Obs. Forms: 4–7 art(e, 6 arct. [prob. direct ad. L. artā-re to draw close, contract, f. artus confined; Godefroy, however, has OF. pa. pple. arcté. In Eng. also occas. assimilated to mediæval L. forms arctus, arctāre.]
1. To confine, cramp, restrict, limit, in local position or in action.
1382. Wyclif, Judg. i. 34. Amorre artide [1388 maad streit] the sones of Dan in the hil.
c. 1410. Love, Bonavent. Mirr., xliii. 93. So is he constreyned and arted þat he may noȝt meue.
1496. Dives & Paup. (W. de W.), I. xviii. 522. God is … free in his doynge, and not arted by the planetes.
2. To constrain (a person) to do something.
c. 1375. Barbour, Troy-bk., II. 3031. A lettir That arted him sone to retorne.
c. 1450. Crt. of Love, 46. Love arted me to do my observaunce To his estate.
1530. Palsgr., 437/1. I arte, I constrayne … I maye be so arcted that I shall be fayne to do it.
1553. Foxe, A. & M. (1563), 790/2. Not arcting him to prove euery and singuler thinges … of the premisses.
3. ? To press, urge, insist on.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, I. 388. What for to speke, and what to holden inne, And what to arten.
4. pa. pple. Closely allied. rare.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, I. (Arb.), 28. No doubt, a Goddesse, too Phœbus sister, or arcted Too Nymphs in Kynred.
