[ad. L. convict-us proved, convicted, confuted, pa. pple. of convincĕre: see CONVINCE. It occurs in AFr. in Act 38 Edw. III. 1364–5.] † A. as pa. pple. Obs.
1. Proved or pronounced guilty of an offence by a tribunal. Const. of.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, vi. 1. Lord in thi dome … sett noght swilk skilles agayns me þat i be conuycte.
1382. Wyclif, Ex. xxi. 17. Who stelith a man, and sellith hym, conuycte [1388 conuyt] of the trespas, with deeth dye he.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 411/3. Wherof he was conuycte and wes shorne a monke.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop., I. (Arb.), 47. Him that is conuicte of manslaughter.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., I. iv. 189.
| Or who pronounc’d | |
| The bitter sentence of poore Clarence death, | |
| Before I be conuict by course of Law? |
1670. Cotton, Espernon, III. XII. 636. He had been Convict of having four Wives at one and the same time.
1738. Hist. Crt. Excheq., v. 96. He shall be held as convict.
1820. Byron, Mar. Fal., V. i. 481. Convict by many witnesses … of the guilt of treachery and treason.
b. with other const.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 459. They that were convict in conspiracie aȝenst hym.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VII. vi. 24. Mysdoaris for þare trespas convyct.
1460. Capgrave, Chron., 154. The Jewys of Norwych were convicte before the Kyng, that thei had stole a child.
1525. Tindale, N. T., Prol. We … are … convicte to eternall damnacioun.
1534. Whitinton, Tullyes Offices, I. (1540), 20. Suche … be as conuyct in the same iniury.
a. 1614. Donne, Βιαθανατος (1644), 94. A witch, which is convict to have eaten a man.
a. 1734. North, Exam., Chronol., 24 May 1681. Welmore convict for kidnapping.
2. Proved guilty of error or reprehensible action.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Cor. xiv. 24. If alle men prophecien, forsoth if ony vnfeithful man or ydiot entre, he is conuict of alle, he is wyseli demed of alle.
1515. Barclay, Egloges, III. (1570), c lij/1. He shalbe convict of liuing repreuable.
1616. B. Jonson, Epigrammes, I. lxviii. Playwright convict of publick wrongs to men.
1700. Dryden, Fables, Cinyras & M., 228. For Myrrha stood convict of ill, Her reason vanquish’d but unchang’d her will.
a. 1845. Hood, Ghost, xiii. And you, Sir … Of perjured faith convict.
3. Proved, demonstrated, made evident.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 3. He is conuict not to be His vicar.
4. Brought to internal conviction.
1558. Knox, First Blast (Arb.), 36. Cain no doubte was conuict in conscience.
1613. Jackson, Creed, I. cxvi. Wks. I. 115. The later Grecians having their consciences convict with the evidence.
5. Overcome, vanquished, subdued.
c. 1430. Capgrave, Life St. Kath., 147. Oure faderis here-beforn … were neuere in bataill, neyther conuycte ne lorn.
1545. Raynold, Byrth Mankynde, 129. Which [food] for the copye and superfluite therof can not be conuicte ne ouercume of nature.
¶ Accused.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 132. No fault could be found against any of the Personnes that were convict before the king. By reason wherof, diverse … were restored to their offices.
B. as adj. 1. = CONVICTED.
1549. Coverdale, in Udall’s Erasm. Par., James, 30. A convicte transgressour of the lawe.
a. 1625. in Rushw., Hist. Coll. (1659), I. 343. His wife being a convict popish Recusant.
a. 1695. Wood, Life (1848), 313, note. A convict libeller.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 528, ¶ 1. By fineing Batchelors as Papists convict.
1865. Nichols, Britton, II. 2. Unless he died as a felon convict.
† 2. Proved, manifest. Obs.
1741. Warburton, Div. Legat., II. 481. To argue against convict impertinencies.
