Forms: 4 leftyn, 4–5 lifte(n, 4–6 lyft(e, 5 lyften, -yn, 4– lift. Pa. t. 4–5 left(e, lyft(e, 4–5 lifte, 4–7, 9 lift, 4 liftd, -id, -ud, 4– lifted. Pa. pple. 4–6 lifte, lyfte, 5–8 (9 poet.) lift, 4– lifted. Also 5 i-lift. [a. ON. lypta (Sw. lyfta, Da. løfte) = MHG., mod.G. lüften:—OTeut. type *luftjan, f. *luft-us (ON. lopt air, sky = LIFT sb.1). The etymological sense is therefore to move up into the air.
The verb which occurs in the phrase lutenn and lefften (see LOUT v.), very frequent in the Ormulum, but not found elsewhere, has been commonly identified with this vb., but neither the form nor the sense favors the identification. Apparently the phrase (which is followed by a dat. of person) means ‘to show respect to’ (a superior), ‘to condescend graciously to’ (an inferior). It does not seem possible to connect lefften with OE. lyffettan to flatter.]
1. trans. To raise into the air from the ground, or to a higher position; to elevate, heave, hoist. † Also, to erect, rear on high (a building). † To lift (a child) from the font: to stand godfather to.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2388. Abram … Bi betel lifted an auter neu. Ibid., 8963. Sco lift hir skirt wit-vten scurn And barfote wode sco þat burn.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 78. In wrastlyng, whan a chaumpyoun may lyften an-oþerys foot, þanne he throwyth hym doun.
1460. Capgrave, Chron. (Rolls), 224. A child … whom the kyng … left fro the funt.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. iv. 4. High lifted up were many loftie towres.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 499. Arethusa leaping from her Bed, First lifts above the Waves her beauteous Head.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 58, ¶ 2. Lifting his Legs higher than the ordinary Way of Stepping.
1712. Addison, Spect., No. 433, ¶ 6. One who could lift Five hundred Weight.
1816. Scott, Antiq., xx. He lifted his cane in terrorem.
1839. Yeowell, Anc. Brit. Ch., x. (1847), 104. They had no inclination to lift the sword, except against each other.
1841. Lane, Arab. Nts., I. 91. The Prince … lifted her from his horse.
1851. Illustr. Catal. Gt. Exhib., 1147. A … magnet capable of lifting a weight of 500 pounds.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xx. 137. The clouds were slowly lifted above the tallest peaks.
1873. Black, Pr. Thule, xviii. 282. Lavender made no further sign of surprise or curiosity than to lift his eyebrows, and say, ‘Indeed!’
b. with up, aloft, away, off, out, and advb. phrases. To lift up: † occas. to install in a high seat.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 14332. Þe lid o tumbe awai þai lift.
1362. Langl., P. Pl., A. V. 203. For to lyfte hym aloft [he] leide hym on his knees.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 349. A whirlewynd … lefte up sixe rafters of þe cherche.
a. 1400. Pistill of Susan, 229. He lyft [v.r. left] vp þe lach.
c. 1450. Merlin, 38. Than yede the peple to oon of the stones, and leften it vp.
1460. Lybeaus Disc. (Kaluza), 2057. Our on schall other lifte þe hedde of be þe chinne.
1509. Hawes, Past. Pleas., XXXV. (Percy Soc.), 182. He stretched hym up and lyft his axe a lofte.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, lxi. 213. They weyed vp theyr ancres & lyft vp theyr saylles.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. cvii. 25. The stormy wynde aryseth, and lifteth vp the wawes therof.
1567. Gude & Godlie Ball. (S.T.S.), 44. That Prince on Croce thay lyftit on hicht.
1611. Bible, Gen. xxxvii. 28. They … lift vp Ioseph out of the pit.
1640. trans. Verdere’s Rom. of Rom., III. xxx. 129. The Knight of the Eagles presently lift up his Bever.
