Forms: 1, 3 stedefæst, 1 stydefæst, 2–5 stedefast (3 Ormin -fasst), 3 stedevast, 4 stedefaste, 3–4 studefast, 3 studevast, -vest, 4 studfaste, 4–5 stid(e)fast, stydfast(e, (4 steddfast, 5 steddefaste), 5–6 Sc. steidfast, 6–7 steedfast, 4–6 stedfaste, (5 stedfasst), 4–9 stedfast, 8– steadfast. [OE. stędefæst, f. stęde (see STEAD sb.) + fæst FAST a. Cf. MLG. stedevast (mod.G. † stattfest), ON. staðfast-r.] A. adj.
1. Fixed or secure in position. a. Of a person, esp. a soldier in battle: Maintaining his ground. (Now with mixture of sense 2.) † Also, of a battle: Fought without change of position.
993. Battle of Maldon, 127 (Gr.). Stodon stædefæste: stihte hi Byrhtnoð. Ibid., 249. Ne þurfon me embe Sturmere stedefæste hæleð wordum æt witan.
1623. Bingham, Xenophon, 67. Armed … sufficiently to skip vp and downe, and run away, but not to come to hands in a stedfast fight.
1821. Shelley, Hellas, 375. Victor myriads, formed in hollow square With rough and steadfast front.
† b. Fixed in abode. Obs. rare.
a. 1272. Luue Ron, 18, in O. E. Misc. Nis no mon iboren o lyue, Þat her may beon studeuest.
c. Of a thing, e.g., a pillar, a foundation: Firmly fixed, not to be moved or displaced. Also in fig. context. Obs. exc. in rhetorical language (of the earth, etc.).
c. 1000. Instit. Polity, x. in Thorpe, Anc. Laws (1840), II. 318, note. Wislic wærscipe & steðe-fæst [sic (MS. G. styde-)] modstaðol … biþ witena ʓehwilcum weorðlicre micle.
a. 1225. St. Juliana, 75 (Bodl. MS.). Lokið þet te heouenliche lauerd beo grund wal of al þat ȝe wurcheð, for þat stont studeuest, falle þat falle.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8483. Stedefast stode þe marbel stan on ferr þe golden letters scan.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 15562. Manie skiles forþ were cast, How hit [River Douglas] mighte be mad studefast.
c. 1480. Henryson, Mor. Fab., II. (Town & C. Mouse), vi. Ane sillie scheill vnder ane steidfast stane.
1577. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., III. (1586), 148. Into that vessel they powred in milke, and set it where it might stande stedfast.
1590. Barrough, Meth. Physick, II. x. (1639), 87. Let them sit in open aire, having a stedfast bed, and of a good height.
1625. N. Carpenter, Geog. Del., I. vii. (1635), 179. The finding out of the Centers where the stedfast foot of the compasse ought to bee fixed in drawing of each circle.
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 927. These Elements In mutinie had from her Axle torn The stedfast Earth. Ibid., VI. 833. Under his burning Wheeles The stedfast Empyrean shook throughout.
1781. Cowper, Retirement, 534. The rising waves … Thunder and flash upon the stedfast shores.
1822–56. De Quincey, Conf., Wks. 1862, I. 102. What was it?… Earthquake was it? convulsion of the steadfast earth?
† d. Of the hands: Steady, not tremulous. Also of shooting: Steady. Obs.
1535. Coverdale, Exod. xvii. 12. So his handes were stedfast.
1542. R. Copland, Guydon’s Quest. Chirurg., B ij. A stedfast hande without shakynge.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph., II. (Arb.), 127. To make the ende compasse heauy with the fethers in fliyng, for the stedfaster shotyng.
† e. Of a pain: Not changing its position. Obs.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., VIII. lv. (1495), 268. The ache of the reynes is stable and stedfaste.
† f. Solid. firm in substance. Obs.
1477. Norton, Ord. Alch., iv. in Ashm. (1652), 47. Stedfast to stedfast will it selfe combinde.
1545. Raynalde, Byrth Mankynde, I. xv. (1552), 43. The sede is of a more faste, compacte, and stedfaste substaunce.
† g. Unshaken in health. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1024. He suld in eild be ai stedfast, Sekenes suld he neuer drei.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 167. He … fauzt wiþ hem somtyme forto make his body stedefast by use in tra[ua]ylle forto dure.
† h. Steadfast land: the mainland, as opposed to an island. Obs. [Cf. G. festland].
a. 1470. Tiptoft, Cæsar’s Comm., i. (1530), 2. They also of the Isle of Britayn had no knowledge of no parte of the stedfaste londe.
2. Of persons: Unshaken, immoveable in faith, resolution, friendship, etc. Also said of belief, purpose or affection. Occas. const. to.
c. 1200. Vices & Virtues (1888), 135. Nis ðe hierte nauht ȝiet stedefast.
c. 1200. Ormin, 1597. Ȝiff þin heorrte iss harrd & starrc, & stedefasst o Criste.
c. 1220. Bestiary, 374. Oc eurilc luuen oðer, also he were his broder, Wurðen stedefast his wine.
c. 1290. Beket, 171, in S. Eng. Leg., 111. Þare was i-sene þat heo was treowe and of studefast mod!
