Obs. Forms: 1 wracu, 3–5 wrak, 4 north. wrac, 5 wraak, Sc. vrak; 2– wrake, 5–6 Sc. wraik. [OE. wracu (oblique cases wrace, wræce), f., revenge, vengeance, etc., = Goth. wraka persecution, f. the same stem as OE. wræc neut., WRACK sb.1 For the related OS. wrâka, OHG. râhha, see WRECHE sb.]
1. Suffering that comes or is inflicted as a retribution or penalty; retributive punishment, vengeance, revenge. Also (b) coupled with cognate terms.
Beowulf, 2336. Him ðas guðkyning, wedera þioden, wræce leornode.
c. 825. Vesp. Psalter, lvii. 11. Bið ʓeblissad se rehtwisa ðonne he ʓesið wrece ðeara arleasra.
c. 1050. trans. Bæda’s Hist., I. xv. § 2 (MS. Corpus Camb.). Ne wæs unʓelic wracu þam ðe iu Caldeas bærndon Hierusaleme weallas.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 61. Bute we turnen to gode anradliche, he wile his swerd draȝen, þat is his wrake.
a. 1225. Juliana, 50. Ah we schulen sechen efter wrake on alle þat we biwiteð.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13055. I dred bot þou ne bete þi sake, Þou sal noght dei wit-vten wrake.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 386. [On] þe moste mountaynez … flokked þe folke, for ferde of þe wrake.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xii. (Matthias), 179. At þe laste Iudas for wrake Rubene in þe nek … strake.
c. 1430. Chev. Assigne, 72. Wolt þou werne wrake to hem þat hit deseruethe?
a. 1500. Hist. K. Boccus & Sydracke (? 1510), U j b. That scourge is a swerd of wrake That one shal agayne a nother take.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, II. ii. 120. The cruell wraik of that dissaitfull slycht.
(b) c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 13. Ȝif ȝe … to-brecað mine lare…, þenne scal eou sone ȝewaxen muchele wrake and sake, here and hunger.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 1194. Ic wot hwar sal beo niþ & wrake.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 552. So cam on werlde wreche and wrake.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 890. Til þat worm þan drightin spak wordes bath o wrath and wrak [Trin. wrake].
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 3389. Þer shewed God weyl by þat kas Þat þe kote a cursed was, And tokened wel sorowe and wrake.
1382. Pol. Poems (Rolls), I. 252. The grete vengaunce and wrake That schulde falle for synnes sake.
c. 1400. Sowdone Bab., 2446. Vengeaunce shalle than on you come, With sorowe, woo and wrake!
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 1451. The knyghtis answerd with wo and wrake.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, VII. x. 117. Hevy wraik And sorofull vengence ȝit sall the ourtak.
b. In the phr. to do, have, nim (= take), ta, or take wrake (of, on, or upon a person or thing, or with indirect object).
In freq. use c. 1375–c. 1486, esp. with take.
a. 900[?]. Laws of Ine, ix. Ʒif hwa wrace do, ærðon he him ryhtes bidde.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Luke xviii. 7. Ne deð god his ʓecorenra wrace…?
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., Þa ilke wrake þe ic dude þe, þu scoldest don me.
a. 1200. Moral Ode, 205. God nom … muchele wrake for are misdede.
a. 1275. Prov. Alfred, 647, in O. E. Misc., 136. For he þe wile wrake don.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 11554. On þe sakles he suld ta wrake.
1357. Lay Folks’ Catech. (T.), 485. For to take wrake Or wickedly to venge him opon his euen-cristen.
c. 1450. Ludus Cov., 375. Mercy nay nay they xul haue wrake.
a. 1489. Caxton, Blanchardyn, xxvi. 95. To be pressented … to the kynge of salamandrye,… for to haue wrake vpon hym.
a. 1500. Hist. K. Boccus & Sydracke (? 1510), E j. On thy goddes we shall do wrake.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, XI. vi. 80. The montane Caphareus,… That vengeans tuke and wraik apon our floit.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, III. xxiii. (S.T.S.), II. 40. We desire nowther þe goddis nor men to tak ony wraik or punyssement on ȝow.
1613. Chapman, Hymn to Hymen, Plays, 1873, III. 122. Let Peace grow cruell, and take wrake of all.
c. In wrake of, in revenge or punishment for. Sc.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxx. (Theodera), 799. In wrak of hyr fals plicht [the accuser] deit sodanely in þare sicht.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, III. iv. 91. For strang hunger sall ȝe stand in sic state, In wraik of our iniuris and bestis slane.
