Wry v.¹

Obs. exc. dial. Forms: Inf. (and Pres. stem). 1 wreon, 3 wreoen, 5 wrene, wre; 1 wryon, 3 wri(h)en, 4 wryen, 5 wrine, wryne, wryyn; 3 wreie, wrihe, 4 wriȝ-, 4–5 wrye, wrie, wri, 4–9 wry. Pa. t. 1 wrah, wreah, 3 wreȝe, 3–4 wreih, 4 wreyh, wreighe, wreygh, wrei, wrey, wray; pl. 1 wriʓon, wruʓon, 2–3 wruȝen, 3 wruhen, 3 wriȝen, wrien, 4 wreȝen, wreghen. Pa. pple. 1 wriʓen, wroʓen, 4 wrien, wryen, wrin; 3 iwriȝen, 3–4 i-, 4 ywrien, ywryen; 3–5 i-, 4–5 ywrie, ywry(e, 3 iwroȝe, 4 ywryȝe, 4–5 ywriȝe; 4 wriȝe, 4–5 wrye, 5 wrie; 3–4 wreon, 4 wreiȝen, 3 wreȝe, 4 y-, iwreȝe; 4–5 wreygh, wreighe, wreye. Weak pa. t. and pple. 4–5 wryed, wried, 4 wryde, 6 wride. [OE. wréon (pa. t. wráh, wréah, pl. wriʓon, wruʓon, pa. pple. wriʓen, wroʓen), wríon, *wríhan (ONorthumb. wríʓa), = NFris. wreye, OHG. *rîhan (in intrîhan, inrîhan, ‘revelare’). Cf. BEWRY v.¹, OVERWRY v., UNWRY v.]

  † 1.  trans. To lay, place or spread a cover over (something); to overlay with some covering; to cover up or over. Obs.

c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., Mark xiv. 65. Ongunnun summe efneʓespitta … hine & … wriʓa onsione his.

c. 1205.  Lay., 27859. Þe while he wurchen lette … ane cheste longe And wreon heo al mid golde.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 53. Uorþi was ihoten a Godes half … þet put were euer iwrien.

c. 1275.  Lay., 7781. Þe toppe [of a tower] mihte wreie on cniht mid his cope.

c. 1366.  Chaucer, Rom. Rose, 56. Ther is neither busk nor hay in May that it nyl shrouded bene And it with newe leues wrene. Ibid. (c. 1386), Knt.’s T., 2046. The maister strete That sprad was al with blak and wonder hye Right of the same is the strete ywrye.

c. 1440.  Pallad. on Husb., I. 348. With marbil or with tile thy floryng wrie. Ibid., XIII. 47. The vessel fild be closid clene or wrie.

1499.  Promp. Parv. (Pynson), t i b/2. Wryyn or hyllyn, tego.

a. 1825.  Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Wry, to cover close.

  fig.  c. 1412.  Hoccleve, De Reg. Princ., 1686. Þe feend,… with many a circumstaunce Ful sly, him castiþ þe wrappe in & wrye.

  b.  To cover or rake up (a fire) so as to keep it alive. (Cf. RAKE v.¹ 5.) Now dial.

  Cf. Ovid, Met., IV. 64 ‘Quoque magis tegitur, tanto magis aestuat ignis’; also Fr. ‘Le feu plus couvert est le plus ardant’ (Cotgr. s.v. Feu).

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, II. 539. Wel þe hottere ben þe gledes rede, That men hym wrien with asshe pale and dede. Ibid. (c. 1385), L. G. W., 735, Thisbe. As wry the glede & hettere is the fyr; Forbede a loue and it is ten so wod.

a. 1895.  in Rye, E. Angl. Gloss., 251.

  † 2.  To cover (a person) with a garment (or armor); to clothe, attire. Also refl. Occas. in fig. context. Obs.

a. 901.  Ælfred, in Thorpe, Laws, I. 52. Ʒif mon næbbe buton anfeald hræʓl hine mid io wreonne oþþe to werianne.

c. 950.  Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xxv. 36. Ic wæs … nacod & ʓie clæðdon uel ʓie wriʓon meh.

a. 1000.  Genesis, 1572. Þæt he ne mihte … hine handum self mid hræʓle wryon.

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 2246. Tuo hondred kniȝtes al so, Wel ywrie wiþ þe atyl.

1303.  R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 1148. Wrye me with sum cloþe.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, II. 380. Swych loue of frendes regneth al þis town, And wre yow in þat mantel euere mo. Ibid. (c. 1385), L. G. W., 1201, Dido. Dido al in gold & perre wrye.

c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 6684. Of his hondwerk wolde he gete Clothes to wryne hym.

  † b.  To put trappings or armor on (a horse); to caparison, trap, harness. Obs.

1297.  R. Glouc. (Rolls), 1281. Mid vif hondred hors iwrie … Þe erl of kent was in a wode him vor to awreke. Ibid., 2052, 4076, 4096, etc.

13[?].  Sir Beues (A.), 3761. Beues … seȝ þe strete ful aboute Of stedes wrien [v.r. ytrapped] and armes briȝt.

13[?].  K. Alis., 1606 (Laud MS.). Þer men miȝtten quyk yseen Many hors wiþ trappen wryen.

14[?].  Sir Beues (C.), 4145 + 13. Þauȝe þat hors were with yren wrye Syr Befyse smote clene a way.

