Forms: α. 3 cwite, 3–6 quyt, (4 qw-), 4–6 quyte, (4–5 qw-), 6 quight, 3–7 quite. β. 4 kuytte, 5 quytt(e, qwytt, qw(h)itte, 6 quitt, 6–7 quitte, 3– quit. [(1) In the α-forms (ME. types quīte, quīt), a. OF. quite = Pr. quiti, Sp. quito, med.L. quitus, unmolested, free, clear, etc., ad. L. quiētus QUIET. Hence also OFris. quyt, qwyt (mod. quijt), MDu. quite, quijt (Du. kwijt), MLG. and MHG. quît (obs. G. queit). (2) In the β-forms (ME. types quĭtte, quĭt), orig. a. OF. quitte, later form of quite: cf. med.L. quittus, MHG. quit (G. quitt), ON. kvittr (Sw. qvitt, Da. kvit). The pa. pple. of QUITE v. may also have contributed to the use of quĭt.
Although there appears to be sufficient evidence for the existence in ME. of forms with a short vowel, clear instances are somewhat rare, as the spelling is often ambiguous or misleading, and the rhymes usually show quīte, quīt. The exact range of quĭt is therefore uncertain until the 16th c., when its gradual supersession of quite is prob. connected with the similar change in the verb.]
I. In predicative use.
1. Free, clear. († Occas. quite and clear, quite and free.) To be quit for, to get off with, suffer nothing more than.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 6. Sum … mei ful wel beo cwite & paie god mid lesse.
c. 1275. Pass. Lord, 310, in O. E. Misc., 46. Ye nelleþ … lete me gon quite. Ibid., 370. Hit is eur kustume to habbe quyt enne.
c. 1290. Beket, 812, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 129. Þo was þis guode Man quit I-nov.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 1224. Þys were our most profit, Wiþ loue & leue he queþe vs quyt.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 685. Bot so he wend have passed quite.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, XIV. vi. Yf thow be ouercome thou shalt not be quyte for losyng of ony of thy membrys.
1509. Barclay, Shyp of Folys (1570), 72. The great fishe are taken … Where as the small escape quite and free.
1577. Northbrooke, Dicing (1843), 77. What faultes great men alwayes committe Are pardoned still, and goeth quitte.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., 22. Gif the persewer compeirs nocht … the defender sall passe quite.
1671. Milton, P. R., I. 476. I … must submiss endure Check or reproof, and glad to scape so quit.
1768. Gray, in Corr. w. Nicholls (1843), 72. We … are quit for the fright except the damage above-mentioned.
1817. W. Selwyn, Law Nisi Prius (ed. 4), II. 761. The judgment shall be against him only … and the other shall go quit.
1852. Thackeray, Esmond, I. xiii. Harry Esmond was quit for a fall on the grass.
1866. Rogers, Agric. & Prices, I. v. 124. When the book was restored the borrower [was] declared quit.
b. Free, clear, rid of (a thing or person). † Also with omission of prep. (quot. 1630).
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 90. Ase quite ase ʓe beoð of swuch.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6287. Godd … had mad þam quite Of al þair soru and al þair site.
1340. Ayenb., 41. Of these zennes ne byeþ [they] naȝt kuytte.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxxiv. (Pelagia), 136. Haffand rycht gret delyte Of þare synnis to be quyte.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 1511. Who is qwitte of one temptacionne happily.
1470–85. Malory, Arthur, X. xxiv. Now my moder is quyte of the.
1506. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., II. 141. Throuch desyre … to be quyte of the glore of a king.
c. 1630. Milton, On Time, 20. Then all this Earthy grosnes quit,… we shall for ever sit [etc.].
1741. Chesterf., Lett. (1792), I. 208. Aukwardnesses, which many people contract … and cannot get quit of them.
1840. Miss Mitford, in L’Estrange, Life (1870), III. vii. 108. To me … it would be a great release to be quit of the trouble and expense.
1875. Croll, Climate & T., v. 91. In order that the sea may get quit of its heat.
c. Const. from. Now rare.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., iii. in Ashm. (1652), 140. Fro feculent feces when hyt ys quytt.
c. 1586. C’tess Pembroke, Ps. CXIX. i. Quitt and cleere from doing wrong.
1591. Spenser, Ruins of Rome, viii. Nought from the Romane Empire might be quight.
1660. H. More, Myst. Godl., V. xvii. 209. Nor shall we ever be quit from the crime of slaying the Witnesses.
1845. Economy, 154. It is the doctor’s duty to see you quit from all this.
† d. To make quit (of), to do away with, dispose of; to make a clearance. Sc. Obs. rare.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VII. 504. The formast sone hym selff sesyt in hand, Maid quyt off hym.
15[?]. Droichis Part of Play, 108, in Dunbar’s Poems (1893), 318. Thair is nocht thair bot tak and slae, Cut throppillis and mak quyte.
† 2. Destitute, deprived of (from). Obs.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 399/242. Of ore leoue sones quite we beoth, alas!
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 319. Me and many mo, fro our wages ȝede quite.
a. 1352. Minot, Poems, vii. 124. Now haue þai made þi biging bare, Of all þi catell ertou quite.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg. (1867), 35. Of þi blis y were ful qwytt If y hadde aftir þat y haue do.
1573. Satir. Poems Reform., xlii. 911. It wald mak vs quyte Of Christis Euangell, our delyte.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., IV. 232. Ethelfred is maid quyt of ane eye.
† 3. = QUITS 2. Double or quit: see DOUBLE adv. 4. Obs.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, x. 268. I have yelde you agen that ye had gyven me; we be now quyte.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., III. i. 92. If once I finde thee ranging, Hortensio will be quit with thee by changing. Ibid. (1607), Cor., IV. v. 89. To be full quit of those my Banishers Stand I before thee heere.
1687. Prior, Epigr., ‘To John I ow’d.’ Sure John and I are more than quit.
1757. Mrs. Griffith, Lett. Henry & Frances (1767), I. 21. But we are now quit; and your generosity is equal to mine.
† b. To cry quit (with one), cry one quit (cf. QUITTANCE 4). Obs.
1626–7. in Crt. & Times Chas. I., I. 205. If it would please God … to prosper what we undertake, we might, ere long, cry them quit.
1641. Smectymnuus, Vind. Answ., I. 5. If we would cry quit with the Remonstrant … we could tell him a Tale.
II. Attributive.
† 4. Clean, complete. Obs. rare.
1583. Babington, Commandm., viii. (1637), 73. To … the quite marring of all her musicke.
1604. Rudd, in Consid. Peace & Goodw. Prot., 7. If … there cannot be obtained a quite removall of the Premises.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1673), 487. [This will] make a quit riddance of all their hurts.
