Also Sc. 4–6 fey, 5–6 fei, 6 fie. [f. FEE sb.2]
† I. 1. trans. ? To invest with a fief; ? to grant as a fief. Obs.–0
1483. Cath. Angl., 124/2. To Fee, feoffare.
II. (From senses 7–10 of the sb.)
2. trans. To give a fee to. To fee away (nonce-use): to induce by a fee to go away.
a. 1529. Skelton, Ware the Hauke, 151. So the Scribe was feed.
1601. ? Marston, Pasquil & Katherine, I. 278. He that fees me best, speeds best.
1716. Swift, Phillis, 21.
| Suppose all parties now agreed, | |
| The writings drawn, the Lawyer fee’d, | |
| The Vicar and the ring bespoke: | |
| Guess, how could such a match be broke? |
1803. Med. Jrnl., IX. 62. The Governor and a few others … chose to fee us for attendance in their respective families.
1806–7. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life (1826), IV. xxvii. You cannot drive, or even fee them away, as they are paid for torturing you by some barbarians at the next door.
1859. All Year Round, No. 35, 24 Dec., 203/1. I had tied together my plaid and stick, feed the steward, shaken hands with the Bohemian baker.
1884. Times (weekly ed.), 12 Sept., 14/2. You must fee the waiter when you give the order.
absol. 1806–7. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life (1826), V. xix. After having fee’d very high for places at Mrs. Siddon’s benefit.
1884. Times (weekly ed.), 12 Sept., 14/2. At the hotel the guest who does not fee in advance soon finds the zeal of the waiters fall off.
3. To engage for a fee; Sc. to hire, employ (servants, etc.); † transf. to make use of (an occasion).
c. 1470. Henry the Minstrel, Wallace, IX. 40. Semen he feyt and gaiff thaim gudlye wage.
1529. Lyndesay, Compl., 36.
| The father of Fameill, | |
| Off quhome Christ makis mentioun, | |
| Quhilk, for ane certane pentioun, | |
| Feit men to wyrk in his wyne ȝaird. |
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., I. Wks. (1846), I. 39. The greadynes of preastis not onlie receave false miracles, bot also thei cherise and feis knaiffs for that purpoise, that thair chapellis may be the better renouned.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., II. ii. 204. I haue … fee’d euery slight occasion that could but nigardly giue mee sight of her.
1701. Penn, in Pa. Hist. Soc. Mem., IX. 78. A lawyer sends me word he is offered to be feed against me.
a. 1810. Tannahill, Poems (1846), 12.
| De’il nor ye’d broke your leg, gaun cross the hallan, | |
| That day ye fee’d the skelpor Highland callan. |
1806–7. J. Beresford, Miseries Hum. Life (1826), XXI. xvi. Learning to box, too—i. e. feeing a great raw-boned fellow to thresh you as long as he can stand over you (or rather you under him) 3 or 4 times a week, because you may, some time or other, have a fancy to thresh somebody else.
1876. Smiles, Sc. Natur., viii. (ed. 4), 149. Young lads and lasses came in from the country to be feed, and farmers … came in to fee them.
† b. In a bad sense: To bribe. Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 485, heading. Heire the Inglis knycht feys a tratour.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot., I. 515. How Nathologus feyit ane Man to follow Dorus was fled in Pechtland for to slay him.
1616. R. C., Times’ Whistle, VI. 2537. Fee but the Sumner, & he shall not cite thee.
1727. De Foe, The Protestant Monastery, vii. Without Feeing the Journalists or Publishers.
c. 1800. K. White, Clift. Gr., 318. Should honours tempt thee, and should riches fee.
4. intr. for refl. To hire oneself.
a. 1810. Tannahill, Poems (1846), 17.
| Blythe was the time when he fee’d wi’ my father, O. | |
| Happy were the days when we herded thegither, O. |
1875. G. Macdonald, Sir Gibbie, xviii. 100. It began to be reported upon the nearer farms, that the Mains of Glashruach was haunted by a brownie who did all the work for both men and maids—a circumstance productive of different opinions with regard to the desirableness of a situation there, some asserting they would not fee to it for any amount of wages, and others averring they could desire nothing better than a place where the work was all done for them.
