Obs. Forms: α. 1 þrǽstan, 3 þræsten, þreaste, 3–4 þreste(n, 4 þrest, 4–5 threste, 4–6 threst. β. 3 þrasten, 4 þrast, 5–6 thrast, Sc. thraist. Pa. t. α. 3 þreaste (þærste), 3–4 þreste, 4 threste, 4–5 threst, 5–6 þrested. β. 3–4 þraste (3 þarste), 4–6 thraste, thrast (5 tharst). Pa. pple. 1 þrǽst, þrǽsted, 4–5 þrast, 5 (y)threst, 5–6 thrast(e (5 threstyd), 6 threst. [OE. þrǽstan to writhe, twist, torture, torment, constrain, representing an OTeut. type *þraistjan, not known in the other Teut. languages.
OE. þrǽstan had no etymological connection with THRUST, early ME. þrusten, þrysten, þristen, from ON. þrýsta (OTeut. *þrûstjan), nor did the original senses of the two agree. But, app. from the contiguity of the two forms þrest, and þrist, and possibly from the development in both vbs. of the notion of constraint or pressure, the OE. vb. appears to have been, by 1200, identified with the Norse vb., so that in ME. they were treated more or less as parallel forms of one and the same word, and actually appear in some cases as variant MS. readings. In ME., thrust, thrist was esp. northern and north midland, and threst predominantly southern, where it still survived in 1542. The past tense thraste is here placed under threst, to which in form it belongs; but it is possible that it was also used by some whose present tense was thrist, or thrust.]
(The OE. senses 1. intr. to twist, writhe, 2. trans. to torture, torment, plague, afflict, 3. to compress, constrain, compel, did not come down into ME.)
1. intr. To press (in, out, together, etc.); to push one’s way; to crowd; = THRUST v. 3.
α. c. 1205. Lay., 23372. Mine cnihtes balde scullen þræsten [c. 1275 þreaste] bi-foren me.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 9. In his ihurnd heauet … þreaste smeorðrinde smoke ut.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 220 (MS. C). ‘Irruerunt super me’ þet is, heo þresten in uppon me. Ibid., 314. One schipe þet haueð monie þurles, þer þet water þrest in.
13[?]. Sir Beues (A.), 4157. So harde þai þreste to gedre þo, Þat here gerþes borste ato.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Knt.’s T., 1754. He thurgh the thikkeste of the throng gan threste.
c. 1500. Melusine, 289. The valyaunt geffray … smote his hors with his sporys, & thrested in to myddes of his enemys.
β. c. 1205. Lay., 26318. Moni þusenden þrasten [c. 1275 þreste] ut of telden. Ibid., 26633. Þer after comen þrasten [c. 1275 comen þreaste] þritto þusen[d] anan.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 19462 (Fairf.). Þen sulde alle to him þrast.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1977. Forþ sche þraste among hem alle.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Doctor’s T., 260. But right anon a thousand peple in thraste To saue the knyght.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 2939. Ȝit he threw to þe thrid & thrast inn þare-eftir.
c. 1440. Partonope, 7053. Forth into the Reynes he tharst And aboute hym leyde on fast.
2. trans. To pierce, stab; to give (one) a thrust; = THRUST v. 5.
c. 1205. Lay., 30853. He com him baften and imong al þan þrunge þærsten him in þan ruge.
1508. Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps., xxxii. Wks. (1876), 30. Lyke as he hadde ben thraste thrugh the herte with a thorne.
1526. R. Whytford, Martiloge, 138. After all she was thrast unto the herte with a swerde. Ibid. (1532), Werke for Househ., Gii j. One of the sowdyours made a wounde in his syde, and thraste him to the herte with a spere.
3. To push forcibly or violently; = THRUST v. 1, 6.
c. 1275. Lay., 1898. Gemagog … þraste [c. 1205 þudde] Corineum framward his breoste.
c. 1325. Song of Yesterday, 69, in E. E. P. (1862), 135. Þenne schal vr bodies in eorþe be þrast.
13[?]. K. Alis., 3326. Beste He can his launce thorugh threste [Bodl. MS. þrest].
1340. Ayenb., 204. Hy þresten out hare eȝen.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, II. 1106 (1155). And yn here bosom þe lettre doun he þraste.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 6825. By my treget, I gadre and threate The gret tresour into my cheste.
c. 1430. Syr Gener. (Roxb.), 8740. The cheke in twoo he brast, And his neke on sondre thrast.
1484. Caxton, Fables of Auian, ii. The Egle … thrested his clowes in to the tortoses bely.
1508. Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps. cii. Wks. (1876), 171. Now we be thraste downe in to a very streyght angyll.
c. 1510. More, Picus, Wks. 22. As a thefe betwene two theues threst.
c. 1530. L. Cox, Rhet. (1899), 61. He thrast his hande into the fyre.
1534. Whitinton, Tullyes Offices, III. (1540), 131. In no wyse he ought to threst downe that man that proueth maystryes with hym.
4. To press, squeeze; to crush; = THRUST v. 4.
c. 1410. Master of Game (MS. Digby 182), xxiv. If … þe foote and þe knees haue ythrest doune wele þe erth and ypressede þe grasse a doune,… it is a grete deere and an heuy.
a. 1450. Tundale’s Vis. (Wagner), 1357. He thrust [MS. A. thrast] hem, as men dose Grapes, to wryng out the wose.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 417. At whiche coronacion was so excedynge prease, that a knyght, called sir Iohn Bakwell, was threstyd to deth.
b. To crowd; to cram; = THRUST 3 c.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, 4129. Two and thretty thried shippes þrast full of pepull.
1542. Udall, Erasm. Apoph., 49 b. [They] poure their throtes and bealies thrasting full.
c. fig. To oppress, vex.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, I. v. 58. Sen sic thochtis the thraistis [rhyme traistis].
Hence † Thresting vbl. sb., pressing, squeezing, crushing.
1481. Caxton, Reynard, xli. (Arb.), 111. The threstyng that he suffred in his colyons made hym so faynt. Ibid. (1483), Gold. Leg., 245/2. The deken fyll [= fell] … by thympulsion and threstyng of the paynems.
