Forms: 1 weorþ, weorð (1–2 weord), wurð (2 wurhðe), wyrþ, 1, 3 wurþ, 2–3 wurth (5 wurthe, wyrtht); 1, 4 worþ, 3– worth (6 wortht), 4–7 worthe, 6 woorth, wourth(e. [OE. weorþ (wurþ, worþ) neut., = OFris. werth, OS. werđ, OHG. werd (MHG. wert, G. werth, wert), ON. verð (Norw. verd, Da. værd), Goth. wairþ. Cf. WORTH a.]
1. Pecuniary value; † price; money.
c. 825. Vesp. Psalter, xliii. 13. Ðu bibohtes folc ðin butan weorðe.
c. 893. K. Ælfred, Oros., IV. x. 198. Þeh þe he hie sume wið feo ʓesealde,… he þæt weorð nolde aʓan.
971. Blickling Hom., 89. Hire innoþ þu ʓefyldest niʓon monaþ mid ealles middanʓeardes weorþe.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xxvi. 9. Þys mihte beon ʓeseald to miclum weorþe, and þearfum ʓedæled.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 31. Þet he nime þa ilke ehte oðer his wurð.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 150. Nis heo uniseli þet mit te wurð of heouene buð hire helle?
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 7674. Þe King Willam uorto wite þe wurþ of is londe Let enqueri streitliche [etc.].
a. 1300. Cursor M., 12390. Treen beddes for to make, Was he wont for worth to take.
1390. Gower, Conf., II. 46. That al the gold of Cresus halle The leste coronal of alle Ne mihte have boght after the worth.
c. 1450. Godstow Reg., 539. He sholde yeve to them eschaunge to the worthe of the same acris.
1581. A. Hall, Iliad, I. 1. Chryses … with things of price,… His daughter captiue helde by Greekes by worth hir home to buy.
1642. D. Rogers, Naaman, 133. A pearle … makes all base, & to come under the worth thereof.
1695. Locke, Further Consid. Value Money, 27. Rising and falling of Commodities is always between several Commodities of distinct worths.
1781. Cowper, Charity, 133. The bark … Charg’d with a freight transcending in its worth The gems of India.
1836. Dickens, Sk. Boz, Doctors’ Commons. Some poverty-stricken legatee,… selling his chance … for a twelfth part of its worth.
1870. Morris, Earthly Par., IV. 41. Or little worth Was all the gear that hall did hold.
b. The equivalent of a specified sum or amount.
For OE. examples see PENNYWORTH, and cf. HALFPENNYWORTH, pounds’ worth (s.v. POUND sb.1 4), SHILLINGSWORTH.
1508. Reg. Privy Seal Scot., I. 258/1. The malis … of the vi merkis worth of land of the Redecastell.
1583. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., IV. 55 b. This victualler had about him in Gold to the Worth of 20. Florins.
1607. Shaks., Timon, III. iii. 22. I’de rather then the worth of thrice the summe, Had sent to me first.
1627. Treasurer’s Almanacke (ed. 2), B 6. The Operation of the worth of 30 li. Annuitie for 6 yeares.
a. 1687. Petty, Polit. Arith., viii. (1691), 108. If the Tradesmen … could do one Million worth of Work extraordinary.
1781. Cowper, Table-T., 85. The worth of his three kingdoms I defy, To lure me to the baseness of a lie.
1859. Tennyson, Geraint & Enid, 410. ‘Take Five horses and their armours;’… ‘My lord, I scarce have spent the worth of one!’
1890. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Col. Reformer, xxiii. He always gets the worth of his money.
† c. In allusive phr.: The amount or value of something small or insignificant. Obs.
13[?]. Guy Warw. (A.), 150. Þer nas man … Þat bireft him worþ of a slo.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. IV. 170. Ȝit ȝeue ȝe me neuere þe worthe of a russhe.
1546. J. Heywood, Prov., I. x. (1867), 24. Beggyng of hir booteth not the woorth of a beane.
† d. Money (in contrast to goods). Obs. rare.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 5393. Þai had noþer worth ne ware Þat þai moght for þair mete spare.
