Pa. t. and pple. thrust. Forms: see below. [Early ME. (c. 1200) þrusten (ü), þrysten, a. ON. þrýsta to thrust, press, compress, force (Norw. tryste, Aasen, to press, squeeze). ON. þrýsta (:—þrüstj-) has been doubtfully referred to Indo-Eur. trud-, trūd-, in L. trūdĕre to thrust (Falk and Torp).]
A. Illustration of Forms.
1. Inf. and Pres. stem. α. 3 *þrust-e (ü), 3–6 þrist-en, 4 þrist, 4–6 thrist, 5 thryste.
c. 1300. Havelok, 1152. I shal hangen þe ful heye, Or y shal þristen vt þin eie.
c. 1330. Þrist [see B. 3].
1388. Wyclif, Mark iii. 9. Lest thei thristen hym.
1483. Cath. Angl., 386/1. To Thryste downe, oppremere.
1510–20. Everyman, in Hazl., Dodsley, I. 138. Go, thrist thee into the ground.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., VII. (S.T.S.), II. 43. Sche thristis in her tender arme into the hole of the bar.
β. 5 þrust-e, 6–7 thruste (7 thurst), 6– thrust.
c. 1440. Alphabet of Tales, 347. Yisterday he thristid down þe erth, and þis day þe erth þrustis hym down.
1530, etc. Thrust [see B. 3, etc.].
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 216 b. He fortuned to thruste of a stone.
2. Pa. tense. α. 2–3 þruste (ü), 3–5 þriste, þrist, 4 thryste, 4–5 thriste.
[c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 131. He to-þruste þa stelene gate and to brec þa irene barren of helle.]
c. 1205. Lay., 30341. Æiðer þratte oþer swiðe and þruste mid worde.
c. 1250. ðrist.
c. 1290. Þruste [see B. 1].
c. 1374. Þriste [see B. 6 b].
β. 5–6 thruste (5 throste, 6 thurst), 6– thrust.
c. 1410. Thruste [see B. 5].
c. 1470. Harding, Chron. XII. ii. (MS. Ashm. 34), lf. 12 b. This Gogmagog so throste [v.rr. thrast, -e] Coryneus.
1568. Thurst [see B. 6].
γ. 5 thristid (5–6 Sc. -it), 6 thristed; 7–8 thrusted.
c. 1440. Thristid [see A. 1 β].
c. 1475. Thristit [see B. 3].
1560. Rolland, Crt. Venus, IV. 590. Swa in hir armis than scho him thristit.
1634. Canne, Necess. Separ. (1849), 194. He thrusted out Cain from the same.
1788. Thrusted [see B. 6 b].
3. Pa. pple. α. 4 þryst, 4–5 thrist, 5 thriste, thryst, þirstyn.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 8889. When þey ofte hadde put & þryst … Ȝit stirede þey nought þe leste ston.
13[?]. Thrist [see B. 6 quot. a. 1300].
14[?]. Gosp. Nicodemus (A.) 1443. And in thraldame thrist hym þou has.
1435. Misyn, Fire of Love, I. v. 11. To god þai ȝelde no deuocion, for þe byrdyn of riches with þe whilk þai ar þirstyn to þe erth.
1483. Cath. Angl., 386/1. Thriste downe, oppressus.
1495. Thryst [see B. 6 b].
β. 4, 6– thrust (6 thurst); 4 Sc. thrustyne, thrussine.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xviii. (Egipciane), 581. Bot I, vnhappy, thrustyne sare, A fut mycht nocht get forthyr-mare. Ibid., xxxvii. (Vincencius), 285. He … wes … thrussine done.
1382. Wyclif, Judg. vi. 38. [Dew] thrust out of the fleese [Vulg. cxpresso vellere].
γ. 4–5 þristed, 4 Sc. thristit, 7–9 thrusted.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xl. (Ninian), 516. His stafe … has he … in þe maste hoile … thristit ful faste.
c. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, 65. Þat it may … be þristed out.
1665. Thrusted [see B. 1].
B. Signification.
I. 1. trans. To exert the force of impact upon or against (a body) so as to move it away; to push, shove, drive. Chiefly with adverb or advb. phr. (Now chiefly literary.)
[c. 1175: see A. 2 α.]