  † 3.  To cover (a thing, or person) so as to protect, keep warm, or conceal. Obs.

a. 1000.  Genesis, 2170. Ic þe … wið weana ʓehwam wreo & scylde folmum minum.

a. 1000.  Riddles, xxvi[i]. 12. Mec [= a book] siþþan wrah hæleð hleobordum.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 84. Þes fikelares mester is to wrien, & te helien þet gong þurl.

a. 1240.  Wohunge, in O. E. Hom., I. 279. Alle gate þu hafdes hwer þu mihtes wrihe þine banes.

1340.  Ayenb., 66. Þe þornhog þet ys al ywryȝe myd prikyinde eles.

c. 1369.  Chaucer, Dethe Blaunche, 627. She is the monstres heed ywryen, As filth over ystrowed with floures. Ibid. (c. 1386), Sompn. T., 119. Though I him wrye a-nyght and make hym warm.

c. 1440.  Pallad. on Husb., XIII. 34. From the wynd hem wrie With donge.

  refl.  c. 1230.  Hali Meid. (1922), 66. Ȝef þu wel wrist te under godes wengen.

13[?].  K. Alis., 2786. With targes, and hurdices, Theo Gregeis heom wryed als the wise.

c. 1330.  Amis & Amil., 2333. He … in a bed him dight, And wreighe him wel warm aplight, With clothes.

c. 1400.  Rom. Rose, 6795. I haue … wel leuer … wrie me in my foxerie Vnder a cope of paperlardie.

c. 1440.  Jacob’s Well, 265. He leyd hym in his bed,… he wryed hym.

1447.  Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 175. Wyth hir mantyl he [sc. a child] dede hym wrye.

  absol.  c. 1440.  Jacob’s Well, 140. Þe chylderyn of mannys gettyng vnder þi weengys, god, wrying, In hope schul be gyed.

  † b.  To conceal or hide (a matter, etc.); to keep secret or unrevealed. Obs.

a. 1000.  Genesis, 876. For hwon wast þu wean & wrihst sceome.

a. 1200.  Moral Ode, 160, in O. E. Hom., I. 169. Al scal þer bon þanne unwron, þet men wruȝen her and helen.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 84. Mid his preisunge [he] heleð & wrihð mon his sunne. Ibid. (a. 1275), 420 (MS. Cott. Cleop.). Wrihen ha schal hire scheome, as sunfule Eue dohter.

c. 1320.  Cast. Love, 918. God … nom of hire his monhede Þorw whom he wrey his Godhede.

1340.  Ayenb., 61. Huanne þe blondere … excuseþ and wryeþ þe kueades and þe zennes of ham.

c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, IV. 1654. God, to whom þer nys no cause y-wrye.

1387–8.  T. Usk, Test. Love, II. v. (Skeat), l. 102. He wryeth moche venim with moche welth.

1412–20.  Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. 1813. For al þe foule schal couertly be wried, Þat no defaute outward be espied.

c. 1460.  Wisdom, 862, in Macro Plays, 63. With þe crose & þe pyll I xall wrye yt.

a. 1500.  Ragman Roll, 157 (MS. Bodl. 638, fol. 217 b). Though they her malice inwarde keuyr & wrye.

  refl.  c. 1374.  Chaucer, Troylus, I. 329. And ay of loues seruantz euery while, Hym-self to wre, at hem he gan to smyle.

  † c.  To disguise (a person). Obs. rare^–1.

1567.  Golding, Ovid’s Met., V. 61 b. The Gods … were faine themselues to hide In forged shapes… Ioue the Prince of Gods was wride In shape of Ram.

  † 4.  Of things: To serve as a covering to (a person or thing); to be spread or extended over.

a. 1000.  Genesis, 1386. Flod ealle wreah … hea beorgas.

c. 1000.  Sax. Leechd., II. 242. Sio filmen biþ þeccende & wreonde þa wambe & þa innofaran.

a. 1200.  Vices & Virtues, 95. Ðe faste hope hafð hire stede up an heih, for ði hie is rof and wrikð alle ðe hire bieð beneðen.

a. 1225.  Ancr. R., 150. Þe rinde, þet wrih [v.r. wrið] hit, þet is þe treouwes warde. Ibid., 390. Þis scheld þet wreih his Godhed was his leoue licome.

1340.  Ayenb., 167. Vor þet is þe sseld of gold … þet him wriȝþ of eche half ase zayþ þe sauter.

1447.  Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 143. In … Februarye … Whan frost & cold þe erthe doth wrye.

1642.  D. Rogers, Naaman, 581. Even as the bed … that is so narrow, that it will not wry them warme.

  † b.  To cover or stretch over (an expanse of ground). Obs.

c. 1205.  Lay., 5192. Weoren þa hulles and þa dæles iwriȝen mid þan dæden. Ibid., 17349. Þa Irisce fullen & wriȝen al þa feldes.

13[?].  Guy Warw. (A.), 4049. Or Sarrazins … was wrin al þe feld.

c. 1330.  Arth. & Merl., 1964 (Kölbing). To Winchester þai gun spede Wiþ so michel pople of men, Þat þai wreȝen doun & den.

13[?].  K. Alis., 1992 (Laud MS.). Alisaunder þi foo … Liggeþ now, wiþ swiche preye, Þat he wriȝeþ [v.r. wrieth] al þe contreye.