2. The relative value of a thing in respect of its qualities or of the estimation in which it is held.
Freq. with implication of high value: cf. b.
1340. Ayenb., 82. Hit sseweþ þet þe wordle is ydel, ine byinge vyl, in worþ biter.
1390. Gower, Conf., I. 25. Of Selver that was overforth Schal ben a world of lasse worth.
1570. Levins, Manip., 174/2. Ye Worth of a thing, precium, dignitas.
1599. Storer, Life & D. Wolsey, C 3. A man made old to teach the worth of age.
1605. Camden, Rem., Epitaphs, 42. This bad inscription which I insert more for the honor of the name, then the worth of the verse.
1616. T. Draxe, Bibl. Scholast., 2. A man knoweth not the worth of a thing before that he wanteth it.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. i. 880. Nor doth the bold’st attempts bring forth Events still equal to their worth.
1746. Francis, trans. Horace, Art Poet., 526. Let them not come forth, ’Till the ninth ripening Year mature their Worth.
1782. Miss Burney, Cecilia, VIII. ix. I knew not … the full worth of steadiness and prudence till I knew this young man.
1857. Maurice, Epist. St. John, i. 4. He made me see the worth of habits, the worth of acts, the worth of moral purposes.
1877. C. Geikie, Christ, xxxi. (1879), 370. The worth of man’s homage to God does not depend on the place where it is paid.
b. High or outstanding value, excellence. Obs. or arch.
1617. J. Taylor (Water P.), Three Weeks’ Observ., D 2 b. A paire of such Organs, which for worth and workemanship are vnparalelld in Christendome.
1659. Gentl. Calling, VI. xvii. 435. Any thing that carries the stamp of ancient worth and nobility.
1678. Wanley, Wond. Lit. World, V. ii. § 16. 469/2. A covetous Pelagian, and one that had nothing of worth in him.
3. The character or standing of a person in respect of moral and intellectual qualities; esp. high personal merit or attainments.
In early use also comprising rank or dignity.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., II. iv. 102. His worth is warrant for his welcome hether. Ibid. (1593), Rich. II., III. iii. 110. By the Worth and Honor of himselfe,… His comming hither hath no further scope, Then for his Lineall Royalties.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 19. He was a iust Prince, full of worth and magnanimitie.
1621. Brathwait, Nat. Embassie, Ded. A 2. The accomplished mirror of true worth, Sr. T. H. the elder.
1655. Ashe, Funeral Serm. Gataker, 46. To favour the Son very highly for his own worth and work in the Ministry.
1728. Young, Love Fame, III. 265. How hard for real worth to gain its price?
1753–4. Richardson, Grandison, I. xvi. 103. I regard him … for his own worth’s sake, and for his uncle’s.
1788. J. Hurdis, Village Curate (1797), 14. The down-cast eye of modest worth, Which shrinks at its own praise.
1827. Southey, Funeral Song, P’cess Charlotte of Wales, 21. Henry, thou of saintly worth.
1872. Morley, Voltaire, 3. Each did much to raise the measure of worth … of mankind.
b. In pl., † sometimes of one person.
a. 1586. Sidney, Arcadia, II. ii. § 4. How can you him unworthy then decree, In whose chiefe parte your worthes implanted be?
a. 1593. Marlowe & Nashe, Dido, III. iv. 1037. If that your maiestie can looke so lowe, As my despised worths.
1616. T. Scot, Philomythie, II. C 3. If either of you, thinke you can Out of your owne worths, proue more fit.
1631. Weever, Anc. Funeral Mon., 116. Honourably preferred, and prouided for according to their worthes.
4. In the phrases of great, little, no, etc., worth.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. iii. 21. A goodlie Ladie … That seemed to be a woman of great worth.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. lxii. § 15. As the sacrament it selfe is a gift of no meane woorth.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., V. iv. 161. Euerie day Men of great worth resorted to this forrest.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 70. Seeing resistance of no worth, [they] fled.
