Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1 fésian, 3–6 fese(n, -yn, 3 south. vesen, 5, 7 feese, -ze, (6 pheeze, 7 feize, pheese), 7 south. veeze, veize, veze, 6, 9 fease, south. vease, 6–9 feaze. [OE. fésian (? also fésan), fýsian to drive, corresponds to ON. *feysa (mod.Norwegian föysa, Sw. fösa), app. :—*fausjôjan, fausjan. It is possible that this word and ON. fiúka, feyka, of similar meaning, are from a Teut. root feu, fau, differentiated by s and k (pre-Teut. g) suffixes.
Totally unconnected with OE. fýsan (:—*funsjan) to hurry, which survived into early ME. as fusen(ü): see FUSE v.1]
† 1. trans. To drive; to drive off or away; to make (one) run, put to flight; to frighten away. Often with away. Also to feeze about. Obs.
c. 890. Laws Edward & Guthrum, xi. Ðonne fysie hi man of earde.
1014. Wulfstan, Hom. (1883), xxxiii. 162. Ðæt oft on ȝefeohte an feseþ tyne.
a. 1300. Signa ante Judicium, 172, in E. E. P. (1862), 12.
| Þat al þe fentis sal of agris | |
| and be ifesid in to helle. |
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 339. Powder of erþe of þat lond i-sowe in oþer londes vseþ [v.r. veseþ] awey wormes.
c. 1400. Beryn, Prol. 351. ‘Shal I com þen, Cristian, & fese a-wey þe Cat?’
1548. Udall, etc., Erasm. Par. Luke viii. 29. He should bee driuen and feased of the deuill into desert places.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., II. 10/2. They feazed awaie the Irish.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 31.
| Lyke bees in summar season … | |
| Feaze away the droane bees with sting, from maunger, or hiuecot. |
1689. C. Mather, Mem. Providences, 62. A Devil would scowre the Hogs away, and make her laugh to see how he feaz’d ’em about.
b. To impel.
1610. Mirr. Mag., Sir M. Burdet, xvi. 480.
| Those eager impes whome foodewant feazde to fight amayne, | |
| Wee forc’d them dye, fall, fly, to take theyr forte agayne. |
2. To frighten, put into a state of alarm.
c. 1440. Capgrave, Life St. Kath., v. 611.
| Bete hir weel, right for hir blaspheme, | |
| To fese hem alle that troste in hir doctryne! |
1460. Christ’s Compl., 471, in Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866), 198.
| Ful foule schulde þi foos be fesid | |
| If þou myȝte ouer hem as y ouer þee may. |
1887. Kent Gloss., Fease, to fret, worry.
3. The threat ‘I’ll feeze you’ seems to have given rise to the following senses: a. vaguely, To ‘do for,’ ‘settle the business of’ (a person). b. To beat, flog.
a. 1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., Induct., i. 1. Ile pheeze you infaith!
1613. Beaum. & Fl., Coxcomb, I. vi. I’ll feese you.
1620. Fletcher, Chances, II. i.
| He h’as giv’n me my quietus est: I felt him | |
| In my small guts: I’me sure h’as feez’d me! |
b. 1610. B. Jonson, Alch., V. v. Love. Come, will you quarrel? I will feize you, sirrah.
1631. Massinger, Emperor East, IV. ii.
| Countryman. Zookers! Had I one of you zingle, with this twig | |
| I would so veeze you! |
1674. J. W[right], Mock-Thyestes, 101. Your Toby I’le so feaze with this Rod … That [etc.].
