Now north. dial. or arch. Forms: 1 þolian, 2–3 -ien, (2 þale(n), 2–4 þolye, -ie, -en, 3 (Orm.) þolenn, 3–4 -yen, 4 þoole, tholen, -y, 4–5 þole, tholie, 4– thole. (Also 4, 6 Sc. thol, 4 (5–6 Sc.) thoile, 4–6 Sc. thoill, 5 þoliȝe, þol(l, thoole, thowle, tholl, 6 (7–8 Sc.) thoell, 8 n. dial. thoyl, 6– Sc. and n. dial. thoil.) [OE. þolian = OS. tholôn, tholian, OHG. dolôn, dolên (MHG. dolen, doln; cf. Ger. gedul-d), ON. þola (Da. taale, Sw. tåla), Goth. þulan, f. OTeut. stem *þul- :—weak grade of root *tel : *tol : *tl to bear, suffer: cf. L. tuli, tol-erare, toll-ere, Gr. τλῆναι.]
1. trans. To be subjected or exposed to (something evil); to be afflicted with; to have to bear, suffer, endure, undergo.
Beowulf, 832. Hie … for þreanydum þolian scoldon torn un-lytel.
c. 897. K. Ælfred, Gregory’s Past. C., xxviii. 197. Dauid … lange ær his [Saul’s] ehtnesse earfoðlice ðolode.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Gen., 2240 (Gr.). Þeowdom þolian.
1154. O. E. Chron. (Laud MS.), an. 1137. Suilc & mare þanne we cunnen sæin we þoleden xix wintre for ure sinnes.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 75. His halie fif wunden þa he þolede for us ine þe halie rode.
c. 1200. Ormin, Ded. 201. He ȝaff hiss aȝhenn lif … To þolenn dæþþ o rodetre.
c. 1290. Beket, 2316, in S. Eng. Leg., I. 173. Þis holi man … þolede martyrdom.
c. 1320. Cast. Love, 410. He schal euere þolyen deþ.
13[?]. Cursor M., 9636 (Cott.). Ded he aght to thole.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, IV. 659. Feill anoyis thoill ȝhe sall.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Friar’s T., 248. So muche wo as I haue with yow tholed.
c. 1450. Mirour Saluacioun, 212. All yt oure lord Ihū soeffred in his passionne Oure ladie tholed in sawle.
1530. Lyndesay, Test. Papyngo, 175. Off bitter deth now mon I thole the schouris.
1599. Porter, Angry Wom. Abingt., in Hazl., Dodsley, VII. 370. What a winter of cold fear I thole.
1717. Ramsay, Elegy on Lucky Wood, i. What loss, what crosses dost thou thole!
1884. Freeman, in Stephens, Life (1895), II. x. 321. They that believed nothing were to thole all revealed punishments. [Affected archaism.]
absol. 1357. Lay Folks Catech., 132 [Christ] tholed [v.r. suffryd] bodily for synful man kynd.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 90. Þe cros þat crist opon þolede.
c. 1430. Lydg., Min. Poems (Percy Soc.), 227. How ever thou thole ore thryfe, Alwey thonk God of alle.
1718. Ramsay, Christ’s Kirk Gr., III. xvi. Ye’s thole for this, ye scaul.
1880. A. Forbes, in 19th Cent., Jan., 190. To be told how our countrymen … toil and thole.
b. To thole an assize, judgment, the laws, etc., to undergo trial. Sc.
1425. Sc. Acts Jas. I. (1814), II. 9/2. Þe king … forbiddis þat ony man … be aponne his assise þat sall thole þe law.
1508. Dunbar, Flyting, 78. For quhilk, brybour, ȝit sall thow thoill a breif.
a. 1578. Lindesay (Pitscottie), Chron. Scot. III. iv. (S.T.S.), I. 223. The lordis … quhilk was … thair to thoill ane syse conforme to thair ditta.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., I. 93 b. It is statute, that na man sould thoill judgement, or be judged, be ane man of inferiour estate then his awin peir.
1678. Sir G. Mackenzie, Crim. Laws Scot., I. xx. § 4 (1699), 108. The Receptor with us cannot be punished, or thole an Assize, till the principal Thief be first convict.
1886. St. James’ Gaz., 16 Dec., 3. Mr. … would probably by this time have tholed an assize before the High Court of Justiciary.
2. To endure without resistance or complaint; to submit with patience to; to bear with, ‘abide’; to put up with, tolerate. Also with inf. or subord. cl.
c. 950. Lindisf. Gosp., Mark ix. 19. Ða huile mið iuh ic beom, ða huile iuih ic ðola.
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Gen., 597 (Gr.). Þæt is micel wundor þæt hit ece god æfre wolde, þeoden, þolian.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 9479 So luþer & prout heo was, þat me ne mizte it þolie nozt.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 15976. Al þer trauaille & al þer ylle Þat þey had þoled wiþ gode wille.
