(a) One's intention, plan, or design; one's object, aim, or goal; also, the proper function or purpose for which something exists [quot.: a1398]; (b) ~ and ende (entente), ~ or entencioun, intention; bileven ~, to abandon (one's) purpose; preven to the point of ~, attain the intended goal; to ~, for (one's) purpose; ~ of the reaume, function of the state; (c) with complementary inf.: an intent (to do sth.); (d) evil intent, a sinister plot or scheme; (e) of (o) ~, with ~, on purpose, purposely, intentionally; of ivel ~, maliciously; bi ~, according to plan; in ~, with the intention (to do sth.), intending (sth.); (f) ben in ~, to intend (to do sth.), resolve; -- also with understood verb of motion [quot.: 1401]; taken ~, determine (to do sth.), intend; the ~ was taken of peres, the peers decided; hit com him to ~, he decided (to do sth.); (g) ~ of preiere (penaunce), an intention to pray (do penance); ~ of chastite (clennesse), an intention to persevere in chastity or virginity; (h) acheven (haven, geten, winnen) ~, atteinen (to) ~, comen til (to) ~, to achieve (one's) purpose, succeed; obtain (one's) desire; bringen abouten ~, bringen ~ to effect (the ende), don (fulfillen, performen) ~, bring (one's) purpose to a successful conclusion, carry out (someone's, one's) plan; (i) failen (missen) of ~, to fail to accomplish (one's) purpose or goal; breken ~, putten of ~, disrupt or foil (one's) plans; availen (ben) litil to the ~, be of little avail; to no ~, to no avail; (j) holden ~, to persevere in a purpose; kepen ~, be resolute; purseuen on ~, stonden on ~, remain firm of purpose; here (whos) ~ holdeth, their (whose) purpose remains fixed; (k) in proverbial expressions.

(a) A proposition, a proposal; counsel, advice; also, a question; also, an assertion [quot.: a1500]; ben paied of the ~, to be pleased with a proposal; putten of ~, reject a proposal; setten a ~, make arrangements (to do sth.); (b) a discussion, debate; putten of ~, to cease debate; (c) a course or plan of action, a project, an undertaking; also, a way of life [quot.: a1400]; putten in a mad ~, to set (oneself) on a foolish course; biginnen (on) ~, begin a project; ~ brekere, one who disrupts plans, a marplot.

(a) The intended meaning, purport, import; ?also, the argument of a play [quot.: ?a1525]; (b) a reason, cause; also, sense, what is reasonable; bi god ~, for a good reason; of ~, for cause; for plai or for ~, for business or pleasure, for fun or in earnest; speken ~, to speak sense, speak reasonably or sensibly.

(a) The theme of a discourse; the subject matter of a narrative, as opposed to a digression; to (oure) ~, back to the (our) subject; to mi ~, to my theme; unto ~, to the point at issue; bringen to oure ~, to introduce (sth.) into our discourse; speken to oure ~, say something on our subject; (b) to ~, to the purpose, appropriate; unto ~, apropos of the subject; to this (oure) ~, apropos of this (our) subject, relevant to this (our) matter; fallen to ~, to be relevant; serven to ~ of, be relevant to (sb. or sth.); taken to ~, accept (sth.) as apropos.

(a) Med. & surg. A specific objective of medical treatment; ?also, the method of treatment, intention; (b) astrol. an astrological operation; also, an objective of such an operation; (c) alch. the objective of an alchemical experiment.