Obs. exc. dial. or rare arch. Forms: 1–6 (Sc.) wod, 3–7 (9 arch.) wode, (4 Sc. vode), 4–5 woed, 4–6 woode, woud(e, wodde, (5 ode, oothe, Sc. woide, void, 5–7 Sc. woid), 6 wodd, (oode, wyd, Sc. vod, wuid), 6–7 woodde, 6, 9 Sc. wid, 7 would, 8– Sc. and dial. wud), 4– wood. [OE. wód = OHG. wuot (in ferwuot raging, frantic), ON. óðr, Goth. wôd-, *wōþs possessed (cf. OHG., MHG. wuot, G. wut rage); f. Teut. wōð- (to which belong also OE. wóþ song, sound, ON. óðr poetry, and WODEN):—Indo-Eur. wāt-, represented by L. vātēs seer, poet, OIr. fáith poet, W. gwawd song of praise, the fundamental meaning being ‘to be excited or inspired.’ From the mutated stem are OE. wéde mad, wédan WEDE v., wéden in WEDENONFA’, WIDDENDREAM. The form oothe is from Scand. Compounds are BRAIN-WOOD, RED-WOOD a.]
1. Out of one’s mind, insane, lunatic: = MAD a. 1.
c. 725. Corpus Gloss. (Hessels), E 249. Epilenticus, woda.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., John x. 21. Ne synt na þis wodes mannes word.
c. 1200. Ormin, 15506. He draf ut off wode menn Defless.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 11026. A wode man touched on hys bere,… And a-none he hadde botenyng.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 554. Ȝif i told him treuli my tene … He wold wene i were wod.
c. 1430. Hymns Virgin (1867), 46. Woode men, he ȝeueþ hem þer mynde, And makiþ mesels hool.
c. 1440. York Myst., xi. 334. His folke sall no ferre Yf he go welland woode.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 372/2. Oothe, or woode, amens.
1540. Hyrde, trans. Vives’ Instr. Chr. Wom. (1592), G. They bee bitten of the wood dog the devil, & be fallen wood themselves.
1572. Satir. Poems Reform., xxxviii. 101. Anis wod and ay the war.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. iv. 34. Through vnaduized rashnesse woxen wood.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 82 b. Gif any man is Lunatick, woodde, or furious, with space of manifest wit and judgement betwix ilk time.
1627. J. Taylor (Water P.), Armado, D 1 b. In the North parts of England, when they thinke that a man is distracted or frenzy, they will say the man is Wood.
1724. Ramsay, Tea-t. Misc. (1733), I. 86. The wife was wood, and out o’ her wit. Ibid. (c. 1730), Betty & Kate, iv. That ’s like to put us wood.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., xxxvii. Some folk say, that pride and anger hae driven him clean wud.
1828. Craven Gloss., Wood, mad, rhyming with food. This word is rarely used.
1843. Lytton, Last Bar., I. ix. Am I dement? Stark wode?
b. Of a dog or other beast: Rabid: = MAD a. 6.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., I. 4. Wið woden hundes slite.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XII. iv. (Tollem. MS.). [Honey] heleþ þe bitynge of a wood hounde.
1481. Caxton, Reynard, xviii. (Arb.), 44. Ye sawe neuer wood dogges do more harme.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 57. Quhen it [sc. the dog-star] ringis in our hemispere, than dogis ar in dangeir to ryn vod.
1551. Turner, Herbal, I. B v. Garlyke … is good agaynst the bitinges of madd or weod beastes.
1608. Melrose Regality Rec. (S.H.S., 1914), 60. Scho [sc. a mare] ran woid and drouneit hirself in Tueid.
1610. Fletcher, Faithf. Sheph., II. Bitten by a wood-Dogs venom’d tooth.
1733. Culross Town Rec. (MS.). There has been some wood dogs going through the town.
1856. G. Henderson, Pop. Rhymes Berwick, 58. The bull ran wud o’ auld lair Fair.
a. 1869. Spence, Braes of Carse (1898), 181. The dog ran wud that barkit at her.
c. In phr. of comparison, often expressing fury or violence (cf. 3): e.g., as (if) he (etc.) were wood; as or like wood (cf. MAD a. 1 c).
c. 1220. Bestiary, 338. We brennen in mod, And wurðen so we weren wod.
c. 1300. Havelok, 503. Starinde als he were wod.
1340. Ayenb., 140. Hi yerneþ hi lheapeþ ase wode.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 3859. He cryedde & rorede as þaw he were wode.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour, xxviii. They … beganne to crye lyke wode folke.
c. 1460. Play Sacram., 403, in Non-Cycle Myst. Plays (1909), 70. Yt bledyth as yt were woode, I wys.
a. 1510. Douglas, K. Hart, I. 224. Thai preik, thai prance, as princis that war woude.