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2110. vii. lene [ears of corn] … ðe ranc he hauen ðo ouer-cumen,… and, on a stund, ðe fette ðrist hem to ðo grund.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 328/188. Seint Clement … in grete wrathþe hire pulte a-wei and to þe grounde upriȝt þruste.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 1407. Þai … Thristis ouir thikefald many threuyn bernes.
1526. Tindale, Matt. xxi. 39. They caught hym and thrust him out of the vyneyarde.
1587. Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 152. And up they thrust the same [door], And softly entred in.
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., II. iv. 202. Thrust him downe stayres.
1665. Hooke, Microgr., vi. 23. Another Ladle thrusted four or five inches under water.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), II. ix. 203. I caused the boat to be thrust in.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. xix. 135. The glacier is forcibly thrust … against the projecting base of the mountain.
b. transf. and fig. Applied to action of any kind having an effect analogous to that of physical pushing or moving. Often in phr. to thrust out, to expel, eject.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 217. Whan Sir Symon wist, þe dome ageyn þam gon, His felonie forth thrist.
1535. Coverdale, Josh. xxiv. 18. The Lorde thrust out before vs all the people of the Amorites.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 161. Dionysius of Syracuse is reported for his tyranny to have been thrust beside his seate.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., V. v. 156. Though wee would haue thrust vertue out of our hearts by the head and shoulders.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit. (1637), 513. King Henry the Eighth thrust out the Monkes.
1655. Jer. Taylor, Guide Devot. (1719), 14. He only can preserve them in the same Being, and thrust them forward to a better.
1854. H. Rogers, Ess. (1860), II. 2. Thrusting aside all authority but that of Reason.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xii. III. 222. They were now, without any trial, without any accusation, thrust out of their house.
c. absol. or intr. To push against something; to make a thrust. (lit. and fig.)
c. 1205. [see A. 2 α].
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 8886. Þey schouued, þey þriste, þey stode o strot.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. cxvii[i]. 13. They thrust at me, that I might fall.
1560. Daus, trans. Sleidane’s Comm., 80. One of them with his staffe, thruste at the Image of a saincte, in so muche that it fell downe and brake.
1648. Gage, West Ind., 176. They still at the door thrusting.
† 2. intr. To come together with force of impact; to strike together, collide. Obs.
13[?]. Cursor M., 22683 (Edin.). Al þe stanis þat er mad … Wit þrawing sal tai samin þrist [other MSS. threst, þrest], Þat al to pecis sal tai brist.
1500–20. Dunbar, Poems, xxxv. 28. Thir terrible monsteris sall togidder thrist, And in the cludis gett the Antechrist.
3. intr. To push or force one’s way, as through a crowd; to crowd in; to make one’s way or advance as against obstacles; to press onwards or into a place, etc. Also fig.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 277. Fleand fast þei þrist.
c. 1475. Rauf Coilȝear, 694. He thristit in throw threttie all at anis.
1530. Palsgr., 757/1. I thrust in to a place thorowe a prease.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. xvi. (1623), 854. It will be best abruptly to thrust into the narration.
1615. G. Sandys, Trav., 26. That night we came to Callipoly … and Chrust into a little haven North of the towne.
1653. W. Lauson in Arb., Garner, I. 197. They thrust up little brooks to spawn.
1760. Wesley, Jrnl., 10 Aug. A person hugely daubed with gold thrust violently in.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, xii. She thrust in between them.
1865. Kingsley, Herew., xvii. He thrust in with so earnest and sad a face that the servants let him pass.
† b. trans. To press upon or push against; to throng, to jostle. Obs.
c. 1375. [see A. 3 β].
1388. Wyclif, Mark v. 31. Thou seest the puple thristynge thee: and seist, Who touchide me?
1526. Tindale, ibid. Thou seist the people thrustinge the on euery syde.
1589. Bruce, Serm. Sacram., iii. I v. Thou art thrumbled and thrusted be the multitude.
1642. [see THRUSTING vbl. sb. 1].
† c. To press (objects) into a confined space; also, to fill (a space) densely; to crowd, cram. Obs.
c. 1380. [see THRUSTING vbl. sb. 1].
1614. Tomkis, Albumazar, I. iii. A Hall thrust full of bare-heads.
† 4. trans. To press, compress, squeeze. Obs. (exc. in spec. reference to cheese-making: cf. THRUSTING vbl. sb. 2, thrusting-screw, -tub, ibid. 3).