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 2139. To serve hym and his werkes to wyrk In stedfast trouthe of haly kyrk.
c. 1369. Chaucer, Dethe Blaunche, 1227. And swore and gan hir hertely hete Ever to be stedfast and trewe.
c. 1450. Lovelich, Merlin, 12321. Stedfast sche was to hire Lord.
1472–3. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 32/2. Your true Liegeman and moost obeisaunt and stedfast Subgiet.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 8 b. Stande stedfast in the fayth & hope of god.
1535. Coverdale, Prov. xii. 4. A stedfast woman is a crowne vnto hir huszbonde.
1549. Bk. Comm. Prayer, Commun., Collect, Whom thou doest bryng vp in thy stedfast loue.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 58. Huge affliction and dismay Mixt with obdurate pride and stedfast hate.
1693. Col. Rec. Pennsylv., I. 405. You shall alwayes find me stedfast to what I promise you.
1738. Wesley, Psalms, XXXVI. iii. Above the Clouds thy Mercies rise, Stedfast thy Truth and Faithfulness.
1837–9. Hallam, Hist. Lit., II. II. ii. § 2. 59. It would have required all their stedfast faith in the arm of Providence to anticipate.
1867. Smiles, Huguenots Eng., vi. (1880), 106. Elizabeth … proved herself the steadfast friend and protector of the Protestant exiles.
1895. Denney, Stud. Theol., vi. (ed. 3), 144. It is His steadfast faithful purpose freely to impart His own character to men.
† b. Applied to God: Unchanging. Obs.
a. 1400. Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS., 3. The toþer es, þat þe heghe ffadir of Heuen es stedfaste and sothefaste Godde Almyghtyn.
c. 1440. Lay-Folks Mass Bk. (MS. E.), 180. In þe name of the fadur and þe sonne and þe holy goste, On stydfast [other texts sothfast] god.
1611. Bible, Dan. vi. 26. For he is the liuing God, and stedfast for euer.
† c. In bad sense: Confirmed, incorrigible. Obs.
1644. Milton, Areop. (Arb.), 58. To be a common stedfast dunce will be the only pleasant life.
3. Of a law, a treaty, an institution, a condition of things: Firmly settled, established, unchangeable.
1258. Proclam. Hen. III. (Ellis), 19. Stedefæst and ilestinde in alle þinge abuten ænde.
c. 1290. St. Dunstan, 47, in S. Eng. Leg., 20. Sone he was Abbot of þe hous … He makede þare godes seruise studefast and stable i-novȝ.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 333. Þe dome of hem schulde stonde stedefast and nouȝt be i-chaunged.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 115. Seid is that he hath his aspect Upon the holi lond so cast, That there is no pes stedefast.
c. 1460. Oseney Reg., 109. This my ȝifte that hit þe moor surer and stedfaster hereafter may be, I maade hit in þe presente of lorde John of Constances, Archedecun.
1535. Coverdale, Heb. ii. 2. For yf the worde which was spoken by angels, was stedfast, [etc.].
1607. Dekker, Sir T. Wyatt, F 3 b. A stedfast silence doth possesse the place.
1742. Gray, Propertius, II. 17. Who taught this vast machine its steadfast laws.
1877. E. R. Conder, Basis Faith, iv. 188. The stedfast regularity of phenomena tells with no doubtful significance of a corresponding permanence of the causes on which they depend.
† b. Of a language: Settled. Obs.
1422. Yonge, trans. Secreta Secret., 146. Lateyn is the moste stydfaste langage.
4. Of sight, the eye (occas. of the mind): Steadily directed.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 27999. If þou … woud hir wit wordes slight, Or loked wit ouur stedfast sight [? read with MS. Galba sleghe … eghe].
c. 1430. Prymer (1895), 38. Y schal make stidefast myn iȝen on þee.
a. 1593. Marlowe, Edw. II., V. v. 2526. That euen then when I shall lose my life, My minde may be more stedfast on my God.
1593. Shaks., Lucr., 1339. The homelie villaine … blushing on her with a stedfast eye, Receaues the scroll without or yea or no.
1629. Milton, Hymn Nativ., 70. The Stars with deep amaze Stand fixt in stedfast gaze.
1817. Shelley, Rev. Islam, ix. The [serpent’s] neck … Sustained a crested head, which warily Shifted and glanced before the Eagle’s steadfast eye.
† 5. adv. = STEADFASTLY. Obs.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2874. If þou a brand þar-in [sc. into the Dead Sea] wil cast þe fire it haldes þar stedfast.
13[?]. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xlix. 87. In herte loke þou holde stedefast Þe benfet þat þou ones hast.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxxvi. (Bodl. MS.). Blood is ipiȝt in þe lunges, but he is more stedefast ipight in þe herte.
c. 1580. Satir. Poems Reform., xliv. 92. Sathan led men steid fast be the mane.
1756. Toldervy, Hist. 2 Orphans, IV. 21. Duroy now looking more stedfast found this to be the very identical only son of Sir Gilbert Goosley.
1887. Morris, Odyss., XII. 437. So I held on steadfast [to the tree].
† B. sb. The castor-oil plant, Ricinus communis.
1597. Gerarde, Herbal, Suppl., Stedfast is Palma Christi.
1665. Lovell, Herbal (ed. 2), 416. Sted fast, see Palma Christi.