1568. T. Howell, Newe Sonets (1879), 121. From me he fled as woode.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., II. iii. 30. Like a would-woman.
1647. H. More, Song of Soul, I. II. xciii. Thou … rav’st as thou wert wood.
1721. Ramsay, To Earl Dalhousie, 13. Some like to … gar the Courser rin like wood.
d. With qualification, as half, near (nigh), worse than, etc., the combined phrase becoming virtually equivalent to one of the derived senses below.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 3840. He was ney uor wraþþe wod.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 36. He gan to berke on þat barn … Þat it wax neiȝ of his witt wod for fere.
14[?]. Childh. Jesus, 133, in Horstm., Altengl. Leg. (1878), 113. Frawdys was wroþe & nydel ode [v.r. nerehande wode].
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., xxvi. 99. Þe knight was halfe woode for wo.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VI. 418. In propyr ire he wox ner wode for teyne.
2. Going beyond all reasonable bounds; utterly senseless; extremely rash or reckless, wild; vehemently excited: = MAD a. 2, 4, 7.
c. 900. Ælfred, Solil. August. (1922), 25. Hwa is swa wod þæt he dyrre cweðan þæt God ne se æce?
c. 1205. Lay., 1714. Swa wod he was to fehte.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 120. Þet tu schalt deren þi suluen wod, þo þu þer touward þouhtest.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 99. Þat man may be halden wode, Þat choses þe ille and leves þe gude.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 203. Coueitise is euere wode, To gripen other folkis gode.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 164. Aweie he fledde … As he that was for love wod.
c. 1400. Pride of Life, 499, in Non-Cycle Myst. Plays, 104. Be he so hardy or so wode In his londe to aryue, He wol se his herte blode.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 76. A woode wisdom, and a wise woodenesse.
1435. Misyn, Fire of Love, II. viii. 89. Wode luste, made lufe.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1874), I. 116. Whiche of theyr myndes ar so blynde and wode And so reted in theyr errour and foly.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., March, 55. Thelf was so wanton and so wood.
1584. Mirr. Mag., 26 b. Incontinent desire maketh him wood of their societie.
1617. Collins, Def. Bp. Ely, II. v. 413. Vnles you wil be so wood now, as to adde brutish Ubiquitisme, to your barbarous Cyclopisme.
a. 1708. T. Ward, Eng. Ref., 14. What sees he in her, he’s so wood for?
1818. Scott, Rob Roy, xiv. The folk in Lunnun are a’ clean wud about this bit job.
1895. Crockett, Men of Moss-Hags, liv. 382. The lassie’s gane wud! There’s nae reason in her.
¶ b. Used inaccurately to render L. furialis.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 197. In þat lond is a lake wonderful and wood [L. furialis], for who þat drynkeþ þerof he schal brenne in woodnesse of leccherie.
3. a. Extremely fierce or violent, ferocious; irascible, passionate.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 66. Monie cumeð … ischrud mid lombes fleose, & beoð wode wulues.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 2224. Als wode lyons þai sal þan fare.
1435. Misyn, Fire of Love, II. viii. 89. A scheep cled in foxis skyn, & a dowe wodar þen any wode best.
c. 1480. Henryson, Cock & Fox, 195. A nyce proud man, void and vaneglorious.
1538. Starkey, England (1878), 12. Ther ys no best … so wyld, oode, or cruel, but to man by wysdom he ys subduyd.
1556. Lauder, Tractate of Kyngis, 286. Ȝe sulde nocht chuse vnto that cure Ane Vinolent nor wod Pasture.
1590. Barrough, Meth. Phisick, I. xxvii. (1596), 44. They that haue this disease [sc. mania] be wood & vnruly like wilde beasts.
1747. Upton, New Canto Spenser’s F. Q., xxvi. Guileful Dissimulation, and pale Fear, And Discord wood.
b. Violently angry or irritated; enraged, furious.
c. 1205. Lay., 2189. Humber wes swa swiðe wod for al þat lond on him stod.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 5979. Suan … þo he hurde of þis cas Made him wroþ & wod ynou.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 25. Þei … ben wode ȝif men speken treuly aȝenst here cursed synnes.
1422. Yonge, trans. Secreta Secret., 229. Tho that haue a brandynge colure like the lye of fyre, lightly wexen woode.
1481. Caxton, Godfrey, lxvii. 112. The grete stedes … becam alle araged and wood for thurst.
a. 1540. Barnes, Wks. (1573), 282. Ye more it is preached the more they grudge, and the woodder bee they.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 146. lo quhome scho turnit about witht ane wode and furieous contienance.