1686. Wood, Life, 29 Dec. Mr John Massy installed in his deane’s place … first his patent was read: then his dispensation … and then he was lifted up.
1725. T. Lewis, Antiq. Hebr. Rep., III. 270. When she had lift it [a shoe] up.
1772. Hutton, Bridges, 99. A large ram of iron … being lift up to the top of them.
1871. R. Ellis, trans. Catullus, lxi. 121. Lift the torches aloft in air, Boys.
1887. Times (weekly ed.), 11 Nov., 7/4. The girls sang as if they wanted to lift themselves off the ground.
† c. To bear, support. Obs. rare–1.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. xi. 54. Th’ earth him underneath Did grone, as feeble so great load to lift.
d. Sc. To take up, pick up. Hence in Golf: To take up the ball.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., IV. 206. Dionethie haueng receiued a gret … wound, he is lyfted be his awne.
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., VII. ii. (1849), 309. I happened … to lift a newspaper.
1840. Blaine, Encycl. Rural Sports, 117. The ball nearest the hole must be lifted till the other is played.
1842. G. F. Carnegie, Golfiana, in Golfiana Misc. (1887), 81. Now, lift the stones, but do not touch the ball.
1890. Hutchinson, Golf, 447, Gloss. s.v., To lift a ball is to take it out of a hazard and drop or tee it behind.
e. In occasional uses, = RAISE: † (a) in passive, to rise (obs.); (b) colloq. to bring (a constellation) above the horizon in sailing, etc.
c. 1420. Pallad. on Husb., IV. 813. Ybrestid brode, and al the body lift In brawnys grete.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 69. Thenne sodainly rose and was lift a tempeste.
1891. R. Kipling, Light that Failed, vii. She’ll [the steamer on her way to Australia] lift the Southern Cross in a week.
2. In immaterial sense and fig.: To elevate, raise. Also with out, up, and advb. phrases. † To lift (a person) out: to get (him) displaced. † Also (? nonce-use), to raise, excite (wonder).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 25743. Penance sothfast and schrifte … quen we fall vp mai vs lifte.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter xxii. 6. Þou has purged my hert, and liftid vp to haf þe ioy of contemplacioun.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 586. If he has losed þe lysten hit lyftez meruayle.
1497. Bp. Alcock, Mons Perfect., C ij. Lyfte fro the erth, refresshed wt ghostly contemplacion.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), B b. Philosophers … who fyrste lyfted theim selues to regarde the sterres of the heuen.
1581. E. Campion, in Confer., III. (1584), Q iij b. It is our affection … that must be lift vp.
1659. Wood, Life, Dec. (O. H. S.), I. 299. Carrying tales to the great persons and endeavouring to lift one another out.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 51, ¶ 4. It lifts an heavy empty Sentence, when there is added to it a lascivious Gesture of Body.
1817. Chalmers, Astron. Disc., i. (1852), 19. There is much in the scenery of a nocturnal sky to lift the soul to pious contemplation.
1864. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., III. 224. With so rich a husband she would be able to lift them out of all their difficulties.
1893. Liddon, etc., Life Pusey, I. iv. 327. Pusey’s paper … lifted it [the subject] at once into the region of principle.
b. To raise in dignity, rank or estimation; to elevate, exalt. Also with up and advb. phrases. Now rare.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 10. Whan þe kyng Kynwolf had don his endyng, Brittrik his kosyn þei lift him to kyng.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter viii. 2. For liftid is þi worship abouen heuens.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., lxv. 280 (Add. MS.). Whan he was thus I-lifte up, his herte was enhaunsed in pride.
c. 1450. trans. De Imitatione, III. lxiii. 145. Sonne, be war þat þou dispute not … why þis is so gretly peyned, & he is so excellently lifte up.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 6 b. Whom they moost extoll and lyfte vp moost heye, they forsake soonest.
