Obs. Forms: 1 ðiostru, -tro, þeostru, ðiestru, þystru, -o, 2 þeostre, 3 þuster, 4 þustre, 4 þestri, þester, 4–5 thestre, 5 thestur. [OE. ðíestru, þéostru, fem. (orig. of the -î decl.) = OS. thiustrî; also OE. ðíestre, þéostre, pl. -ru, neut.; f. THESTER a.] Darkness. lit. and fig.
Beowulf, 87. Seþe in þystrum bad.
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xxxv. 244. Se dæʓ biðierres dæʓ & ðiestra ðæʓ.
a. 900. trans. Bæda’s Hist., V. xiii. [xii.] (1890), 426. He mec forlet in middum þæm þeostrum.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xxii. 13. Wurpaþ hyne on þa uttran þystro [c. 1160 Hatton G. þeostran, Rushw. ðiostre, Lindisf. ðiostrum].
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 131. He ledde heom of þeostran and of scadewe.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 230. Hit luuyeþ þuster & hateþ lyht.
c. 1315. Shoreham, V. 130. Þaȝ hyt were þustre of nyȝt.
13[?]. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1775. Þay þrongen þeder in þe þester.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 4629. Thunret in the thestur throly with all.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4627. Quen it walows & wannes all oure thestres.
Hence † Thesterful, þeosterful a., full of darkness; † Theosterleyk (Orm. þeossterrleȝȝc), darkness.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 350. Se engel me lædde … to anre þeostorfulre stowe.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. vi. 23. Eall þin lic-hama byð ðysterfull [c. 1160 Hatton G. þeosterful].
c. 1200. Ormin, 2964. I þiss lifess þeossterrleȝȝc.