1784. Cowper, Task, VI. 952. Forgive him, then, thou bustler in concerns Of little worth.
1820. Shelley, Hymn Merc., xxx. Caldrons and tripods of great worth.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, II. 397. And two dear things are one of double worth.
1846. Landor, Imag. Conv., Colonna & Buonarotti, Wks. II. 217/2. A man of highest worth.
b. Of worth: of high merit or excellence.
c. 1586. C’tess Pembroke, Ps. XLV. i. My harte endites an argument of worth.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., III. i. 107. She … is promis’d by her friends Vnto a youthfull Gentleman of worth.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 38. Rings and Iewels of Gold inammeld and set with stones of worth and lustre.
1686. trans. Chardin’s Coronat. Solyman, 84. All the Kaanas or Governments of Persia were likewise bestow’d upon persons of worth.
1766. Fordyce, Serm. Yng. Wm. (1767), I. Pref. p. vii. Women of worth and sense are to be found everywhere.
1816. L. Hunt, Rimini, IV. 391. Her thin white hand, that wore a ring of worth.
1825. Scott, Betrothed, xxvii. The sordid wretches … conceive those temptations too powerful for men of worth.
5. The position or standing of a person in respect of property; hence concr., possessions, property, means. Obs. or arch.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., II. vi. 32. They are but beggers that can count their worth.
1598. Manwood, Lawes Forest, xvi. (1615), 109. Euery Gentleman, Husbandman, Farmer and householder of any worth.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 206. They … generally loue play:… so that … they will hazard all their worth, themselues, wiues, children and other substance.
1753–4. Richardson, Grandison (1781), II. 227. She gave in an estimate of her worth, to what amount the Ladies knew not.
1812. Crabbe, Tales, xvii. 172. To legal claims he yielded all his worth.
† 6. To take at, of, or to worth; to take (accept, bear, have) in worth, or in good worth; to take (or bear) well in worth: to take (something) at its true or proper value; to take in good part, to be content with. (See also AWORTH adv.) Obs.
(a) 1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XII. 125. Take we her wordes at worthe, for here witnesse be trewe.
1483. Vulgaria abs Terentio, n ij. I thanke the that thou tokist it to worthe. Ibid., q ij b. Thi mynde or hert that shulde take it at worthe.
c. 1520. Everyman, 903. This memoryall men may haue in mynde, Ye herers take it of worth.
(b) c. 1481. Paston Lett., III. 278. Yf she be eny better than I wryght for, take it in woo[r]the, I shew the leeste.
c. 1490. Caxton, Rule St. Benet (1902), 134. He that it was sent vnto shall take it in worthe & cherefully.
c. 1520. Skelton, Magnyf., 1439. And so as ye se it wyll be no better, Take it in worthe suche as ye fynde.
1576. Gascoigne, Kenelworth Castle, Wks. 1910, II. 100. That you take in worth my will, which can but well deserve.
1636. Sir R. Baker, Cato Variegatus, 16. When a poore friend, a small gift gives to thee: Take it in worth: and let it praysed be.
(c) c. 1500. Yng. Child. Bk., 114, in Babees Bk. Be it gode or be it badde, Yn gud worth it muste be had.
1523. [Coverdale], trans. Dulichius’ Old God (1534), O j. Yf greate abbottes wolde take my salutation in good worthe it sholde be redy for theym.
1549. Latimer, 3rd Serm. bef. Edw. VI. (Arb.), 82. It becommeth me to take it in good worthe, I am not better then he was.
1576. R. Peterson, G. della Casa’s Galateo, 26. Some … neuer take in good worthe the honour and courtesie that men doe vnto them.
1609. Holland, Amm. Marcell., A ij b. Not doubting that you wil take this small gift in good worth.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., I. vi. 16. He compounds with his father to accept in good worth the utmost of his endeavour.
(d) a. 1542. Wyatt, Poems, Lo! how I seek, 8 Hap evyll or good I shallbe glad To take that comes as well in worthe.
1564. Brief Exam., A iiij. I trust your most Reuerende fatherhood wyll beare all these thynges well in worth.
1592. Timme, Ten Eng. Lepers, A 2. Pardon my rudenesse herein, and take it well in woorth.