1591. Sylvester, Du Bartas, I. vii. 233. His envious brethren’s trecherous drift, Him [Joseph] to the Stern of Memphian State had lift.
1597. Hooker, Eccl. Pol., V. xx. § 12. Neither can it be reasonablie thought … that we thereby do offer disgrace to the word of God, or lift vp the writings of men aboue it.
1639. Fuller, Holy War, II. ii. (1647), 45. Arnulphus … was by popular faction lifted up into the Patriarchs chair.
1883. R. W. Dixon, Mano, I. xv. 48. Then was he lifted to his former style, Archbishop of Ravenna he became.
absol. 1611. Bible, 1 Sam. ii. 7. The Lord … bringeth low, and lifteth vp.
c. Chiefly with up: To cheer, encourage. Also, To elate, puff up (with pride). † To lift up oneself of (something): to pride oneself upon. Now dial. and arch.
c. 1450. trans. De Imitatione, I. ii. 3. Be not lifte up þerfore for eny crafte or eny kunnyng. Ibid., vii. 8. Lifte not up þiself of gretnes.
1572. R. H., trans. Lauaterus’ Ghostes (1596), 108. Gabriel with comfortable words did lift up the blessed Virgin which before was sore troubled by this Salutation.
1586. T. B., La Primaud. Fr. Acad., I. (1594), 50. He should not be cast downe too much in adversitie, nor lift up beyond measure in prosperitie.
1611. Bible, 2 Chron. xxvi. 16. But when he was strong, his heart was lifted vp to his destruction.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), V. 62. He who is lifted up with pride,… is soon deserted by God.
1890. Hall Caine, Bondman, II. ii. It had lifted up his heart that Greeta had chosen poverty … before plenty.
1896. ‘Ian Maclaren,’ Kate Carnegie, 207. Gin ye juist jined the fouk … the auctioneer wud be lifted.
3. intr. for refl. (also with up). To rise. Said esp. of a vessel riding on the waves, occas. of the waves themselves. Also in quasi-passive sense (e.g., of a window): To admit of being raised.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 1942. We þan lift vp a lite & lent him a-gayne.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 20 b. So that his body lyfted aboue his bedde foure fote or more.
1757. Capt. Randall, in Naval Chron., XIV. 95. Although there was a great Sea running, she did not lift.
1807. Coleridge, Lett. (1895), 515. This most morbid and oppressive weight is gradually lifting up.
1844. W. H. Maxwell, Sports & Adv. Scotl., xxxiii. (1855), 262. The windows would not lift.
1861. Thornbury, Turner, II. 319. Rough days, when … he sat … in boats lifting over enormous waves.
1876. Blackmore, Cripps, I. ii. 19. The water … instead of ruffling lifted.
1887. Bowen, Virg. Æneid, III. 205. Not till the fourth day broke was the land seen lifting afar.
1892. Blackw. Mag., CLI. 78/2. Fowl lift only a few inches from the water.
1897. R. Kipling, Captains Courageous, i. The big liner rolled and lifted.
b. Of a sail (see quot. 1867).
1810. Capt. Tucker, in Naval Chron., XXIV. 337. By keeping the sails lifting,… we contrived to drift in.
1860. Merc. Marine Mag., VII. 114. This must not be hauled too taut so as to hinder the sail from lifting.
1867. Smyth, Sailor’s Word-bk., Lift, a term applied to the sails when the wind catches them on the leeches and causes them to ruffle slightly.
c. Of clouds, fog, etc.: To rise and disperse. Also (U.S.) of rain: To cease temporarily.
1834. M. Scott, Cruise Midge, vi. (1842), 102. The clouds … lifted from the eastern horizon majestically slow.
1858. Froude, Hist. Eng., III. 349. One morning when the darkness lifted, sixty strange sail were found at anchor in the Downs.
1870. E. Peacock, Ralf Skirl., II. 178. The thick fog had lifted.
1901. [see LIFTING vbl. sb.].
fig. 1897. Mary Kingsley, W. Africa, 232. My … head-ache … soon lifted.
d. Of a floor, etc.: To swell or warp and rise.
