ppl. a. and sb. Also 5 assewred, -rid, asseured, 6 adsured; Sc. 4–6 assouerit, 6 assurit. [f. ASSURE v. + -ED.]
A. ppl. a.
† 1. Made safe, secured; safe, secure. Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, X. 187. Quhen feldis … Chargit with corne assouerit var.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 78. He helde him wel assured in his palais.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. clxiii. [clix.] 453. Whanne he thought to haue been moste assuredest on the heyght of fortunes whele.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. V. iii. § 6. 375. In some plentifull and assured place.
2. Made sure or certain.
1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. vi. Your owne assured man.
1559. Myrr. Mag., Dk. York, x. 5. For ayde wherin I knit assured bandes.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, V. ii. § 2. Being thought so much the more assured to their master.
1882. Pall Mall Gaz., 13 July, 2/1. Many of the charters to carry coal … being made upon an assured return cargo.
† 3. Engaged, covenanted, pledged. arch. or Obs.
1426. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 136. Phelip … Duc of Burgoyne, assured eke and sworne.
1570. Holinshed, Scot. Chron. (1806), II. 244, 700. English horsemen, besides the assured Scots horsemen.
1600. in Shaks. C. Praise, 38. Your assured friend Charles Percy.
a. 1672. in Wood, Life (1848), 86, note. Your honor’s most asurid to do you servis, Thos. Baskeruile.
† 4. Engaged for marriage, betrothed. Obs.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, 14. A right fayr mayde which was assured and handfast vnto a noble yonge gentilman.
1580. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 466. You muse Philautus to see Camilla and me to bee assured.
1590. Shaks., Com. Err., III. ii. 145. This drudge … call’d me Dromio, swore, I was assur’d to her.
5. Certified, verified, certain, sure.
1574. trans. Marlorats Apocalips, 50. An assured testimonie of Christes Godhead.
c. 1712. Advt., in Spect. (ed. Morley), 905. An Assured Cure for Leanness.
1853. Ruskin, Stones Ven., II. v. § 29. 142. The assured facts are, that both the shafts of the pillars … were [etc.].
6. Satisfied as to the truth or certainty of a matter, confident.
1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ix. 7. Whan she knewe she was in the Empyre, she was better assured than she was before.
1596. Shaks., Merch. V., I. iii. 30. I will be assured I may: and that I may be assured, I will bethinke mee.
1703. Maundrell, Journ. Jerus. (1732), 137. A Man had need be well assur’d of his Credit.
1851. Helps, Friends in C., I. 108. The great thing to be assured of in social knowledge.
7. Full of self-assurance, self-possessed, confident, bold; in a bad sense: Self-satisfied, presumptuous.
1475. Caxton, Jason, 30 b. The moste asseured of them began to tremble.
1685. Evelyn, Mem. (1857), II. 253. Of an assured and undaunted spirit.
1714. Spect., No. 573, ¶ 2. He … began to proceed with such an assured easy air.
1734. Watts, Reliq. Juv. (1789), 48. With an air of assured ignorance.
1839. Carlyle, Chartism, iv. (1852), 18. Leave with assured heart the issue to a higher Power!
B. sb. (sometimes with pl. in -s). A person whose life or goods are insured by the payment of a premium.
1755. Magens, Insurances, I. 138. The Assureds on their part represented: That all the Effects shipped for this Account ought to be included in this Risk.
1861. Times, 26 Dec. The assured or their agents, though concerned in the shipment.
1884. Law Times Rep., 16 Feb., 764/1. Liabilities of T., as an insurer, to the other members of the association as assureds.
