE v.]
I. [See WON v. II.] Habit, custom.
1. Habitual action or conduct (of a person); (one’s) habits or practices collectively.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 266. [Heo] dude hit eft & eft, & feol so into ful wune þet heo lei & rotede þerinne.
c. 1275. Lay., 14017. Þe Peutes dude hire wone [c. 1205 iwune].
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 230. Artow … Suward sone, Þat of al godenes haþ þe wone?
c. 1320. Cast. Love, 278. Þis kyng hedde a sone, Of such wit and of such wone … As was his fader.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Prol., 335. To lyuen in delit was euere his wone, For he was Epicurus owene sone.
c. 1400. Rule St. Benet (prose), 6. Chasti þaim fra iuil wne, als þe fadir dos his sune.
c. 1425. Engl. Conq. Irel., 66. Mych horynesse or oryble synnes that … weren amendet, & yn better wonne I-broȝth.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxix. 252. His wonne was to wirke mekill woo.
1450–80. trans. Secr. Secr., xl. 26. He vsith not his custome [of eating twice a day] for þe stomak is out of his wone.
b. In particularized use; pl. habits.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 85. Seint Nicholas þe on his childhode wunede him to fasten, and þat wune heold to his liues ende.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 272. Hit is min hiȝte, hit is mi wune, Þat ich me draȝe to mine cunde.
13[?]. K. Alis., 2715 (Laud MS.). He was þe Emperoures sone, Wel to juste was his wone.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. VIII. 29. Treuþe … Bad hem … wikkede wones wihtly to amende.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 79. He was wont before to stele, and cowþe not leue his old wone.
a. 1500. Assemb. Ladies, 5. In a gardyn, about twayn after noon, Ther were ladyes walking, as was her wone.
2. Established usage or custom (of a people, country, etc.).
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 105. Seint iacob … nam ȝeme of þe wune þe weren þo, and ȝet bien mid mannen.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 368. Ðis wune he [sc. harts] hauen hem bi-twen, Ðoȝ he an hundred to-giddre ben.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1681. Quat laban, ‘long wune is her driuen, Firmest on elde, first ben giuen.’ Ibid., 3137. Ðanne he lereden hem newe wunen.
c. 1290. St. Edward, 12, in S. Eng. Leg., 47. Seint Edward … is sone Aftur him was king j-mad, ase lawe was and wone.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 10915. Þe lauerd es nu bicummen threll, Þe doghter moder again al won.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W. 714, Thisbe. There was but a ston wal hem be-tweene, As ofte in grete tounnys is the wone.
c. 1425. Engl. Conq. Irel., 34. Thay ne hadden no wone of warytres; & þerfor þey … drent ham.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun (1888), 163. Dede mens bodyes to byrye with mirre was the olde wonne.
3. Phr. In wone: as a matter of custom, customarily. To have in wone: to be accustomed to do something; to practise habitually; so to be in wone, to have wone. To be of common wone: to be common custom. By or with wone: as a matter of custom; used as a tag (also in good wone).
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4718. Hii dude hom vorþere in þis lond þan hii were in wone.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 21237. Marc was gospellere wit won.
c. 1330. Assump. Virg. (B. M. MS.), 20. He callide to hym seynt Iohan … And seide, ‘womman, lo, here þi sone, And, man, take hure to moder in good wone.’
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 284. Of comun wone In chambre thei togedre wone. Ibid., II. 143. At hom if that a man wol wone, This Fievere [sc. jealousy] is thanne of comun wone Most grevous in a mannes yhe.
c. 1400. Titus & Vesp. (Roxb.), 5058. Aftur hym regnede Titus his sone, The Emperour most curteys by wone.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. 3292 (Cott.). He … had in won, By his wiff, oftsyis to ly Oþir syndry women by.
14[?]. Guy Warw. (C.), 230. ‘Bee ye,’ she seide, ‘Sywardes sone, That all goodnesse hath in wone?’
c. 1436. Libel Engl. Pol., in Pol. Poems (Rolls), II. 196. In somere tide wolde he have in wone, And in custome, to be fulle redy sone, Wyth multitude of men.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., ii. 116. All the good thou has in wone Of godis grace is bot a lone.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 31. They that vse to eat of it loke much more freshly then they had won to do.
II. [See WON v. I.] The action of staying or remaining; place of dwelling.
4. Phr. Withouten wone, without delay. Cf. withouten hone (HONE sb.2).
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 215. And yf thou sende hur not soone, Hastelye, wythowten wone, Then ryseth ther a stryfe.
c. 1596. King & Backer, in Hazl., E. P. P., I. 5. Gramercy, felow, seyde owr kyng, withowtyn eney wone.
5. A dwelling-place, abode; spec. this world: = WONE sb.2 1, 3 b.
c. 1205. Lay., 13492. Ne mæi i noht for muchele scome habben here þesne wone.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 513. Or enoch wente fro werldes wune Matusale was boren is sune.
a. 1300. XV Signa, 164, in E. E. P. (1862), 12. Wel aȝtist þe faire to lede Wile þou art in þis wreche wone [rhyme mone].
1340–70. Alisaunder, 598. Of any wightes in wonne wysest i-holde.
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 3377. Sythe bretayne owte of troy was sought And made in bretayne hys owne wonne.
1563. Sackville, Induct. Mirr. Mag., xxiii. Howe she telde Both what she was, and where her wun she helde.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. iii. 7. There the wise Merlin whylome wont (they say) To make his wonne.
1608. Topsell, Serpents, 269. She … from the Center draweth a thred like wooll to lye vpon While double worke on euery part doth fortifie her wone.
1642. H. More, Song of Soul, I. II. xxii. That free light hath given a free wonne [rhymes sun, shone, begun] To this dependent ray. Ibid., xxiii. Flocks of souls … that have their won Where they list most to graze. Ibid. (1685), Paralip. Prophet., Pref. p. xxvi. The Wilderness the Won of Spirits and Ghosts.
1748. Thomson, Cast. Indol., II. viii. With all the gods that love the rural wonne [rhymes run, son, undone].
