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▪ I. champion, n.1|ˈtʃæmpɪən|
Forms: 3–4 champiun, 4–5 champioun, (chaumpion, -yon, -youn, scaumpioun, schampion, 5–6 champyon), 4– champion.
[ME. champiun, -on, a. OF. champiun, -on (= Pr. campio, -on, Sp. campion, -eon, Pg. campião, -eão, It. campione):—late L. campio, -ōnem combatant in the campus or arena, professed fighter, f. L. campus field of athletic or military exercise, place of combat, lists: see camp n.1 and n.2
Campio was formed on campus, like tabellio ‘scrivener’ on tabella ‘written deed’. Isidore has ‘campiones gladiatores, pugnatores’; Joh. de Janua ‘campio, gladiator, vel in campo duellum exercens’; see Du Cange. ME. had also the doublet campion from northern Fr., and see kemp n.]
1. A fighting man, a combatant; a stout fighter, a man of valour. Also fig.
a1225Ancr. R. 236 Heo weren itented, & þuruh þe tentaciuns ipreoued to treowe champiuns. a1300Havelok 1007 With hem com mani chanbioun. Ibid. 1015 Champiouns, and starke laddes. c1400Gamelyn 203 A champioun is in þe place þat hath i-wrouȝt me sorwe. c1440Promp. Parv. 60 Campyon, or champyon, athleta, pugil, campio. 1549Coverdale Erasm. Par. 1 Cor. ix. 26 Nor play I the champion as some do, which for their pastime with their handes do beate the ayre. 1591Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, iii. iv. 19 A stouter Champion neuer handled Sword. 1610J. Guillim Heraldry iii. xiv. (1660) 176 The Boare..is counted the most absolute Champion amongst beasts. 1862Stanley Jew. Ch. (1877) I. xii. 224 The champion..who won the ancient fortress.
2. a. One who fights on behalf of another, or on behalf of any cause. techn. One who ‘does battle’ for another in ‘wager of battle’, a duel, or the like.
[1292Britton i. xxiii. §15 Et ausi en totes batayles de champiouns.] c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 31 Or fynd a noþer man To fight with Colibrant, þat was his champion. 1393Langl. P. Pl. C. xxi. 104 Ȝoure champion chiualer, chief knyght of ȝow alle, Ȝelt hym recreaunt rennynge. 1494Fabyan vi. ccix. 222 This Gunylda was falsely accused of spowsebrech, for tryall wherof she was put to her champion. a1577Sir T. Smith Commw. Eng. (1609) 104 The parties must either themselues in person, or else finde other for them, who be called in our law Champions, or Campions. 1611Bible 1 Sam. xvii. 51 When the Philistines sawe their champion was dead, they fled. 1669Pepys Diary 4 Mar., The Duke of Buckingham did bid Holmes, his champion..go to him to do the business. 1768Blackstone Comm. III. 340. 1820 Scott Ivanhoe xxvii, God will raise me up a champion.
b. Also, one who fights in ‘wager of battle’ in his own cause.
1593Shakes. Rich. II, i. ii. 5 The Champions are prepared, and stay for nothing but his Maiesties approach. 1672Cowel's Interpr. s.v., In the Common Law, it [champion] is taken no less for him that tryeth the Combat in his own case, than for him that fighteth in the Quarrel or Place of another.
c. champion of the king, or queen, champion of the realm or England: (see quots.).
1672Cowel's Dict., Champion of the King, His Office is at the Coronation of our Kings, when the King is at Dinner, to ride armed into Westminster-hall, and by a Herald make a Challenge, That if any Person shall deny the Kings Title to the Crown, he is there ready to defend it; which done, the King drinks to him, and sends him a gilt Cup with a cover full of Wine, which he hath for his Fee. This Office ever since the Coronation of Richard the Second, hath continued in the Family of the Dymockes. 1685Acc. Coronation in Lond. Gaz. No. 2028/3 The Kings Champion..performed the usual Ceremony of the Challenge. 1709Steele Tatler No. 17 ⁋2 Just such a great Action as that of the Champion's on a Coronation Day. 1714in Lond. Gaz. No. 5270/8. 1832 Scott Redgauntlet ch. xviii. note.