1393. Rec. Elgin (New Spald. Cl.), I. 7. Þis as before wyt al men we wil nocht thole.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 8490. He might the betre thoole Thurgh gile to les a little ring, Whan [etc.].
1552. Abp. Hamilton, Catech. (1884), 81. Thai that tholis nocht thair father and mother, suppose thai do thame iniuris and be cummersum.
1584. Hudson, trans. Du Bartas’ Judith, III. 179. For thee, we frankly shall pursue and thole Th’eternall heat and colde of either Pole.
1786. Burns, Twa Dogs, 96. Poor tenant bodies, scant o’ cash, How they maun thole a factor’s snash.
c. 1800. Newcastle Prov., in Brockett, N. C. Gloss. (1846), II. 178. He that has a good crop may thole some thistles.
184[?]. in Contemp. Rev. (1905), July, 64. ‘I com’ away,’ said he, ‘for I couldn’t thoil to see good food wasted.’
1889. Barrie, Window in Thrums, 38. I canna thole ’im.
absol. 1154. O. E. Chron., an. 1140 § 6 (Laud MS.). Þa hi ne leng ne muhten þolen, þa stali hi ut & fluʓen.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 79. Þe man … þe þoleð and forbereð and ne wile seche after wreche.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, ix. 41. Þaire hert redy to serue þe and to thole.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VIII. 663. Ȝeit Wallace tholyt, and leit thaim say thar will.
1560. Rolland, Seven Sages, 77. Better it is to thoill heir patientlie, Nor euer mair in hell condampnit be.
1880. A. Forbes, in 19th Cent., Feb., 234. The British soldier can thole as well as can the Russian soldier.
† b. To endure or bear without giving way; to withstand; to stand. Obs.
c. 1200. Ormin, 9399. Þa maȝȝ itt [the eye] siþþenn þolenn wel Þe sunness brihhte leome.
13[?]. Cursor M., 7312 (Gött.). It es wel worthi þat qua May thole na wele, to thole þe wa.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 9674. No buerne vpon bent his buffettes might thowle.
14[?]. Songs Costume (Percy Soc.), 60. Her mantill of humilitie, To tholl bayth wind and weit.
c. To bear, stand, admit of, be capable of; to have room for; esp. in phrase to thole amends, to admit of improvement. dial.
1770. Jas. Watt, Lett. to Small, 3 Jan. Health and spirits beyond what I commonly enjoy…; though they would still thole amends.
a. 1774. Fergusson, Cauler Oysters, Poems (1845), 7. Fling owre your craig sufficient doses; You’ll thole a hunder.
1808. Scott, Lett. to G. Ellis, 23 Feb., in Lockhart. The style would … thole amends, i. e. admit of improvement.
1871. in N. & Q., 4th Ser. VIII. 156/2. It ’ll thole a drap mair watter.
† 3. To allow, suffer, permit. (With obj. clause, obj. and inf., or equivalent pron.) Obs.
c. 1070. Charter of Leofgifu, in Kemble, Cod. Dipl., IV. 269. Ic bidde mine leuedien for Godes louen ðat ðu [ne] þolie ðat ani man mine quide awende.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 71. Þole us to bi-wepen ure sunne.
c. 1200. Ormin, 12089. Ȝiff Crist itt nollde þolenn himm Naffde he þærto nan mahhte.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 1583. Þe toun folc … nolde namore þolie þan ssrewe among hom a wede.
13[?]. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1859. Þenne he þulged with hir þrepe, & þoled hir to speke.
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 59. Þei be þolid to minister prestly oþer sacraments.
1466. Dunfermline Regr. (Bann. Cl.), 356. I sall nocht thole, graunt nore gyff leiffe … to na man … to draw na drauchtis of wateris throu my landis.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IX. vii. 89. Thoil me to trubble this gret rout of men.
1552. Abp. Hamilton, Catech. (1884), 35. God will nocht thoile you want your dailie sustentatioun.
1575. Churchyard, Chippes (1817), 193. God would not thoell, for one mans sake alone: That broyles should cause a million make their mone.
1721. Ramsay, Prospect of Plenty, 83. They’ll never thole this great design to tak.
4. intr. To be patient, have patience, wait patiently. dial.
1674. Ray, N. C. Words, 48. Thole a while, i.e. stay a while.
1766. A. Nicol, Poems, 58 (E.D.D.). I do bid them thole a while Till ance the spring come in again.
1896. [J. Lumsden], Poems, 7 (ibid.). Great is our drouth—but thole a wee.
5. trans. To bear to give; to afford or grant willingly. dial.
1703. Thoresby, Lett. to Ray, Gloss. (E. D. S.). Thoyl, to afford.
1828. Craven Gloss., s.v., I could thole him t’ meat out o’ my mouth.
1863. Mrs. Toogood, Yorksh. Dial. (MS.). He is so covetous he cannot thoil his servants enough food.