1793. Smeaton, Edystone L., § 268. Those four stones … should be provided … with trenails to hinder them from lifting.
1840. Jrnl. R. Agric. Soc., I. III. 272. A limestone road … lifts more in frost than a gravel one.
1874. Thearle, Naval Archit., 116. The great tendency of the deck to lift … when these heavy guns are fired over it.
1899. Daily News, 13 Nov., 7/5. The concrete platforms … lifted when test guns were fired.
† e. Of a horse: To rear, to raise the feet (high).
1607. [see LIFTING vbl. sb.].
† 4. To lift at: a. To pull at (something) in the attempt to raise it. lit. and fig. b. To rise in opposition to. Also in indirect passive. Obs.
1530. Palsgr., 611/1. I have lyfted at this same this halfe hour: jay hallé a cecy ceste demye heure.
1573. Tusser, Husb., li. (1878), 115. Lift at their [viz. cattle’s] tailes er an Winter be past.
1607. Drayton, Leg. T. Cromwell, Wks. (1748), 222. Secret foes … lifted at my state.
1647. May, Hist. Parl., I. ix. 113. Bishops had been much lifted at, though not yet taken away.
1658. Gurnall, Chr. in Arm., verse 14 (1669), 76/1. That principle of holiness which is in the Saint, makes him lift at that duty which he can little more than stirr.
1690. Andros Tracts, II. 39. Some others … have lifted at the Fourth [commandment].
a. 1704. Locke, Cond. Und., § 27. Like the Body strain’d by lifting at a Weight too heavy.
5. trans. In various phrases chiefly Hebraisms, or in the Hebrew manner. a. To lift (up) one’s eyes, brow, face, visage: to give an upward direction to the eyes, etc.; to look up. lit. and fig. † Hence to lift up one’s ears: to listen attentively.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 17837. Til heuen þai lifted þair eien brade.
c. 1420. Anturs of Arth., 408. He lyfte vpe his vesage fro þe ventalle.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. cxxi. 1. I lift vp myne eyes vnto the hilles.
1550. Crowley, Inform. & Petit., 5. Herken you possessioners, and you rich men lyfte vp your ears.
1611. Bible, Job xxii. 26. For then shalt thou haue thy delight in the Almightie, and shalt lift vp thy face vnto God.
1854. Syd. Dobell, Balder, xxv. 176. With brow Lift to the glowing sun.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xii. III. 151. It was whispered that he had dared to lift his eyes to an exalted lady.
b. To lift (up) the hand(s, (occas. one’s arm): (a) gen.; (b) in prayer, thanksgiving, etc.; (c) in taking an oath; (d) in hostility against (a person); (e) to do a stroke of work (mod. slang).
(a) 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 7976. Ne myght have anes to lyft þair hand To wype þe teres fra þair eghen oway.
1758. Johnson, Idler, No. 57, ¶ 9. He lifts up his hands with astonishment.
(b) a. 1300. Cursor M., 4767. Oft he liftud vp his hend To godd, þat he helpe þam wald send.
1382. Wyclif, 1 Tim. ii. 8. I wole … men for to preie in al place, liftynge up clene hondis with oute wraththe.
c. 1435. Torr. Portugal, 1274. To God, he did his hondys lifte, And thankid hym of his sond.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 24. A Negro … lift up his hands, invocating Mahomet or the Devil.
1807. Robinson, Archæol. Græca, III. v. 222. In praying it was likewise customary to lift up the hands towards heaven.
(c) 1535. Coverdale, Gen. xiv. 22. I lift vp my honde vnto the Lorde, the most hye God.
a. 1626. Bacon, New Atl. (1900), 4. At which Answear the said Person lift up his Right Hand towards Heaven.
1845. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 22. Chilperic lifted his hands, and calling the Almighty to witness, swore that [etc.].
