v. Pa. t. and pple. climbed; arch. clomb. [OE. climb-an, clamb (clǫmb), clumbon, clumben, corresp. to OHG. chlimban, MHG. klimben, klimmen, MDu., MLG., Du., LG., Ger. klimmen:—WGer. *klimban. Believed to be a nasalized form of OTeut. *kliƀan (see CLEAVE v.2), the m being perh. originally a characteristic of the present stem, which has been extended to the other parts, and has carried the vb. from the ablaut series of î, ai, i, into that of im, am, um. Hence the sense-development ‘cleave, adhere to, get up by clinging or adhering’; for which cf. OE. clífan to cleave, cling, MDu. clîven to cleave, stick, also to climb, ON. klífa and ME. clīven to climb. In all the modern langs. the b is lost in pronunciation, and in most in spelling also; but in Eng., although climme, clime, formerly prevailed, the spelling now recognized is climb. In most of the dialects the i is short, clim; but the standard language, like east midland and eastern, has the i long (kləim), the vowel being lengthened before mb, app. as before nd in bind, find, etc. (But clear evidence of the long vowel has not been found before the 16th c.) The original strong inflexions also remain dialectally (notably in Sc. clim, clam, clum), but in the south, weak forms appeared already in 13th c., and prevail in 16th c. prose; no others occur in Shaksp. or in the Bible of 1611. But the Elizabethan archaists affected a pa. t. and pple. clome, cloame, clōmbe, which they appear to have taken from Chaucer or Lydgate, and mistakenly pronounced with long ō. (In the ME. clomb(e, o was either short, as a variant of clamb, or more usually a graphic expedient for u before m; and in the dialects in which clom has come down the o is short.) From Spenser and his contemporaries, clōmb passed into later poetry, and occasionally appears in prose, especially in writers familiar with the strong clam, clom, or clum in dialect use.]
A. Forms.
(From the ambiguity of the spelling it is often uncertain whether climbe, clymb, climb, clyme, in 15–16th c. meant (klim) or (kləim), and whether clomb(e in 16–17th c. meant (klvm) or (klōum).)
1. Present stem. α. 1 climb-an, 2–5 -en, 3–7 climbe, 4–6 clymbe; 3– clim, 5–6 clym, clymme, 6–7 climme, mod. dial. clim.
a. 1000. Sal. & Sat. (Gr.), 414. Leoht … clymmað on ʓecyndo.
c. 1205. Lay., 851. He lette an heh climben [c. 1275 clemben].
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 527. Clerkes him made clim.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxv. 424. Ȝone tre I will go too, and in it clyme [rhyme hym].
1570. Levins, Manip., 131. To Climme, scandere.
1627. Drayton, Agincourt (1631), 5. If we want ships, the waves to climme.
1875. Lanc. Gloss., Clim, pa. t. clom.
1875. Sussex Gloss., Clim.
So 1876. Mid. Yorkshire, and Whitby Gloss., and in all northern dialects.
1883. Hampshire Gloss.
1888. W. Somerset Word-bk. and Berks. Gloss.
β. 3–4 clemb-e(n, 5 clem, clemme.
c. 1275. Lay., 851. He lette clemben an heh.
1489. Caxton, Faytes of A., I. ix. 25. To clemme vp wyth cordes. Ibid., II. xxxv. 154. Cleminge up with ladders.
c. 1500. Melusine, 25. Clemme you vpon som tree.
γ. 6 clyme, 6–7 clime, 6 climbe, 6– climb.
c. 1500. Cocke Lorell’s B. (1843), 12. Some one the shrowedes dyde clyme.
1570. B. Googe, Pop. Kingd., 2. Know that none cane clime [rhyme deuine].
1595. Spenser, Sonn., xiii. She to heauen may clime.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., III. 195. The Nuptial time Approaches for the stately Steed to climb.
2. Past tense. α. 1–9 clamb, 3–6 clam, (5–6 clamme, 6 clame). Plural. 4–5 clamben.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 333. Þe kyng by an laddre to þe ssyp clam.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6361. He clamb mont synai.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, III. 1061. And clamben vp on other fast.
1481. Caxton, Reynard, xxxii. (Arb.), 87. Tho clamme he vpon on hye tree.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. li. 183. The men of armes … clame vp the dykes.