1382. [see A. 3 β].
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., V. xxiv. (Bodl. MS.). With compressing and þrusting togederes þe wey of the breþe.
c. 1400. Pety Job, 98, in 26 Pol. Poems, 124. To thryste me doune, and me accuse.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 491/2. Thrystyn, or pressyn, premo, comprimo.
1530. Palsgr., 757/1. I thrust togyther, je compresse.… He hath thrust the appell so moche togyder that it is naugth.
1539. Bible (Great), Judg. vi. 38. He … thrust the flece togeather, and wronge the dewe therout.
a. 1500. Freiris of Berwik, 168, in Dunbar’s Poems (S.T.S.), 290. He thristit hir hand agane richt prevely.
1794. Wedge, Agric. Chester, 52. Thrusting or hand-pressing the Cheese in the Vat [cf. THRUSTING vbl. sb. 2].
II. † 5. To strike with a pushing action; to stab or pierce with a pointed instrument. Obs.
c. 1410. Chron. Eng. (Ritson), 671. The thef braid out is knyf anon, Ant to the heorte the kyng thruste.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 305 b. They … with a sharpe speare … thrust the … vnto thy blessed herte.
1573–80. Baret, Alv., T 218. It is Thrust through with a needle, … traiectatur acu.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., IV. vii. 10. He was thrust in the mouth with a Speare.
c. 1643. Ld. Herbert, Autobiog. (1824), 91. I … with my sword thrust him [a wild boar] twice or thrice without entering his skin.
1770. Trial W. Spiggot, etc., Heref., 3. That the said William Williams struck, thrusted, and stabbed him … with a certain sword.
b. intr. To make a thrust, stab, or lunge with a pointed weapon; spec. in Fencing. Also fig.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., II. iv. 223. These foure … thrust at me; I … tooke all their seuen points in my target.
c. 1643. Ld. Herbert, Autobiog. (1824), 64–5. To strike or thrust as he shall see occasion;… to strike or thrust high or low as his Enemy doth.
1700. Dryden, Ovid’s Met., XII. 612. He next his Fauchion try’d, in closer Fight;… He thrust; the blunted Point return’d again.
1826. Scott, Woodst., xxxvii. His sword had no more power than had he thrusted with a tobacco-pipe.
1869. Boutell, Arms & Arm., ii. (1874), 23. This formidable weapon served equally well to deliver blows … and to thrust with the point.
1871. B. Taylor, Faust (1875), I. xix. 172. Thrust home!
1878. Browning, La Saisiaz, 404. Fancy thrust and Reason parry!
6. trans. To cause (anything, esp. something grasped in the hand) to enter, pierce, or penetrate some thing or place by or as by pushing; to put, drive, or force into some place or position.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 557 (Cott.). Als prient of seel in wax es thrist.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xix. (Cristofore), 264. Thrist it [the staff] fast done in þe grownd.
1526. Tindale, Rev. xiv. 15. Thruste in thy sycle and rype.
a. 1500. Freiris of Berwik, 134, in Dunbar’s Poems (S.T.S.), 289. Scho … thristit on fatt caponis to the speit.
1568. Grafton, Chron., II. 24. He … sodenly thurst his speare into the kinges left eye.
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., III. ii. 23. By thrusting out a Torch from yonder Tower.
1647. Ward, Simp. Cobler (title-p.), Coblers must thrust their awles up to the hefts.
1726. Swift, Gulliver, II. viii. I then fastened my handkerchief to a stick … and, thrusting it up the hole, waved it.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Ella of Gar, i. A bunch of seabirds’ feathers, which he thrust into Ella’s hand.
1832. Tennyson, Dream Fair Wom., 259. You should have … thrust The dagger thro’ her side.
b. To put forth, extend (a limb or member) into some place or in some direction; to put forth, throw out, or extend, as in the process of growth (a root, branch, or connected part) so as to project.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, III. 1525 (1574). With that his arm al sodeynly he þriste Vnder here nekke and at þe laste here keste.
1495. Trevisa’s Barth. De P. R., VII. lii. (W. de W.). In the dropesye … yf ones fynger be thryst in to the flesshe it makyth an hole other a pytte.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. i. 29. The Lyon dying, thrusteth forth his Paw.