1897. R. Kipling, Captains Courageous, 52. Seventeen brass-bound officers, all gen’elmen, lift their hand to it that [etc.].
(d) 1535. Coverdale, Ps. cv[i]. 26. Then lift he vp his honde agaynst them, to ouerthrowe them in the wildernes.
1654–66. Earl Orrery, Parthen. (1676), 180. He has lift up his prophane Arm against his generous Deliverer.
1804. J. Grahame, Sabbath, 340. The murderer—let him die, And him who lifts his arm against his parent.
(e) 1889. ‘R. Boldrewood,’ Robbery under Arms, xlviii. He would not lift his hand for any one that day.
c. To lift up one’s head: (a) literally; (b) fig. to regain courage or energy; to renew one’s efforts, to rally. † To lift up the head of (a person); used in the Bible for: to bring out from prison; restore to liberty or position of dignity.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 22522. All bestes … Vp þan sal þair hefds lift Apon vr lauerd for to cri.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 882, Thisbe. And therwithal he leftyth vp his hed.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), iv. 24. The Dragoun lifte up hire Hed aȝenst him.
1535. Coverdale, 2 Kings xxv. 27. The kynge of Babilon … lifte vp the heade of Ioachim ye kynge of Iuda out of preson.
1560. Bible (Genev.), Judg. viii. 28. Thus was Midian broght lowe … so that they lift vp their heads nomore.
1611. Bible, Luke xxi. 28. And when these things begin to come to passe, then looke vp, and lift vp your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh.
1838. Thirlwall, Greece, V. 185. Olynthus … in the decline of the Spartan power had begun to lift up her head again.
d. To lift up one’s heart, mind, soul: to raise one’s thoughts or desires; to encourage, exalt oneself (with pride).
1535. Coverdale, Ps. xxv. 1. Vnto the (o Lorde) I lift vp my soule.
1548–9. (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Communion, Lift vp your heartes.
1611. Bible, 2 Chron. xvii. 6. His heart was lift vp in the wayes of the Lord. Ibid., Dan. v. 20. When his heart was lifted vp, and his minde hardened in pride.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe, I. xviii. (1840), 327. I forgot not to lift up my heart in thankfulness to heaven.
e. To lift (up) a cry, one’s voice, etc.: to cry out loudly. Also fig.
1382. Wyclif, Luke xvii. 12. Ten leprouse men … reyside [v.r. lifteden, liften] the vois, seiynge.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), III. iii. 52. Thenne sawe I two spirites that liften vp a wondre hidous crye.
14[?]. Tundale’s Vis. (1843), 2302. And or he spake any thyng He lyfte up a greyt sykyng.
1535. Coverdale, Judg. ii. 4. The people lifte vp their voyce, & wepte.
1581. Sidney, Apol. Poetrie (Arb.), 65. Fit to lift vp a loude laughter, and nothing els.
1742. Wesley, Wks. (1872), I. 351. A rude rout lift up their voice on high.
1845. M. Pattison, Ess. (1889), I. 28. The voice of the dauntless Gregory was lifted in behalf of the deserted and friendless Praetextatus.
1873. Burton, Hist. Scot., V. liv. 82. He had … an opportunity of lifting his protest against the greatest crime of his age.
1887. Bowen, Virg. Eclog., V. 62. Lo! with joy to the heavens they lift their glorious voice.
f. To lift up one’s heel, horn (see those sbs.).
6. To bear or carry in an elevated position; to ‘hold high.’ (With some attributed notion of sense 1.)
1671. Milton, P. R., IV. 48. There the Capitol thou seest Above the rest lifting his stately head On the Tarpeian rock.
1732. Pope, Ep. Bathurst, 340. Where London’s column, pointing at the skies, Like a tall bully, lifts the head, and lies.
