v. Forms: 1 stǽnan, 2 stænen, 3–5 stene, 3 steane, 5 steyn(e, 8–9 steen, stein, 9 stean, steyn(e. [OE. stǽnan = OHG. (MHG., mod.G.) steinen, Goth. stainjan, f. OTeut. *staino-z STONE sb.
In certain northern dialects this and STONE v. are formally coincident].
† 1. trans. To stone (a person); to put to death by stoning. Obs.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Matt. xxiii. 37. Ðu stænas [c. 975 Rushw. stænest] hia ðaðe to ðe ʓesendet sint.
a. 1225. Ancr. R. 122. Seint Stefne þet te stones þet me stenede him mide [etc.].
a. 1225. Juliana, 41. And ich hit am þet makede sein iuhan þe baptiste beon heafdes bicoruen & seinte stephene isteanet.
1340. Ayenb., 213. God … made ane man to stene to-uore al þe volke uor þet he [etc.].
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VI. 31. Þey schulde þrowe out stones þorow holes of þe walles, as it were for to stene the devel.
c. 1440. Gesta Rom., 178. Jerusalem! that sleist prophites, & steynist hem that bethe I-sent to the.
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 28. Þay drowen hym out of þe cyte, forto stenen hym to dethe.
2. To line (a well or other excavation) with stone, brick or other material. Also with up.
1723. Phil. Trans., XXXVI. 192. We … artificially steen’d the whole Depth [of the well] with circular Portland Stone. Ibid. (1797), LXXXVII. 325. The well was sunk and steined to the bottom.
1833. Loudon, Encycl. Archit., § 234. To dig a cesspool … and steen it with four-inch brick-work.
1838. Holloway, Prov. Dict., s.v., To line a well with stones or bricks is to Stean it.
1839. Civil Engin. & Arch. Jrnl., II. 245/2. The excavation was … steined with 9 inch brickwork in cement.
1877. Fraser’s Mag., XV. 422. The original plan of steyning the banks, or lining them with stones, must … be resorted to.
1886. W. Somerset Word-bk., Steen, to build up without mortar the circular wall of a well…. ‘I’ve a-got good stones, I’ll steen un up well.’
1891. Antiquary, Nov., 208. The lower part of this was steined with oak boards.
b. dial. (See quot.)
1886. W. Somerset Word-bk., Steen,… 2. To put fresh metal on a road.
Hence Steened ppl. a.
1721. Mortimer, Husb. (ed. 5), II. 283. He had several times seen at the pulling up of such old [ox] Stalls, some that have had a well steen’d Channel under the Planks, leading to a large steined Receptacle without the Stall.
1863. Archæol. Cantiana, V. 15. I found another steined grave of Caen stone.
