v. Forms: α. 4–6 enpoysen, -on, -oun, 5–6 enpoisen, -on, -oun, 4–8 empoyson, (7 empoysn), 6– empoison. β. 6–7 impoyson, 6– impoison. [a. F. empoisonne-r, f. en- (see EN-) + poison POISON.]
† 1. trans. To administer poison to (a person); esp. to kill by poison. Also absol. Obs.
α. c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 4650. Þei him bi-hiȝt … Þat þei priueli wold enpoysoun þe king.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Monk’s T., 582. Empoysoned of thyn owene folk thou weere.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., lviii. 42. King vortimer was enpoisened and dyed at london.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. cccxvi. 486. In mynde to haue enpoysoned the frenche kynge.
1604. Supplic. Masse-Priests, ii. Diuers attempts of Priests & others to murder and empoyson our late Queene.
1667. Lond. Gaz., No. 206/2. The Grand Visier was by … practises on his person empoisoned.
β. 1580. Apol. Pr. Orange, in Phœnix (1721), I. 464. The Cardinal of Grandvelle impoison’d the last Maximilian.
1599. Warn. Faire Wom., I. 44. Some … tyrant to obtain a crown Stabs, hangs, impoisons.
1649. Alcoran, 406. He permitted one of his dearest friends to eate of it, and die impoysoned.
1670. Brooks, Wks. (1867), VI. 227. How many thousand children and servants are there impoisoned!
† b. transf. and fig. To kill as if by poison; to affect as poison does. Also absol. Obs.
1607. Shaks., Cor., V. vi. 11. A man by his owne Almes impoyson’d.
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 546. The Surfeit of them [mushromes] may suffocate and empoyson.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. vii. 119. That this venenation shooteth from the eye, and that this way a Basilisk may empoyson.
2. a. To put poison into (food or drink); to taint, render poisonous; to vitiate as with poison (the blood, animal tissues, etc.); to envenom. Also, to dip (an arrow) in poison. Now somewhat rhetorical.
α. 1634. T. Johnson, trans. Parey’s Chirurg., II. (1678), 274. Neither … could it [gunpowder] empoyson the bodies of such as are wounded.
1683. Salmon, Doron Med., I. 155. When the Blood is empoysoned.
1725. Sloane, Jamaica, II. 6. Bowmen with their arrows most villanously empoyson’d.
1825. Scott, Talism., xxviii. The simoon empoisons the atmosphere.
β. 1602. Warner, Alb. Eng., X. lvi. (1612), 246.
1686. Goad, Celest. Bodies, III. iii. 472. Now our Two Superiours are more to be suspected in impoisoning the Fountains, and corrupting our Mass of Bloud.
1733. Cheyne, Eng. Malady, I. vi. § 2 (1734), 50. All which must necessarily sharpen, impoison, corrupt, and putrify their natural Juices and Substances.
† b. intr. for refl.
1622. Peacham, Compl. Gentl., xviii. (1634), 215. Yet much lyeth in our power to keepe that fount from empoisoning.
3. fig. a. To taint with sin or error; to corrupt, vitiate, spoil.
α. c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 242. Þat en-poysened alle peplez þat parted fro hem boþe.
1401. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 73. Prechen what ȝou list, and with ȝour privy pestilence enpoisoun the peple.
1534. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), S viij. Riches, youthe, solitarines, and libertee ben IIII. pestilences, that enpoison the prynce.
1599. Sandys, Europæ Spec. (1632), 18. Proceed on to empoyson their country.
1633. Bp. Hall, Hard Texts, 144. Thou art … empoysoned with the most deadly venome of wickednesse.
1738. Warburton, Div. Legat., I. 292. The Deists … empoison everything they touch.
1882. T. A. Pope, trans. Capecelatro’s Philip Neri, I. 47–8. An undisciplined will might … destroy or empoison all vigour of thought.
β. 1557. North, trans. Gueuara’s Diall Pr., A. Ded. Any nevve thinge that mighte … impoison vvith erronious doctrine the consciences.
c. 1612. Beaum. & Fl., Thierry, II. 454. She hath impoyson’d Your good opinion of me.
1656. Trapp, Comm. Eph. v. 3. 766. Citizens wives confessing on their death-beds, that they were so impoysoned at Stage-playes.
b. To render virulent, envenom (feelings); to ‘poison,’ embitter (a person’s mind) against. Also, to embitter, destroy all pleasure in (a means of enjoyment).
α. 1646. J. Hall, Horæ Vac., 136. Jests empoysoned with bitternesse.
1806. Ann. Rev., IV. 774. Our social tables, which they conspire to empoison.
1832. Blackw. Mag., XXXII. 225. This distraction … will empoison all your joys.
1879. J. Hawthorne, Laugh. M., 75. His soul had been empoisoned against them and all the world.
β. 1599. Shaks., Much Ado, III. i. 86. One does not know How much an ill word may impoison liking.