1764. Goldsm., Trav., 204. Dear [is] that hill which lifts him to the storms.
1805. Wordsw., Prelude, III. 4. We saw The long-roofed Chapel of King’s College lift Turrets and pinnacles in answering files.
7. To take up or collect (rents or moneys due); to levy (contributions, fines, etc.); to draw (wages, the amount of profits, etc.). Now dial.
1413. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), IV. xxxiii. 81. They haue for to sene that his rentes and revenues and suche other auantages rightwysly to be lyfte.
1473. in Laing Charters (1899), 43. viij markis … be ws to be lyftyt ande rasit as for oure saide tairs.
1491. Act 7 Hen. VII., c. 18. If the seid fyne had never be lifte.
a. 1639. Spottiswood, Hist. Ch. Scot., II. (1677), 59. His person arrested, his Rents lifted by the Kings Officers.
1722. Ramsay, Three Bonnets, IV. 79. He’s sent To Fairyland to lift the rent.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand., xvi. (1760), I. 106. Entitling that person to lift his wages when they should become due.
1799. in J. Smith, Hist. Jefferson Coll. (1857), 165. That a collection be lifted for the purpose of purchasing such a Dictionary as may be thought necessary for the Society.
1814. Byron, To Moore, 3 Aug. Whose ‘bills’ are never ‘lifted.’
1869. Gibbon, Robin Gray, v. The Laird lifted his rent.
8. slang. To take up (a portable object; cf. 1 d) or drive away (cattle) with dishonest intentions; in wider sense, to steal. In early use, to steal something from (a shop, etc.); to rob. Cf. shop-lifting.
1526. Skelton, Magnyf., 1373. Conuey it be crafte, lyft & lay asyde.
1592. Greene, Upst. Courtier, G 3. It is reported you can lift, or nip a bounge, like a guire [sic] Coue.
1595. Recorder Fleetwood, in Ellis, Orig. Lett., Ser. I. II. 303. Lyfte is to robbe a shoppe or a gentilmans chamber.
1666. Dryden, Ann. Mirab., ccxxviii. But if night-robbers lift the well-stored hive, An humming through their waxen city grows.
a. 1670. Spalding, Troub. Chas. I. (Bannatyne Club), I. 25. Ther came a company of highlanders, and lifted out of Frendraucht’s ground, ane number of goods.
1722. Ramsay, Three Bonnets, I. 78. Thieves that came to lift their cattle.
1814. Scott, Wav., xviii. Donald Bean Lean never lifted less than a drove in his life.
1840. Thackeray, Paris Sk.-bk. (1869), 74. He took to his old courses, and lifted a purse here, and a watch there.
1873. Dixon, Two Queens, I. VI. ii. 307. More [Scots] were bent on lifting kine and sheep.
1881. A. Lang, Library, 52. He used to tell how he had lifted a book … from a stall on the Pont-Neuf.
1892. R. Kipling, East & West, in Barrack-r. Ballads, 75. He has lifted the Colonel’s mare that is the Colonel’s pride.
transf. 1885. Spectator, 10 Jan., 51/2. In painting-in his background, he is, therefore, reasonably entitled to ‘lift’ his materials wherever he finds them.
1892. Nation (N. Y.), 15 Dec., 456/3. All that is vitally concerned with Lincoln, is lifted bodily from Herndon’s book.
† 9. The technical word for: To carve (a swan). (The text of quot. c. 1500 app. contains some error.)
c. 1500. For to serve a Lord, in Babees Bk. (1868), 374. Begynne at the lifte legge first of a Swan; and lyfte a gose y-reared at the right legge first.
1513. Bk. Keruynge, ibid. 266. Lyfte that swanne.
1804. Farley, Lond. Art Cookery (ed. 10), 293. To lift a swan, you must slit it quite down the middle of the breast.
10. Card-playing. intr. To cut (for deal). ? Obs.
1599. Minsheu, Span. Dial. (1623), 26. I lift to see who shall deale, it must be a coat card.
1608. Machin & Markham, Dumb Knt., IV. i. H 3 b. But come, lift for the dealing, it is my chance to deale.
1674–80. Cotton, Compl. Gamester, 86. At French-Ruff you must lift for deal.
