Now rare or Obs. (In the current senses THICKEN is the usual verb.) [OE. þiccian, f. þicce, THICK a. (cf. OHG. dicchên, MHG. dicken).]
1. trans. To make dense in consistence. arch.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram., xxxvii. (Z.), 220. Denso … and denseo..., ic ðicciʓe.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., IV. ii. (Tollem. MS.). Ic [melancholy] þikkeþ þe blood, þat it fleteþ nouȝt from digestion by clernesse and þinnesse.
c. 1440. Anc. Cookery, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 430. Let hit boyle and thyck hit with floure of ryse.
1526. Grete Herball, cxliv. (1529), I ij b. A moysture that by the heet of the sonne is thycked,… and torned to a gommy substaunce.
1611. Shaks., Wint. T., I. ii. 171. Thoughts, that would thick my blood.
1642. H. More, Song Soul, I. I. xxvii. You thick that veil, and so your selves array With visibility.
1798. Coleridge, Anc. Mar., III. xi. The Night-Mare Life-in-Death was she, Who thicks man’s blood with cold.
† 2. To make (cloth, etc.) close in texture by fulling; = THICKEN 5. Obs.
1482. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 223/2. Made, wrought, fulled and thikked, by the myghte and strengh of men.
1511–2. Act 3 Hen. VIII., c. 6 § 1. The Walker and Fuller shall truely walke fulle thikke and werke every webbe of wollen yerne.
1566. Act 8 Eliz., c. 11 § 2. That no person … shall thicke or full in any Myll … any Cappe vntyll suche tyme as the same Cappe be first … half thicked … in the Footestocke.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, VI. 92. The Water … over-thicks my Cloth.
3. intr. To become thick, in various senses; = THICKEN intr. Now dial. or arch.
a. 1000. Gloss., in Wr.-Wülcker, 219/7. Densescit, spissat, þiccaþ.
c. 1290. St. Michael, 714, in S. Eng. Leg., 320. Hit þickez to Nye dawes … þanne it tornez formest to flesch.
13[?]. K. Alis., 3841 (Bodl. MS.). Þe erþe quaked of her rydyng: Þe weder þicked or her crieyng.
c. 1450. Two Cookery-bks., 91. Lete hit not boyle til hit thikke.
1579. Spenser, Sheph. Cal., March, 115. But see the Welkin thicks apace.
1876. Mid-Yorks. Gloss., s.v., T’day’s thicking (getting cloudy).
1879. J. D. Long, Æneid, II. 374. The sounds grow clear, The noise of battle thicks.
† b. ? To become frequent or prevalent. Obs.
13[?]. Cursor M., 17476 (Cott.). Ful wa þam was þaa wreches wick, Quen þis tiþand bigan to thik.
† 4. intr. To move thickly or in crowds; to flock, crowd. Obs. rare.
c. 1000. in Cockayne, Shrine (1864), 38. Þa þiccodan þider semninga þa ismaheli.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VI. v. 30. Als gret number thiddir thikkit in feir As … Levis of treis. Ibid., X. vii. 31. Quhar ȝondir sop of men thikkis in a rout.
† 5. refl. [f. THICK sb. 5.] To get into the thick of any place; to hide. Obs. rare–1.
1574. Hellowes, Gueuara’s Fam. Ep. (1584), 144. Hauing past three daies and three nightes, forsaking al high wayes, thicked myself in the great desart, and being vtterly tyred with great and extreame heat.
Hence Thicked ppl. a., thickened; † fulled; Thicking vbl. sb., thickening; † fulling.
c. 1440. Anc. Cookery, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 435. Stere hit tyl hit be thyk, and in the thikkynge do the rosted felettes therto.
1482. Rolls of Parlt., VI. 223/2. To forfaite and lose xl s., as ofte as eny such persone shall putt to fullyng or thikkyng, or to sale, eny suche Huers, Bonettes or Cappes.
1552–3. Act 7 Edw. VI., c. 8 (title). An Acte for the true fulling and thicking of Cappes.
1604. Compt Bk. D. Wedderburne (S.H.S.), 45. xij ellis & a quarter bred thickit blew worzet clayth.
1759. Compl. Letter-writer (ed. 6), 53. The thicking or fulling-mill.