2. Adverse action; active enmity; hostility; mischief.
a. 1023. Wulfstan, Hom. (1883), 106. His sunu hatte Mars, se macode æfre ʓewinn, and wrohte, and saca and wraca he styrede ʓelome.
c. 1205. Lay., 4040. Wrake wes on londe; wa wes þone vnstronge.
a. 1327. Metr. Treat. Dreams, in Rel. Ant., I. 262. Armes y-sen ant eke bataille, Hit is strif ant wrake withoute faille.
c. 1330. Amis & Amil., 397. All thus the wrake gan biginne, And with wrethe thai went atvinne, Tho bold bernes to.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XVIII. 85. What þorw werre and wrake and wycked hyfdes, May no preiour pees make in no place.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 125. Hertis devided have caused mochel wrake.
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 1675. Syr gawayne And mordreite that mykelle couthe of wrake.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XX. i. 797. For and there ryse warre and wrake betwyx syr launcelot and vs, wete you wel [etc.].
3. Distress of body or mind; pain, suffering, misery.
a. 1000. Phœnix, 51 (Gr.), Nis þær on þam londe … ne wop ne wracu, weatacen nan.
c. 1320. Bonaventura’s Medit., 366. My breþren also, kepe hem fro wrake.
13[?]. Sir Beues (A.) 328. A was ibrouȝt in tene & wrake Ofte for þat childes sake.
13[?]. Leg. St. Gregory, 338. He tok þat child wiþouten hete and bar it hom wiþouten wrake.
c. 1440. Capgrave, St. Kath., 866. Þis wille turne vs all to wrake & to dole.
c. 1450. Ludus Coventriæ, 189. He xall suffer for mannys sake … moch gret sorow and wrake.
4. Destructive harm or injury; wrecked, ruined or impaired state or condition; ruin, destruction, wreck.
a. 1275. Prov. Alfred, 142, in O. E. Misc., 111. For God may giuen wanne he wele goed after yuil, wele after wrake.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1815. He wol þe chacy as ys fo & werche þe sorwe & wrake.
a. 1400. R. Gloucester’s Chron. (Rolls), II. 786. Her was muche manqualm, wrake was in londe.
c. 1400. Anturs of Arth., xvii. These wrechut wurmus … wurchen me this wrake. Thus to wrake am I wroȝte, Waynor, i-wis.
c. 1450. Guy Warw. (C.), 1158. For thy sake To vs ys comen moche wrake, And all for the loue of the.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, VII. xx. 244. He wil doo moche harme…, and worche you wrake in this countray.
a. 1586. Montgomerie, Banks Helicon, 47. Fals Helene … causd King Priamus wraik [v.r. wrake] In Troy.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.), II. 178. That sik hatred war nocht the occasioun of the wrake of the hail Realme.
1602. Chettle, Hoffman, I. (1631), B 4 b. Newes … more welcome then the sad discourse of Leninberg our nephewes timeles wrake.
b. In the phr. to bring unto, to fall into, to go, put, or work to wrake.
a. 1425. Cursor M., 9204 (Trin.). Ierusalem was stroyed & take; þat kyngdome fel in to wrake.
c. 1425. Non-Cycle Myst. Plays, 35. Alas, all þen had gone to wrake; Wold ye haue slayne my son Isaac!
c. 1435. Chron. London (Kingsford, 1905), 15. Jurrours went also to Wrake, wher that they myht be ffounde.
1513. Douglas, Æneid, II. vii. 110. By multitude and nomer on ws set All ȝeid to wraik.
c. 1550. R. Bieston, Bayte Fortune, A ij b. Displeasure and thought doth bring him vnto wrake.
1565. Satir. Poems Reform., i. 107. W[hi]ch made muche myserye, and wrought this realme to wrake.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 158. Quhen his armie was al put to wrake.
5. An instance or occasion of suffering or inflicting vengeance, harm, injury, or the like.
c. 1300. Cursor M., 4950. Now es vs comen our ald sakes In to wandret new, and wrakes.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 235. Þat oþer wrake þat wex on wyȝez.
13[?]. Coer de L., 1562. Kyng Rychard hys hostel gan take, Thar he gan hys fyrste wrak.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Chron., I. 1361. V. wrakys syndry has our tane … þis Brettane. Ibid., II. 533. The wrakys ten in Egipte rasse.
c. 1440. Bone Florence, 1977. God had sende on hym a wrake, That in the palsye can he schake.
a. 1450. Le Morte Arth., 948. The quene … swore to venge hyr of that wrake.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. (S.T.S.), I. 125. Seand nathing bot wraikis to come to hir pretendit husband.
Hence † Wrakedom, revenge. Obs. rare–1.
c. 1205. Lay., 76. For þe wrake-dome of Menelaus quene,… for hire weoren on ane daȝe hund þousunt deade.
