v. [a. OF. crucifier (12th c.) = Pr. and Sp. crucificar, repr. a late pop. L. type *crucificāre instead of L. cruci fīgĕre to fasten to the cross, subseq. as one word crucifīgere.]
1. trans. To put to death by nailing or otherwise fastening to a cross; an ancient mode of capital punishment among Orientals, Greeks, Romans, and other peoples; by the Greeks and Romans considered specially ignominious.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 18273 (Cott.). Þis ilk iesu to crucifi [v.r. crucefie].
1382. Wyclif, 2 Sam. xxi. 6. Be there ȝouun to us seuen men of the sonys of hem, that we crucifien hem to the Lord in Gabaa of Saul. Ibid., John xviii. 15. Thei cryeden, seyinge, do awey, do awey, crucifie hym.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. ccxxxiii. 267. About this tyme … ye Iues, vpon Ester Euyn, crucifyed a chyld, named Wyllyam, in ye Cytie of Norwych.
1659. Spenser, Hymne Heavenly Love, 244. Twixt robbers crucifyde.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., III. xv. Malefactors and persons to be crucified.
1838. Thirlwall, Greece, II. 223. He was led to Artaphernes, who immediately ordered him to be crucified.
b. transf. † (a) To fasten or nail to the pillory (obs.); (b) see quot. 1890.
1664. Butler, Hud., II. Lett. to Sidrophel, 14. William Pryn’s [ears] before they were Retrench’d and crucify’d.
1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 12 July, 2/1. A man and a woman were sentenced … to … penal servitude … for the crime of ‘crucifying’ a child. By ‘crucifying’ was meant tying down the child … and beating the helpless little body with a belt.
2. fig. a. In religious use: To mortify, with reference to the Crucifixion of Christ; esp. to destroy the power of (passions, sins, the flesh, etc.).
c. 1320. R. Brunne, Medit., 608. Beholde þe peynes of þy sauyour, And crucyfye þyn herte with grete dolour.
1340. Ayenb., 241. Þet word þet … sainte paul zayde … ‘Þe wordle … is y-crucefyed to me and ich to þe wordle.’
1382. Wyclif, Gal. v. 24. Thei that ben of Crist, han crucified her fleisch with vices and concupiscencis.
1534. Tindale, Rom. vi. 6. Oure olde man is crucified with him also, that the body of synne myght vtterly be destroyed.
a. 1652. J. Smith, Sel. Disc., i. 17. The faint strugglings of a higher life within them, which they crucify again by their wicked sensuality.
1814. Southey, Roderick, XVII. Help me, O my God, That I may crucify this inward foe!
† b. To afflict with severe pain or distress; to excruciate. c. To torment, to prove a ‘crux’ to.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., Democr. to Rdr. 15. As great trouble as to perfect the motion of Mars and Mercury, which so crucifies our astronomers.
1702. J. Young, in Phil. Trans., XXIII. 1280. After she had been thus crucified four days her Urine also stopt.
1728. Pope, Dunc., I. 164. Old puns restore, lost blunders nicely seek, And crucify poor Shakespear once a week.
1791–1823. D’Israeli, Cur. Lit., Quadrio’s Acc. Eng. Poetry. It might … crucify the critical intuition of the ablest of commentators.
¶ 3. ? To put to the crucible. Obs.–1
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., X. in Ashm. (1652), 178. Whych must be Crusyfyed and examynat.
¶ 4. To cross, place crosswise. Obs.–1
1633. Shirley, Bird in a Cage, II. i. I do not despair … You see I do not wear my hat in my eyes, crucify my arms.
