v. Obs. Forms: Inf. 1 adrenc-an, 2– adrenche(n. Pa. t. 1–3 adrenc-te, 2–3 adrengte, adrente, adreinte; 4 adraynte, 4–5 adreynte. Pa. pple. 1 adrenc-ed, 2–3 adrenct, adrent, adreint; 4–5 adreynt, adraynt. [f. A- pref. 1 intensive + DRENCH, OE. drencan, causal deriv. of drink. Cf. Ger. ertränken.] lit. and fig. throughout.
1. To give to drink.
1340. Ayenb., 92. He uoluelþ þe herte of loue … and him adrengþ of ane zuetnesse wonderuol. Ibid., 251. And hire adraynkþ and makeþ him dronke of holy loue.
2. trans. To submerge, to drown.
a. 1000. Ags. Met. Ps. cv. 10. Heora feondas flód adrencte.
c. 1150. Cott. Hom., 225. Ic nelle henon forð mancyn mid watere adrenche.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 141. Heo wende to gederes, and adreinte pharao.
1297. R. Glouc., 437. Hys sones were ȝut alyue, þat adrencte were atte laste.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. I. 195. Helle was adraynt in that see [submersa].
1494. Fabyan, V. cxxx. 112. Ye last bishop was a dreynte,.
3. refl. To drown (oneself).
c. 1230. Ancren Riwle, 230. Te swin anonriht urnen & adreinten ham suluen iðer see.
1340. Ayenb., 50. An ȝuo moche drinke; þet hy ham adrencheþ.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, I. xiii. (1859), 10. Adrenchyng hym self, as it were, in worldly vanyte.
4. intr. (by omission of refl. pron.) To be drowned, or drown; to perish in the water; to ‘go down,’ as a ship. (In this const. it = ADRINK, and often interchanges with it; see first quot.)
1205. Layamon, 2206. Ferde into ane watere · þer inne he adronc [1250 a-dreint].
c. 1230. Ancren Riwle, 220. Þer adreinte Pharao, & hore uoan alle.
c. 1305. Pilate, in E. E. Poems (1862), 118. Þo com þer a gret tempest … Þat schipes adreynte þere menie on.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. X. 408. And men þat maden it · amydde þe flode adreynten.
