Sc. and north. Obs. Forms: 3–4 traiste, 4 treiste, 4–5 trayst(e, 4–6 traist, trast. Pa. t. 4–5 trast. [ME. traist, -en, trayst, a. ON. (OW.Scand.) treysta, trøysta (OTeut. *traustjan) to make firm, strong, or safe, to give firmness or security to, to confirm; refl. to make oneself secure, safe, or sure, with dat. or til to rely upon, trust to; f. traustr adj. strong, firm, safe, sure, trusty. Cognate with TRUST v.: see also TREST, TRIST.]
1. trans. To make secure or safe, to commit in trust; hence refl. to commit oneself with security or confidence, to trust, = sense 2.
c. 1375. Cursor M., 11868 (Fairf.). In quam þat we may traiste vs in.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 179. He wald … nocht traist his persone in it.
2. intr. To trust, have confidence, feel assured. (Const. in, on, of, to, or inf.)
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7491. He traistes al in his aun hand.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter cxxiv. 1. Þat traisten in Laverd ilk-on.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 1366. He may be called witty and wyse, Þat … on þis lyfe here traystes noght.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, V. 531. Þe king in hym trastit.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xxvi. (Nycholas), 538. Trastand thru hym to helpyn be.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., xxvii. 47. Thay wold for no tokynyng,… Trast in that trew.
1530. Lyndesay, Test. Papyngo, 331. Traistyng to chaip that faitale destanie.
1596. Dalrymple, trans. Leslie’s Hist. Scot., X. (S.T.S.), II. 385. Quhilk he mekle trasted in.
b. trans. with simple obj. (? orig. dative), or clause: To trust, have confidence in.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, VII. 179. May I trast the me to valk Till I a litill slepyng tak?
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, I. 86. Ressawide he was and trastyt werray trew.
1473–4. Acc. Ld. High Treas. Scot., I. 49. It wes trastit the Duc of Glosister suld haue cummyn in.
c. 1500. Lancelot, 1129. I traist that neuer more was sen No man in feild more knyghtly hyme conten.
c. To expect with confidence.
1518. in Peebles Burgh Rec. (1872), 46. The said Johne, traisting trubill in the cuntre.
Hence † Traisting vbl. sb., trusting, confidence.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter, lxx. 4. A stabile toure, til þe whilke we sall fle and be sykire in traystynge.
1456. Sir G. Haye, Law Arms (S.T.S.), 244. Thair lycht traisting in men that thai knew nocht.
