now always in pl. exequies. Forms: α. sing. 5–7 exequie, -y, 7, exquie. β. pl. (4 exequises, exeqwyis, exquies) 6 exequeis, 4– exequies. [a. OF. exequies, exeques = Pr. ex(s)equias, a. L. ex(s)equiās, acc. of exsequiæ pl., lit. ‘train of followers,’ f. exsequī to follow out, follow to the grave (see EXECUTE). The OF. word, on adoption into English, was treated partly as a sing. (cf. pl. form exequises), and partly as a pl.; from the latter of which the sing. exequy was afterwards developed.]
Funeral rites; funeral ceremony; occas. in sense of ‘funeral train’ or ‘bier.’
† a. sing.; with pl. in sense ‘funerals.’ Obs.
1389. in Eng. Gilds (1870), 74. Þay shul fynden iiij torches, ffor to brenne … at exequises of euery brothir and sistir þat dies.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 50. For sepulturis, or exequies, diriges of þe dead … or oþer sacraments.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, 130. He was borne to chirche and his exequye doon.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 210. At this Obite or exequie was his wyfe.
1602. Return fr. Parnass., I. ii. (Arb.), 11. Carelesse care to preuent his exequy, Scarce deigning to shut vp his dying eye.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., I. 179. Sermon at the Exequy of Joan Queen of Spayne.
b. pl.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Sam. iii. 31. Kittith ȝoure clothis, and beth gird with sackis, and weileth before the exequies [1388 heersis, ether dirige] of Abner.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VII. viii. 469. Eftyre þa exeqwyis als fast Til Lwndyn þis ilk Rychard past.
1482. Paston Lett., No. 861, III. 282. Xij. pore meen … to holde xij. torches abowte myn herse … during the exequies and masse of my berying.
1538. Leland, Itin., IV. 64. The which Body … was layed with solemne Exequies in a fayre Chest made of Stone.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 83. A father following the exequies of his sonne.
1639. G. Daniel, Ecclus. xxii. 37. Exequies to the Dead will but require Seaven daies.
1700. Dryden, Fables, Sigismonda & G., 661. There yet remained thy funeral exequies.
1771. Antiq. Sarisb., 182. If he [the Choral Bishop] died within the Month, his exequies were solemnized with great pomp.
a. 1835. Motherwell, Midn. Lamp., in Poems (1847), 224.
| Then live some little while, poor sickening light, | |
| And glad my aching eyes; | |
| Thou wilt not die until the morrow bright | |
| Has seen thy exequies. |
1837. Thirlwall, Greece, IV. xxxii. 272. The festival of Adonis … was celebrated by the women with the representation of funeral exsequies.
¶ An alleged sense, ‘a funeral ode,’ has been wrongly inferred from the title of a poem ‘The Exequy’ in Bp. H. King Poems (1657), 52.
