Middle English Dictionary Entry
arē̆sten v.
Entry Info
| Forms | arē̆sten v. Also arresten. P. & ppl. arē̆st(ed. |
| Etymology | OF arester |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Note: Cp. areten.
1.
(a) To stop (sb.), bring to a halt; stop the motion or action of (sth.); of an anchor: to hold (a ship); (b) to come to a halt, stop; (c) to remain, wait; of reason: to reside in (sb.); of love: to be fixed (upon sb.).
Associated quotations
a
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)4253 : By þat þat host arested was, Rychard cam prykande neȝ þe plas.
- (c1387-95) Chaucer CT.Prol.(Manly-Rickert)A.827 : There oure hoost bigan his hors areste.
- (c1390) Chaucer CT.NP.(Manly-Rickert)B.4210 : Do thilke carte aresten boldely.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)8.606 : It blew and made such tempeste, Non ancher mai the schip areste.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)1.m.7.12 : The fleetynge streem..is areestid and resisted ofte tyme by the encountrynge of a stoon.
- ?a1425(c1380) Chaucer Bo.(Benson-Robinson)2.pr.1.123 : Enforcestow the to aresten or withholden the swyftnesse and the sweigh of hir turnynge wheel?
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.274 : The reynes of þe worlde he hath in honde [T]o maken it to moven and to goo; Arestynge eft, he makeþ it to stonde.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)13400 : In a-wayt I sholde take Pylgrymes that walke by the way, Hem tareste and make affray.
- a1500(?a1425) Lambeth SSecr.(Lamb 501)99/11 : If þey answere þe hastly..arrest hem yn þat and shewe hem þe contrary.
b
- c1400(?c1380) Cleanness (Nero A.10)766 : Þenne arest þe renk, and raȝt no fyrre.
- a1500(1422) Yonge SSecr.(Rwl B.490)215/15 : Thou shalt make thyn hoste arreste, and thy tentis Piche.
c
- a1375 Al oþer loue (Eton 36)8 : No loue þer nis þat oure halle lysse [bot] wat areste in evene kyng.
- c1400(?c1380) Patience (Nero A.10)144 : Fysches Durst nowhere for roȝ arest at þe bothem.
- a1450 Gower CA (Bodmer 178)2.162 : [As it were a wilde beste] In whom [no reson mihte] areste.
- a1500(?c1450) Merlin (Cmb Ff.3.11)208 : Her felowes were vpon hem arrestynge [OF arreste] and hem deffended from theire enmyes.
2.
(a) To restrain (sb.), hold (sth.) in check, control; (b) to put an end to (sth.), put a stop to; (c) to prevent (sth.).
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.162 : He..roreth..as it were a wilde beste, The whom no reson mihte areste.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)3.609 : Hold thou thi tunge stille, And let thi witt thi wille areste.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3825 : Thare myghte no renke hym areste, his reson was passede.
- a1450 Ben.Rule(2) (Vsp A.25)297 : Be no rewle wil þai be arrest, Bot lifes als ane vnskilful best.
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.105 : Whos myght may atteyne..A fre corage to aresten or constreyne?
- a1500 ?Ros Belle Dame (Cmb Ff.1.6)654 : Resoun, councell, wysdam, and good avyse Bene vndur loue a-restyd..þai be not rebell bot still as stone.
b
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.7052 : Such thefte mai no cherche areste, For al is leueful that hem liketh.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)6.938 : I mai have the grete feste, Which al myn hunger myhte areste.
- (1457) LRed Bk.Bristol2.185 : To enserche in the craft euery weke oons, and to areest and presentt to the Mayre..all such defautez as thei can fynde contrary to eny poyntt of the ordinaunce.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)1.1644 : Such word cam ther non..That he for yifte or for beheste Mihte eny wise his deth areste.
3.
(a) To seize (sb.), capture; esp., to arrest (a lawbreaker), take (sb.) into custody; ~ of, to arrest for (a crime); (b) to seize (property), attach;confiscate; (c) to take (ships) for military use, commandeer.
Associated quotations
a
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)2.2745 : This false knyht..Arested was and put in hold.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.5253 : Tho bad the king men scholde areste His bodi.