1530. Tindale, Pract. Prelates, Wks. 1849, II. 256. Then the deacons … clamb up thereunto.
1561. Norton & Sackv., Gorboduc, I. i. (1847), 110. He clamme, into the flamyng carte.
1790. Burns, John Anderson, ii. We clamb the hill thegither.
1825. J. Neal, Bro. Jonathan, I. 164. Ye … never clamb a tree.
β. plural. 1 clumbon, 2–5 -en, 4–5 cloumbe(n, clombe(n, clomme(n. Sing. 4–5 clomb(e.
a. 1123. O. E. Chron., an. 1070. Hi … clumben upp to the halʓe rode.
c. 1205. Lay., 9420. Ouer þene wal heo clumben.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 410. Myd laudren hii clommen [1448 MS. Coll. Arms With laddre vp they clombe].
c. 1340. Cursor M., 13459 (Trin.). Ihesus clomb [earlier MSS. clamb] vp into a hille.
c. 1384. Chaucer, H. Fame, III. 28. Vp I clombe [v.r. clam, clambe] with alle payne. Ibid. (c. 1386), Miller’s T., 450. Vp they clomben [v.r. clumben, clumbe] alle thre.
c. 1420. Chron. Vilod., 932. He clomb vp by a walle.
γ. 6–9 clombe, 7 clome, 7– clomb.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., III. iv. 31. She to her wagon clombe; clombe all the rest.
1619. H. Hutton, Follie’s Anat. (1842), 7. My lame-legd muse nere clome Pernassus.
1697. Dryden, Æneid, VIII. 293. He clomb, with eager haste, th’ Aerial height.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), I. 492. We clomb a high pinnacle.
1805. Wordsw., Waggoner, I. 102. As when he clomb from Rydal-Mere.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, III. iv. Now clombe the rocks projecting high.
1833. Tennyson, Poems, 84. Hither … she clomb [rhyme dome].
δ. 3–4 clemde; 4–6 clymed, 6 clymmed, clymbd, climed, 6– climbed.
c. 1275. Lay., 21439. Ȝe clemde to hehȝe vppen þisse hulle.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6361 (Gött.). He clymed on mont synay.
c. 1305. St. Kenelm, 123, in E. E. P. (1862), 51. He clemde vpon þis treo.
1480. [see B. 1].
1535. Coverdale, 1 Chron. xii. [xi]. 6. Then Ioab … clymmed vp first.
1539. Cranmer, Luke xix. 4. He clymed [1611 climed] vp into a wylde fygge tree to see him.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 167. He that neuer clymbd neuer fell.
1611. Bible, 1 Sam. xiv. 13. And Ionathan climed vp vpon his hands, and vpon his feete.
3. Pa. pple. α. 1–5 clumben, 2–3 i-, 4 clumbyn, 4–5 cloumben, 5 clommbyn, 6 Sc. clummin.
c. 1205. Lay., 21432. Þu were iclumben haȝe.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., II. vii. 57. Rome ne hadde nat ȝitte … cloumben ouer þe mountaigne.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 606. Halff the craig thai clumbyn had.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 13677. Wen a mon is … Clommbyn all þe Clif.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, IV. lxii. (1869), 205. An old oon þat was clumben … vp on my bed.
1533. Bellenden, Livy, V. (1822), 472. The Gaule that wes clummin to the hicht of the Capitoll.
β. 4 clumbe, cloumbe, 4–5 clombe, clumb, 5–6 clom, (clome), 4–6, dial. -9 clum.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Law’s Prol., 12. Phebus … Degrees was five and fourty clombe on hight [v.r. iclombe, clome].
1554. Turner, in Strype, Eccl. Mem., III. xviii. 149. One is now clom up so high.
γ. 6–7 clo(a)me, 6– clombe, clomb.
1610. Mirr. Mag., 534. Looking downe whence lately I was cloame [rhyme roame].
1619. Drayton, Odes, xiii. 27. Parnassus is not clome By every such Mome.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., I. v. 727. To have Clombe up.