1596. [see A. 1 α].
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., 189. From S. Michaels mount Southward, immediatly there is thrust forth a bi-land or demi-Ile.
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand., xlvi. I perceived him thrust his tongue in his cheek.
1788. Lond. Mag., 240. Each … thrusted his head through a hole in the curtain.
1815. Scott, Guy M., viii. Thrusting his hand in his pocket to find a half-crown.
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., x. 353. Those hills are the western roots which Hermon thrusts out towards the sea.
Mod. As a tree thrusts its roots deep into the soil and its branches high into the air.
c. transf. and fig. (See also 7.)
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 398. Thrust thy sharpe wit quite through my ignorance. Ibid. (1601), Jul. C., V. iii. 74. Thrusting this report Into his eares.
1770. Langhorne, Plutarch (1879), I. 1/1. Geographers thrust into the extremities of their maps, those countries that are unknown to them.
1795. Burke, Corr. (1844), IV. 285. I shall say more … since you suffer me to thrust in my opinion.
1865. Tylor, Early Hist. Man., iii. 38. On the art of thrusting knowledge into the minds of such children.
III. 7. fig. To put (a person) forcibly into some condition or course of action (usually against his own will); refl. to put oneself rashly, ‘plunge’ (into danger, quot. 1639).
14[?]. [see A. 3 α].
1639. in Verney Memoirs (1907), I. 186. I will not willfully thrust myself in danger.
a. 1649. Drumm. of Hawth., Prophecy, Wks. (1711), 179. To remedy our evils by the thrusting us into a civil war; and the medicine is worse than the disease.
1654. Jer. Taylor, Real Pres., iv. 75. Into the concession of this Bellarmine is thrust by the force of our argument.
1750. Whitefield, Lett. Lady Huntingdon, 24 March. O that the Lord of the harvest would thrust out more labourers!
1879. Farrar, St. Paul (1883), 296. The very men who were now thrust into antagonism with his sentiments.
b. To put (something) improperly into some position; to insinuate (quot. 1574); esp. in phr. thrust in, to introduce irrelevantly, interpolate.
1574. trans. Marlorat’s Apocalips, 5. Prouoke vs to impaciencie, or thruste any douting of Gods promise into vs.
1654. Jer. Taylor, Real Pres., Ep. Ded. A iv. It is … suspected, that … the tale … was a long time after … thrust in by some Monk in a place to which it relates not.
1861. Paley, Æschylus (ed. 2), Supplices, 267, note. The MSS. have ἔχονδʹ in which δʹ seems to have been thrust in for the sake of the metre.
8. To put (a person) forcibly into some position (against the will of others concerned); to intrude (some one) upon (a person or persons).
1559. in Strype, Ann. Ref. (1709), I. App. viii. 23. Stephen Langhton, thrust into the archebisshoppricke of Canterbury by the pope.
1583. Stubbes, Anat. Abus., II. (1882), 92. Why would you not have pastors to be thrust vpon the churches, whether the churches will or not?
1848. W. H. Kelly, trans. L. Blanc’s Hist. Ten Y., II. 586. He … conjured his friends not to vote for a candidate who would be thrust upon them by the Centre.
b. refl. To intrude oneself into any position, condition, or circumstances, or upon another person; to push oneself forward.
1530. Palsgr., 757/1. I thruste my selfe in to a prease or amongest a company.
1613. Shaks., Hen. VIII., II. ii. 65. How dare you thrust your selues Into my priuate Meditations?
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., IV. xliv. 336. A stranger that thrusteth himself into the throne.
1797. Mrs. Radcliffe, Italian, xvii. They would thrust themselves into my company.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., xviii. IV. 185. He ceased to insist on his right to thrust himself between the First Lord and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.
1867. Aug. J. E. Wilson, Vashti, xiv. I should not feel justified thrusting myself into her presence.
c. To put (something) forcibly (into the hands of a person); to press, force, or impose the acceptance of (upon some one).
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., II. ii. 110. How … to order these affaires Thus disorderly thrust into my hands. Ibid. (1601), Twel. N., II. v. 158. Some are born great, some atcheeue greatnesse, and some haue greatnesse thrust vppon em.
1865. Trollope, Belton Est., xxvii. She had no alternative but to assume the position which was thus thrust upon her.
