arch. Forms: 5 wunte, -on, wontyn, 6 wonte, wount, Sc. pa. t. vont, 6–7 woont, 6– wont; pa. t. 6– wonted, wont. [f. WONT pa. pple. or back-formation f. WONTED.]
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 228. Þat he mott wunte þaim & make þaim perfite in wirkyng of wull.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 534/2. Wunton, or gretely to ȝeue an other vse and custome (P. wontyn or greatly to vse and custom), assuefacio, usito.
1535. Goodly Primer, Ps. xxv. Wont me to thy paths.
1544. Bentham, trans. Purlilia’s Precepts War, II. xxxii. K v. It shal not be vnprofitable to acquaynten and wount your horses … to suffer the sytter whyche is a gunner.
1600. Surflet, Countrie Farme, VII. xlvii. 882. And so offring her such meat as is most easie, you shall woont her to eate of the said hart.
1606. Peacham, Art of Drawing, 12. Before you … have woonted and made your hand ready in proportions of all sorts.
1656. J. Owen, Mortif. Sin (1668), 108. Wont thy Heart to thoughts hereof.
c. 1682. in Verney Mem. (1907), II. 312. When I have visited her and a little wonted her to the place, I’ll come home.
1916. W. Ryland D. Adkins, in Contemp. Rev., June, 689. The various defence and relief committees formed in view of invasion or for other reasons, have wonted people to the notion of organising the community and acting for it in an emergency.
b. refl. (rarely intr. for refl.)
1603. Holland, Plutarch’s Mor., 1213. He … woonteth himselfe to keepe farre from any unjust and unlawfull taking of money.
1614. T. Adams, Sinners Passing Bell, Wks. (1629), 268. So these, that in youth haue wonted themselues to the load of lesse sinnes.
1652. H. L’Estrange, Amer. no Jewes, 18. To wont and accustome to the waters, they practising very much swimming.
1699. R. L’Estrange, Erasm. Colloq. (1725), 83. It is the best Course we can take to wont ourselves to that which is good.
1856. Emerson, Engl. Traits, xvi. 275. We walked round the stones … to wont ourselves with their strange aspect.
† 2. trans. To use habitually. Obs. rare.
1530. Palsgr., 784/1. It is no wysdome to wont a thyng that is nat honest.
3. intr. To be wont or accustomed; to be in the habit of (doing that which is expressed by the inf.). Chiefly in pa. t. = used (USE v. 20).
a. 1547. Surrey, Poem in Add. MS. 17492, in Anglia, XXIX. 337. Helpe to be walle the woffulle casse … off me that wontede to rejoyes the ffortwne offe my pleassante chyes.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 29. Flatteraris … spurit him to grettar tyrannie and oppressioun nor ony man vont to do befoir.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., I. ii. 14. Talbot is taken, whom we wont to feare.
1592. Nashe, P. Penilesse (ed. 2), 31 b. He determined … to poyson the streame, where this iolly Forester wonted to drink.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., Ded. A 4. And how often wont your euer blessed Father, graciously to peruse Lines of mine.
1671. Milton, Samson, 1487. Sons wont to nurse thir Parents in old age, Thou in old age car’st how to nurse thy Son.
a. 1700. Sedley, Poet. Pieces, Wks. 1722, II. 10. To bouze old Wine, mad Pindar wonted.
a. 1703. Burkitt, On N. T., Luke ii. 45. Had he not wonted to converse formerly with them, he had not now been sought amongst them.
1771. Beattie, Minstr., I. xxxv. Where Fays of yore their revels wont to keep.
1837. Wordsw., Cuckoo at Laverna, 60. With beast and bird … He wont to hold companionship so free.
a. 1851. Moir, Sonn., Scottish Sabbath, v. With those he loved … He wont on Sabbath morn to cross the plain!
transf. 1599. Thynne, Animadv., Ded. (1875), 2. Not degeneratinge from youre former curtesye wontinge to accompanye all youre actions.
1640. R. Baillie, Canterb. Self-convict., Pref. 13. England wont not … to bee so scant of faithfull witnesses.
1726. Pope, Odyss., XIX. 11. His arms deform the roof they wont adorn.
1833. Chalmers, Const. Man (1835), II. vii. 46. In as far as this wont to consist of potatoes or grain.
1884. W. C. Smith, Kildrostan, 43. He never can Bring back the glory that wont to be.
1885–94. R. Bridges, Eros & Psyche, Sept., 12. The merry pipe, That wont to cheer the harvesting, is mute.
b. absol. (without inf.)
1585. Lambarde, in Camden’s Lett. (1691), 28. Sorrowing that I may not now, as I wonted, dwell in the meditation of the same things.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. xi. 26. The villein turn’d his face, (As wonts the Tartar … When as the Russian him in fight does chace)
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., IV. iv. 40. I beare it on my shoulders, as a begger woont her brat.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T., 28. The Earth left to be so fruitfull as it wont.
1594. R. C[arew], Godfrey of Bvlloigne (1881), 109. And with a semblant braue and nobellest, (As lightning wonts) he in his armour shines.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. i. I. Eden, 461. Ile not exact hard fines (as men shall woont).
1836. Ruskin, Marcolini, II. iii. Wks. 1903, II. 494. Peace, he is here—Lo you, he comes not forward as he wont.
† 5. To dwell habitually, have its habitat. Obs.
1692. R. L’Estrange, Fables, I. clxvii. 140. The Kingfisher is a Solitary Bird, that Wonts commonly by the Water-side.
