Obs. Forms: 3 falsie-n, (fausie-n), 3–7 false(n, (5 -yn), 3–4 south. dial. valse(n, 4–5 falshe, 4–6 fals, 6 falce. [a. OF. false-r (mod.F. fausser):—late L. falsāre, f. fals-us: see FALSE a. Cf. ON. falsa.] To be or make false.
1. a. intr. Of a thing: To prove unreliable; to fail, give way.
c. 1205. Lay., 23967. Þe helman his hæuede and his hereburne gon to falsie [c. 1275, fausie].
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 228. Vor none deofles puffe ne þurue ȝe dreden, bute ȝif þet lim ualse. Ibid., 270. Ȝif he mei underȝiten þet ower bileaue falsie.
b. trans. To cause to fail or give way; to foil (a weapon).
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 292. Godes stronge passiun falsie þes deofles wepnen.
a. 1240. Sawles Warde, in Cott. Hom., 255. Ne mei … ne na wone falsi min heorte.
c. 1275. A Luue Ron, 124, in O. E. Misc., 97.
| Ne may no Mynur hire vnderwrote, | |
| ne neuer false þene grundwal. |
c. 1320. The Seuyn Sages (W.), 2125.
| The fir fleghth up into the werk, | |
| And falsed the siment, and the ston. |
2. trans. To counterfeit (money); to forge (a document).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 29308 (Cotton Galba).
| Þe seuynd es of fals bulleres | |
| þat þam makes and þam furth beres, | |
| Or els þat falses þe papes sele. |
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 5362.
| Or ȝyf þou dedyst euer þy myght | |
| To false a chartre, þat ys grete plyght. |
c. 1450. Myrc, 709. All þat falsen the popes lettres or billes or scales.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., cl. 131. A clerk had falshed and counterfetid the kynges money.
1493. Festivall (W. de W., 1515), 193. I denounce … all those that fals the kynges standarde.
1553. T. Becon, Reliq. Rome (1563), 240 a. All thoe that false the Popes Bull.
3. To falsify, make untrue; to introduce falsehood into; to corrupt.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 434. Men moten arme hem and pacientliche dispose hem to deye for Crist, and fals not þe gospel for favor of men.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Miller’s Prol., 66.
| I mote reherse | |
| Hir tales alle, al be they better or werse, | |
| Or elles falsen som of my matere. |
1450–1530. Myrr. our Ladye, 54. Ryght so they that clyppe away from the money of goddes seruyce, eny wordes or letters or syllables, & so false yt from the trew sentence, or from the trewe maner of saynge therof.
1598. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. ii. II., Babylon, 472.
| While the proud remnant of those scattered Masons | |
| Had falsed it [Adam’s language] in hundred thousand fashions. |
4. To be or prove false to. a. To break, violate (one’s faith, word, etc.). Const. dat. of person.
1303. R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 11190.
| Y havë tolde hyt as y couþe | |
| How men falsen here trouþes wyþ mouþe. |
c. 1386. Chaucer, Sqr.’s T., 619. He … hath his trouthe falsed.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., xxii. 20. These couenauntes sholde neuer be broke ne falsed.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, cxx. 429. Then shall I false her my promyse.
1563. B. Googe, Eglogs, vii. (Arb.), 57.
| Diana hath procured the paynes, | |
| that I shall neuer ende, | |
| When fyrst she falst her troth to me, | |
| she kyld a faythfull frende. |
1624. Heywood, Captives, II. i., in Bullen, O. Pl., IV.
| You see yet howe we suffer; howe shall they then | |
| That false their faythes, that are of uncleane lyfe | |
| And then not only sinne unto them selves | |
| But tempt and persuade others? |
b. To play false to (a person); to betray, deceive. Also absol.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, V. 1053.
| Ther made neuere womman more wo | |
| Than she, when that she falsed Troylus. |
c. 1420. Lydg., Temple of Glass, 63.
| And next I saugh the compleint of Medee, | |
| How þat she was falsed of Iason. |
c. absol. and intr. To defraud, deal falsely.
1393. Gower, Conf., II. 301. To falsen and to ben unkinde.
c. 1450. Myrc, 709. All þat falsen or vse false measures, busshelles, galones, & potelles quartes.
a. 1541. Wyatt, Poet. Wks. (1861), 163.
| For never yet, since that you had my heart, | |
| Intended I to false, or be untrue. |
d. ? refl. To betray one’s trust. (Doubtful: the word may be adj.)
1611. Shaks., Cymb., II. iii. 74.
| ’Tis Gold | |
| Which buys admittance; oft it doth; yea, and makes | |
| Diana’s Rangers false themselues. |
5. To maintain to be false, impugn. To false (a doom): in Sc. Law ‘to deny the equity of a sentence, and appeal to a superior court’ (Jam.).
a. 1225. Juliana, 69. Ah false swa hare lahe.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.), 241.
| Plente of reprevys I xal provide to his confusyon, | |
| Thus xal I false the wordys that his pepyl doth testefy. |
c. 1400. An Apology for Lollard Doctrines, 60. In mennis lawe oft men falsen domis, & appelen þer fro.
c. 1430. Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, I. lxxxv. (1869), 49. Thine argumentes, that seist i have falsed and repreued thy gretteste principle.
1469. Act Parl. Jas. III. (1814), 94. The dome gevin in the Justice are of Drumfress … & falsit and againe callit be maister Adam cokburn forspekar … was weile gevin & evil again callit.
1609, 1708. [see FALSING vbl. sb. below].
6. To false a blow: to make a feint.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. v. 9.
| Sometimes athwart, sometimes he strook him strayt, | |
| And falsed oft his blowes t’ illude him with such bayt. |
1594. [see FALSING vbl. sb. below].
Hence Falsed ppl. a., Falsing vbl. sb. and ppl. a., in senses of the verb. Falsing of dooms: (see FALSE v. 5).
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 72. Þurh swuch chastiement haueð sum ancre arered bitweonen hire & hire preost … a valsinde luue.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2378. Lo! þer þe falssyng, foule mot hit falle!
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 11330. Falsyng & flatery.
a. 1541. Wyatt, Poet. Wks. (1861), 30. Yet shall they shew your falsèd faith.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., II. ii. 95. Not sure in a thing falsing.
1594. J. G. (title), trans. Grassi’s True Arte of Defence, with a Treatise of Deceit or Falsinge.
1594. Daniel, Compl. Rosamond, xxi.
| Th’ adulterate beauty of a falsed cheek, | |
| Vile stain to honour, and to women eke. |
1599. Marston, Scourge of Villanie, I. iii. 181.
| Hence, hence, ye falsed seeming Patriotes, | |
| Return not with pretence of salving spots. |
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., Table 70. Falsing of Domes (reduction of decreiteis) sould be done incontinent be the partie agains quhom they are given.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon., viii. § 68 (1642), 544. S. Augustine was not Author of that falsed Homily.
1708. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., II. III. x. (1743), 432. Edinburgh … assisted the Chamberlane in the falsing of Dooms.