- (c1395) Chaucer CT.Fkl.(Manly-Rickert)F.1370 : They comaunded his doghtren for tareste And bryngen hem biforn hem.
- c1400 Brut-1333 (Rwl B.171)246/17 : He wende to bene arest til þat he hade made Gode for þe trespasse.
- a1425(?a1400) RRose (Htrn 409)3316 : Whanne he [Love] first arestide me, He took myn herte.
- a1425 *Medulla (Stnh A.1.10)60a/a : Sequestro: depart, or areste by holy chyrche lawes.
- (1427) *Proc.Chanc.PRO ser.C 1 file 8no.31 : John Thomson..a rest me & prisonud me with a fals warand.
- ?c1430(?1383) Wycl.Curse (Corp-C 296)320 : Þei somenen and aresten men wrongfully.
- c1432 Bishop Notes in PMLA 49 (Cmb Dd.14.2)457 : Al so þe lord Cheyne for þes causes is a restud and lad to þe towre of london.
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)135/15 : Sche was arestyd for a loller & ledde to-preson-warde.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)329 : He..Areste them vnryghttwyslye and raunsounnde þam aftyre.
- a1450(1412) Hoccl.RP (Hrl 4866)2397 : If þat a poore man..do ageyn his oth..Men hente him by þe heed and him arreeste, And to prison he gooth.
- a1450 Lond.Chron.Hrl.3775 (Hrl 3775)292 : In the same ȝere was syr John Oldecastell arested into þe Towre of London.
- (1461-2) *Plea & Mem.R.Lond.GildhA 86.mem.7 : He dide the said Thomas to be arest to thentent, to haue him in examinacion afore the Mair.
- (1464) Acc.Howard in RC 57185 : John Boteler..was arested at the same towen be Pertones warente.
- (1472) RParl.6.36b : The Shiref..Coroner, ne noon other of the same Officers, neither wille ne dar take ne arrest the said Murtherers, Mysdoers and Riottours, ne serve any Writte or Processe at hir sute.
- a1475 Bk.Courtesy (Sln 1986)381 : In absence of stuarde, he shalle arest Who so euer is rebelle in court or fest.
- a1500(c1465) SEChron.(Lamb 306)65 : And so they a restid him of hie treyson.
b
- (a1387) Trev.Higd.(StJ-C H.1)8.283 : He made areste [L fecit..arestari; Higd.(2): arestede] alle þe woolles and þe felles.
- (1429) Red Paper Bk.Colchester55 : The Bayllies..thretenyn the seid Abbot and his bretheren..and arresten here cartes and here cariage yn the Kynges highwey.
- c1436 Ipswich Domesday(2) (Add 25011)129 : Thanne have the same burgeys to whom the dette ys owyng power to arestyn the chateux of his detour.
- (1443) Doc.Trade in BRS 777 : All his goodes were seised and, over þat, divers his goodes beyng in a shipp cleped þe George Heron of London were arested.
- a1450 Castle Persev.(Folg V.a.354)2957 : Þe Werld bad me þis gold areste, holt & hallys, & castell clere.
- c1450(?a1400) Siege Milan (Add 31042)250 : Afterwarde he bare down Worthy lordes..And sythen areste þaire nobill stedis And to þe hethyn hoste þam ledis.
- (1458-9) Let.Sou.in Sou.RS 22 (Sou SC.2/9/2)16 : I haue arrestid a carak of Jene leyng with yn the porte.
- c1460(?c1400) Beryn (Nthld 55)1968 : Thy Shippis been a-restid, & þe good is myne.
- (a1475) Let.Christ Ch.in Camd.n.s.1921 : I causid the said goods to be arestid as goods wayvid.
c
- (a1438) MKempe A (Add 61823)107/2 : Þer wer non Englisch schepys þat myth seylen þedyr, for þei wer arestyd & takyn up for þe kyng.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)633 : He sendez furthe..sergeantes..To all hys mariners on rawe to areste hym schippys.
- (a1470) Malory Wks.(Win-C)194/21 : They concluded shortly to arest all the shyppes of this londe, and within fyftene dayes to be redy at Sandwych.
4.
ben arest, be seized or overcome.
Associated quotations
- c1450(1410) Walton Boeth.(Lin-C 103)p.22 : This man is wiþ a litargie arest [L lethargum patitur].