1802. Coleridge, Sibyl. Leaves, II. 189. ’Twas Frederic, who behind my chair had clomb [rhyme home].
1805. Wordsw., Prelude, IV. (1850), 85. A dreary moor Was crossed, a bare ridge clomb.
1866. Cornh. Mag., March, 309. The sun has just climbed—I would write clombe an I dared.
δ. (irreg.) 6 clymmen.
1535. Coverdale, Jer. ix. 21. Deeth is clymmen up in at oure wyndowes.
ε. 3 iclemd, 6 clymmed, 7 climed, 6– climbed.
c. 1275. Lay., 21432. [Þou] þe were iclemde to heȝe.
1544. Supplic. Hen. VIII., in Four Supplic., 35. Hath clymmed vp.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., IV. x. 8. On a Bricke wall haue I climb’d into this Garden.
1678. Yng. Man’s Call., 274. Having climed one step … must presently clime another.
1847. Tennyson, Princess, Prol. 111. He had climb’d across the spikes.
B. Significations.
1. intr. To raise oneself by grasping or clinging, or by the aid of hands and feet; ‘to mount by means of some hold or footing’ (J.); to creep up; to ascend, come, or go up, a perpendicular or steep place. Often with up.
a. 1123. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1070. Clumben upp to þe stepel.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 162. Vs to uorbisne, þet we schullen … climben mid him on hulles.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., XVIII. xxii. (1495), 781. The wylde gotes … clymme vpon harde cragges.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., lxvi. 49. Clymed vnto the mount.
c. 1511. 1st Eng. Bk. Amer. (Arb.), Introd. 29/2. To clyme vp in to the tree to gather frutes.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, II. V. [iv]. Argt., How the hors clame our the wallis of stone.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 38. He that neuer climbde, neuer fell.
1667. Milton, P. L., IV. 191. As a Thief … In at the window climbes.
1718. M. W. Montague, Lett., II. xlix. 54. To climb to the top of it.
1816. Scott, Antiq., vii. ‘I’ll climb up the cliff again.’
b. To climb down: to descend by the same means; also fig. (in recent colloq. usage) to retreat from a position taken up, abate one’s claims, etc.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2238 (Cott.). Freli [we] may climb [v.r. climbe, clymbe] vp and dun.
c. 1425. Seven Sag. (P.), 973. That knave … clam adoune fra bough to boghe.
1887. Morley, in Daily News, 7 July, 5/7. The first words that were said to us when we got there were—and they were said eagerly—‘We hope you have not come to climb down.’ (Laughter and cheers.) Well, we had not come to climb down.
1889. Daily News, 5 Sept., 5/5. Mr. Burns expressed his belief that the dock directors were climbing down.
2. trans. To ascend (anything steep) by hands and feet, creep up; to get to the top or summit of; to mount, scale.
c. 1205. Lay., 20845. [The fox] wildscipe climbið.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 63. Thai stoutly clam the hill.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (1531), 52 b. To clymme this braunche.
1579. Cyuile & Vncyuile Life (1868), 40. It were great pittie to see a tall fellow to clyme a Gibbet.
1611. Bible, Joel ii. 7. They shall clime the wall like men of warre.
1738. Wesley, Ps. cxlvii. Let the shrill Birds … climb the Morning Sky.
1816. Byron, Siege Cor., Prol. 6. We forded the river, and clomb the high hill.
1838. Nichol, Archit. Heav. (1851), 131. He who had clomb heights so lofty.
1862. Ruskin, Munera P. (1880), 92. Its summit in the clouds, invisible, and not to be climbed.
b. To reach or attain (a point) by this action.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 443. Imagine not, that shining like the sunne in earth ye shall climbe the Sunne in heauen.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., II. iv. 181. I must climbe her window. Ibid., III. i. 115. Her chamber is aloft … And built so sheluing, that one cannot climbe it.
1844. A. B. Welby, Poems (1867), 70. I’ve climbed the summit of some breezy hill.
3. Said of the sun, moon, etc.: To mount slowly upwards; to move towards the zenith. a. intr.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 16267 (Trin.). To clymbe aboue þe cloudes alle Þe son shal haue myȝt.
c. 1391. Chaucer, Astrol., II. § 12. As the sonne clymbeth uppere & uppere.