1590. Shaks., Mids. N., II. i. 192. Heere am I, and wood within this wood, Because I cannot meet my Hermia.
1654. Gayton, Pleas. Notes, IV. xix. 267. Be not thou wood too, nor a jot inraged.
1682. Shadwell, Lanc. Witches, I. Pray now do not say ought to my Lady, by th’ Mass who’l be e’en stark wood an who hears on’t.
1786. Burns, Sc. Drink, xiii. When neebors anger at a plea, An’ just as wud as wud can be.
1816. Scott, Old Mort., xlii. Now he’s anes wud and aye waur, and roars for revenge.
1858. Kingsley, Red King, 23. King William sterte up wroth and wood.
c. transf. of rage, pain, etc. (Cf. MAD a. 5.)
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 4415. In is wod rage he wende Vor to awreke is vncle deþ.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., III. met. ii. (1868), 68. Þe woode wraþþes of hem.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 287. In this wilde wode peine.
a. 1400–50. Wars Alex., 1168. Þar is na wa in þe werd to þe wode hunger.
c. 1500. Lancelot, 2695. Thar was the batell furyous and woud.
1607. J. Carpenter, Plaine Mans Plough, 193. To execute … against them (in his wood furie) whatsoever he listeth.
d. fig. of inanimate things, as the sea, wind, fire: Violently agitated; ‘furious,’ ‘raging.’ (Cf. MAD a. 7 b.)
c. 1100. O. E. Chron., an. 1075 (MS. D). Seo wode sæ & se stranga wind hi on þæt land awearp.
c. 1320. Sir Tristr., 371. Þe wawes were so wode Wiþ winde.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s T., 331. A reyn … so wilde and wood That half so greet was neuere Noees flood.
c. 1400. St. Alexius (Laud 622), 593. Wynde aroos wiþ wood rage.
1477. Norton, Ord. Alch., vi. in Ashm. (1652), 98. Flames brenning fierce and woode.
1490. Caxton, Eneydos, x. 39. Temppestes horrible of the woode see.
a. 1510. Douglas, K. Hart, I. 75. About the wall thair ran ane water void, Blak, stinkand, sowr, and salt as is the sey.
1593. Q. Eliz., Boeth., I. met. iv. 7. Wood Vesevus … that burstz out his smoky fires.
† B. quasi-sb. (a) madness; (b) in phr. for wood (see FOR- prefix1 10), ‘like mad,’ madly, furiously.
c. 1275. xi Pains of Hell, 48, in O. E. Misc., 148. Snaken and neddren stingeþ for wod.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6201. Þeruore hii flowe vor wod.
a. 1366[?]. Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 276. She … hath such wo, whan folk doth good, That nygh she meltith for pure wood. Ibid. (c. 1384), H. Fame, III. 657. Lat vs … seme … That wommen louen vs for wode.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 286. Betwen the wawe of wod and wroth Into his dowhtres chambre he goth.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 5777. Out of witt he was for wode.
† C. adv. Madly, frantically, furiously (chiefly in wod wroth). Obs.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6109. Þe king knout wiþ hom was þo so wod wroþ.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 5. Ȝif þei … haten and ben woode wroþ with men þat trewly dispisen synne.
c. 1425. Engl. Conq. Irel., xxxviii. 94. The knyght … bytwene twe perylle: on on halue, Þe wode-yernynge watyr so grysly; on other halue, hys fomen.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 4913. The king of kinges quooke woode That any shuld be hold … bettre than him self were.
a. 1513. Fabyan, Chron., VII. (1811), 515. The more the Kynge spake for the Englysshe men, the more woder were they dysposyd agayne them.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, XII. vii. 9. Wod wroth he worthis, for dysdene and dyspyte That he ne mycht his feris succur.
1535. Coverdale, Hosea vii. 5. They begynne to be woode droncken thorow wyne.
1569. Blague, Sch. Conceytes, 94. The pacient hearing this … was wood angrie, and commaunded all ye Phisitians to be put out of doores.
1601. Dent, Pathw. Heaven (1831), 142. They are so extraordinarily enamoured … and are so wood-mad of it, that they will have it.
D. Comb.: † wood-like a. = WOODLY a.; † woodsek [SICK a.], mad. See also WOODMAN2.
1578. T. Proctor, Gorg. Gallery, O iv b. Wherwith distrest with *woodlike rage, the[se] words he out abrade.
c. 890. Wærferth, trans. Gregory’s Dial. (1900), 135. Þa was ʓelæded se *wodseoca [v.r. wedendseoca] man to … Benedicte.
14[?]. in Wr.-Wülcker, 595/25. Meger, wode sek.
