adv. Obs. Forms: see AGAIN. [f. AGAIN adv. + -WARD. Cf. outward, backward. Used in most of the senses of AGAIN, of which it is to be viewed as a more distinctly adverbial form.]
1. In the opposite direction; hence, backward, away back, back again.
1205. Layamon, 27083. Aȝeinward heo buȝen þa.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 43. Ne con ha neauer ifinden na wei aȝainward.
c. 1320. R. Brunne, Medit., 1046. Oftyn aȝenward Marye gan loke.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Man of Laws T., 343. Sayle Out of Surrye agaynward to Ytaille.
1470. Harding, Chron., cix. As they onto theyr shyppes agaynwarde flewe.
1634. Malory’s Arthur (1816), II. 135. He looked still upon his horse till he saw you come in againward.
2. In return, in reply, back.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 183. With slenges and magneles þei kast to Kyng Richard, Our Cristen bi parcelles kasted ageynward.
c. 1440. Generydes, 4492. Of his loue ayenwards I am sure.
c. 1520. More, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., I. 72, I. 203. The Lettres agaynward devised and sent by my lord Admirall to her.
3. Over again; once more.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1431. Bote ich him aȝeward gete may. Ibid., 3306. He hoteþ euery man; to þe assaut aȝeward come.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, V. xiv. (1859), 81. Thou shalt eftsones receyue thy body, and ben to hym ayeneward conioined.
1541. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Cyrurg. Agaynwarde they ramyfye in to two partyes.
4. Conversely; vice versâ.
1340. Ayenb., 49. Of man of þe wordle to wyfman of religioun, oþer ayeanwarde of wyfman of þe wordle to man of religioun.
c. 1400. Apol. for Loll., 19. Ilk synning to þe deþ is an heretik; as aȝen ward a heretik is he þat synniþ to þe deþ.
1485. Caxton, Trevisa’s Higden (1527), 3. In some place I must chaunge the ordre of wordes and sette actyf for passif and agaynwarde.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Kal., xxxvii. When the Sun is in the signes septentrionals, their shadowes be toward the parts of the signes meridionals, and so againward.
5. Contrariwise; on the contrary; on the other hand.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 8053. Bot þe dampned bodyse ogayn-ward Salle in helle fele payns strang and hard.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., 371. Where Aȝenward, if all this same receit schulde come into the hondis of grete Lordis or of Knyȝtis, it schulde not be so weel spend.
1534. More, Comf. agst. Trib., II. Wks. 1557, 1166/1. An occasion of meryte too, whiche the wealthye manne hath not agayneward.