1798. Coleridge, Anc. Mar., III. xv. Till clomb above the eastern bar The horned Moon.
1842. Tennyson, Ulysses, 55. The long day wanes: the slow moon climbs.
1883. Stevenson, Treasure Isl., IV. xxi. 168. The sun had climbed above our girdle of trees.
b. trans.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 16267. To climbe þe cludes all Þe sunn sal haf þe might.
1799. Campbell, Pleas. Hope, I. 289. Oft when yon moon has climb’d the midnight sky.
1870. Bryant, Iliad, I. VII. 232. The sun began to climb the heavens.
4. Of plants: To creep up by the aid of tendrils or by twining. a. intr. b. trans.
1796. H. Hunter, trans. St.-Pierre’s Stud. Nat. (1799), II. 231. The branches … embrace all the surrounding trees, and climb to the height of more than sixteen feet.
1804. J. Grahame, Sabbath, 286. The blossoming pea … climbs the rust-worn bars.
1882. Vines, Sachs’ Bot., 870. The physiological function of tendrils is to take hold of supports … in order to allow the slender-stemmed plant which is furnished with them to climb up.
1884. Bower & Scott, De Bary’s Phaner. & Ferns, 583. Species which do not climb.
5. transf. Of other things: To rise, ascend, force its way upward: either with gradual motion, like smoke, or as the effect of continuous growth. Implying a gradual and continued rising. a. intr.
a. 1000. Sal. & Sat. (Gr.), 414. Leoht … clymmað on ʓecyndo.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., V. v. 477. Let our crooked Smoakes climbe to their Nostrils.
1808. J. Barlow, Columb., I. 412. The stream ungovernable … Climbs, combs tempestuous.
1832. Tennyson, Lotos-Eaters, 18. Up-clomb the shadowy pine above the copse.
1858. G. Macdonald, Phantastes, x. (1878), 152. The colour floated abroad … and clomb, and spread.
b. trans.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 405. For hit [þe flod] clam vche a clyffe cubites fyftene.
1604. Shaks., Oth., II. i. 189. Let the labouring Barke climbe hills of Seas.
1821. Shelley, Prom. Unb., I. 110. The ocean’s purple wave Climbing the land.
6. transf. To slope upward; to form, or be situated on, an ascent, so that the successive parts occupy successively higher points.
a. intr. b. trans.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9948. A tron of iuor graid … Climband vp wit seuen pass.
1570–6. Lambarde, Peramb. Kent (1826), 189. It [Newendene] standeth in the valley, and yet clymeth the hill.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 119. On the East side of the Garden place, Where entrance up from Eden easiest climbes.
1834. Lytton, Pompeii, I. v. The woods and vineyards … then clomb half-way up the ascent.
7. fig. a. intr. To rise by continued effort in dignity, rank or state; to ascend or aspire upward in the intellectual, moral or social scale.
a. 1240. Lofsong, in Cott. Hom., 211. Ich ham heie iclumben wið þis ilke bone.
c. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xxxvi. 21. Þe heghere þai klymbe in honurs and riches.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Monk’s T., 716. Syn in astaat thou clombe were so hye.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 3353. To clym to kyngs astate.
1530. Tindale, Pract. Prelates, Wks. II. 256. When the bishops office began … to be honourable, then the deacons … clamb up thereunto.
1593. Shaks., 3 Hen. VI., IV. vii. 62. Fearelesse minds clyme soonest vnto Crowns.
1657–8. Burton’s Diary (1828), II. 465. The blessing … which we ever climbed at, was mercy, truth, righteousness, and peace.
1845. Sarah Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., I. 89. At the same time Poland … climbed to the highest pinnacle of power she ever possessed.
b. Said of things personified or treated as actors.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 3911. Leccherie hath clombe so hye, That almoost blered is myn yhe.
1580. Sidney, Arcadia, II. (1590), 171. Whose courage was apt to clime over any danger.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., V. xviii. 430. When ambition hath caught hold on pretended religion, how fast will it climb?
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. xxvi. (1865), 212. You could see the first dawn of an idea stealing slowly over his countenance, climbing up by little and little.
c. trans.
1607. Shaks., Timon, I. i. 76. One man … Bowing his head against the steepy Mount To climbe his happinesse.