11. trans. To take up and remove, take away; to drive (cattle) away or to market, to strike (a tent). Sc. To remove (a corpse) for burial; also absol.
a. 1670. Spalding, Troubl. (Bannatyne Club), I. 236. The said day Monro lifts his camp frae Strathbogie.
1816. Scott, Bl. Dwarf, xiii. We seem to be met at a funeral … Ellieslaw, when will you lift.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Ireland, i. 11. That’s better than seeing them lifted to the pound.
1835. G. P. R. James, Gipsy, ii. I fear that we shall be obliged to lift our tents, and quit this pleasant nook.
1836. Mrs. Browning, Poet’s Vow, V. xv. They came at dawn of day To lift the lady’s corpse away.
1856. Kane, Arct. Expl., II. vii. 79. Nearly all my hopes of lifting the sick … rest upon these dogs.
1882. W. McQueen, in Macm. Mag., XLVI. 164/1. When an invitation is being given verbally to a funeral in Scotland, the person invited usually asks, ‘When do you lift?’ meaning ‘At what hour is the funeral to take place?’
1886. C. Scott, Sheep-Farming, 118. If … a good ewe requires a lamb [her own being dead], it may be advisable to lift a small gimmer’s lamb, and put it to her.
1890. Pall Mall Gaz., 18 Sept., 7/1. A large number of families went to the church and lifted their books.
1891. Newcastle Even. Chron., 31 Jan., 2/1. Interment on Sunday; to lift at Two o’clock.
1896. Daily News, 4 Sept., 3/4. Some hot-headed proposals were made, one being to lift tools at once.
b. U.S. To lift (a person’s) hair: to scalp.
1848. Ruxton, Life in Far West, 37. ‘We’ll lift the hair, any how,’ continued the first, ‘afore the scalps cold.’
c. U.S. To get rid of, pay off (a mortgage).
1879. J. Burroughs, Locusts & Wild Honey, 79. The weather must lift the mortgage on his farm, and pay his taxes.
1884. Stockton, Lady or the Tiger? etc. 47. So then the spectral mortgage could never be lifted.
12. a. To take up out of the ground (Sc. in general sense); to dig up (potatoes).
1844. Stephens, Bk. Farm, III. 1125. When lifted for shipment to the London market, they [potatoes] are first riddled into sizes, then [etc.].
1883. J. Purves, in Contemp. Rev., Sept., 354. The tall, strong farm-wonen ‘lifting’ the potatoes.
1883. Stevenson, Treas. Isl., I. i. There is still treasure not yet lifted.
1892. E. Reeves, Homeward Bound, 334. She had come over to Paris to lift his remains and remove them to another place.
1892. E. P. Dixon, Seed Catalogue, 25. Fifty-fold [potato] … which may be lifted July and August.
b. Sc. To carry (a crop), clear (a cornfield).
1876. A. Laing, Lindores Abbey, xxiv. 309. He went and searched the ground after the crop was lifted.
1883. [see LIFTED ppl. a.].
13. To hit (the ball) into the air; esp. in Cricket: often with the bowler as object.
1874. Times, 5 Oct., 11/2. When the [golf] ball must be ‘skied’ or lifted over some swell of the ground.
1882. Daily Tel., 24 June, 2/7. W. G. lifted Spofforth round to the leg boundary.
1894. N. Gale, Cricket Songs, 31. He … lifts you o’er the Baths for six?
1897. Daily News, 16 June, 3/4. Hill, as is his custom, lifted the ball a good deal.
14. Comb.: † lift-leg, a name for strong ale.
1587. Harrison, England, II. xviii. (1877), I. 295. There is such headie ale and beere in most of them, as … is commonlie called huffecap,… stride wide, and lift leg.
