Obs. or arch. Forms: α. 2–3 struȝe, 2–4 struie, 4 stru(e, strui, strwe, 4–5 struye. β. 4–5 strye, 4–6 strie, 5, 7, 9 dial. stry. γ. 4 stroȝe, 4–5 stroie, 4–6 stroye, 4–9 stroy. [Aphetic f. DESTROY v.; cf. ASTROY v.] trans. To destroy.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 51. Þat he sholde fare to þe burh of ierusalem and struȝen it. Ibid., 161. [The Devil] struieð rihte bileue.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9203. In his time … Iurselem was struid [Gött. stroyd].
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 2194. Hit is þe fende,… Þat has stoken me þis steuen, to strye me here.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XV. 587. Þei … studyeden to stroyen [v.r. struyen] hym and stroyden hemself.
1382. Wyclif, Ecclus. xxviii. 17. Wallid cites of riche men it stroȝede.
c. 1450. St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 4953. As clay of ways I sall þaim struye [Vulg. Ps. xvii. 43 delebo].
c. 1450. Mirk’s Festial, 72. I woll strye hit [the world] wyth a flod.
1567. Turberv., Epit., etc. 89 b. Though Tayler cut thy garment out of frame, And strie thy stuffe by sowing it amis.
1579. W. A., Remedy agst. Love (Roxb.), B iiij b. For take away the cause of every vice … You stroy theffect.
1603. J. Davies (Heref.), Microcosmos, 49. Damn’d Nothing that hast such a some-thing stride, How wast begot?
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., III. xi. 54. What I haue left behinde Stroy’d in dishonor.
c. 1611. Chapman, Iliad, XXII. 37. O Hector! flie, this man, this homicide, That strait will stroy thee.
1642. H. More, Song of Soul, II. I. iv. 6. They stroy one th’ other in fell cankred mood.
1819. W. Tennant, Papistry Storm’d (1827), 189. As they look’t up ilk lofty wa’, Takin’ their meiths for its downfa’, That they may strike and stroy.
a. 1825. Forby, Voc. E. Anglia, Stry, to destroy; to waste.
† b. Comb.: stroy-all, stroy-good, a destructive or wasteful person.
1573–80. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 21. A giddie braine maister, and *stroyal his knaue, brings ruling to ruine and thrift to hir graue.
1540. Palsgr., Acolastus, I. iii. F iij b. I reioyce … to be called Acolastus .i. a *stroygood, or a prodigal felow.
1567. Golding, Ovid’s Met., XI. (1593), 269. The cruell stroygood [L. vastatorem] with his bloodie mouth and heere.
1611. Cotgr., Bobancier, an vnthrift, riotous waster, superfluous spender, immoderate stroy-good.
a. 1825. stry-good [see STROY sb. 1].
Hence † Stroying vbl. sb.
1396–7. in Eng. Hist. Rev. (1907), XXII. 303. Aborcife and stroying of kynde.
c. 1400[?]. Wyclif’s Wycket (1546), B j. Great stroyeng of the people of God.
1549. Cheke, Hurt Sedit. (1569), G iv. How many came to the campes from long labour to sodeine ease, and from meane fare to stroying of vittaile.
1573–80. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 106. If shepherd would keepe them from stroieng of corne.