3. fig. and transf. One who in any kind of contest or conflict acts as the acknowledged defender of a person, cause, or side: one who stoutly maintains any cause. (The literal sense is sometimes distinctly in view, sometimes out of sight.)
a1300Cursor M. 18651 Sua did iesus, vr champiun [v.r. scaumpioun], Þof he lai ded for vr ranscun. 138.Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 289 Strong schampions and pileris of holy chirche. 1483Caxton Gold. Leg. 430/4 God fader..gafe & betoke the sayd kyng champyon or deffensour of the feythe. 1584R. Scot Discov. Witchcr. ii. i. 15 Bodin the champion of witchmongers. 1593Shakes. Rich. II, i. ii. 43 To heauen, the widdowes Champion. c1665Mrs. Hutchinson Mem. Col. Hutchinson (1846) 25 He hated persecution for religion, and was always a champion for all religious people against all their great oppressors. 1751Johnson Rambl. No. 144 ⁋8 No other qualification for a champion of controversy. 1806Med. Jrnl. XV. 544 The great champion of vaccination. 1841–44Emerson Ess. Heroism Wks. (Bohn) I. 110 Human virtue demands her champions and martyrs. 1851Robertson Serm. Ser. ii. i. (1864) 10 He never was the champion of a class, because He was the champion of Humanity.
4. a. He who holds the first place in prize-fighting, rowing, walking, or other trial of strength or skill; one who has defeated all opponents, and is open to contend with any new competitor.
1730in G. B. Buckley Fresh Light on 18th Cent. Cricket (1935) 4 'Twas thought the Kentish champions would have lost their honours by being beat at one innings if time had permitted. c1742J. Love Cricket iii. 106 The last two Champions even now are in, And but three Notches yet remain to win. 1802Sporting Mag. XXI. 17/1 This hero [sc. Jem Belcher], who justly stiles himself in his advertisement, ‘Champion of England’, was himself to exhibit all his science. 1825[implied in championship]. 1840G. C. Boase in Dict. Nat. Biog. IX. 331/2 On 26 Oct. 1840 he beat John Leechman, known as Brassey..and was hailed ‘champion of England’. 1887Ibid. IX. 332/1 A subscription had been raised to purchase a ‘champion's belt’. 1879Sat. Rev. 13 Sept. 325 Gold medals..were won by the champion and championess.
b. transf. The animal, plant, etc., which obtains the first prize in a general competition; also applied to a variety of vegetable, fruit, etc., for which the first excellence is claimed; e.g. to a variety of potato.
1717T. Cave Let. 28 Feb. in M. M. Verney Verney Lett. (1930) II. xxii. 48 Violett, that Essex Champion,..is the only dogg suffered to bear the best Spaniell in England company in the Parlour. [a1845Hood Decl. Chivalry iv, Bold Sidney, and his kidney—nay, Those ‘early champions’—what are they?] 1880Social Notes 20 Nov. 246/2 Five tons of Scotch Champions. 1882Garden 4 Feb. 79/1 A vast store of Potatoes—Champions, sir; Champions!
5. attrib.
a. Acting as champion.
b. That has defeated all competitors, as champion boxer, champion punter, champion sculler, champion walker.
c. Hence, Of the first class, excelling all others, as champion pease, champion turnips, etc. Also as adj. or adv. (colloq. or dial.) = excellent(ly).
1820Scott Ivanhoe xxxix, The office of Champion Defender had devolved, not on a Preceptor, but on a Companion of the Order. 1853Bell's Life 22 May 6/2 They [sc. Notts.] may, for the present, possess the honour of being the ‘Champion County’. 1860Sharpe Hist. Egypt xi. (L.) The case of the champion fighting-cock. 1880W. Cornw. Gloss. (E.D.S.), Champion lode, a large vein of metal. 1886Illust. Lond. News 16 Jan. 71 Mr. Warton, the champion ‘blocker’ of the late Parliament. 1887Dict. Nat. Biog. IX. 331/1 Benjamin Caunt (1815–1861), champion pugilist. 1889Barrère & Leland Dict. Slang s.v., An exemplary humbug is described as ‘a champion fraud’. A noisy candidate for office was denounced by a Chicago newspaper as ‘the champion gas-bag’. 1914Daily Mail 1 June 3/6 ‘It was champion,’ he added. 1914Concise Oxf. Dict. s.v., Champion idiot, blunder. 1923Daily Mail 26 Mar. 9 ‘He cried champion,’ said a proud Yorkshireman. 1925W. Deeping Sorrell & Son xii. 109 Carrying luggage upstairs don't hurt me. He's got the head piece. We get on champion. What's wrong with that?
6. Comb., as champion-like adj.
1633Ford Love's Sacr. i. ii, He undertook Most champion-like, to win the prize at tilt. 1836G. S. Faber Answ. Husenbeth 44 Let us hear his champion-depute in continuation.
▪ II. champion, n.2 and a.
see champian.
▪ III. champion, v.|ˈtʃæmpɪən|
[f. prec. n.]
†1. To challenge to a contest; to bid defiance to. rare. Obs.
1605Shakes. Macb. iii. i. 72 The Seedes of Banquo Kings. Rather then so, come Fate into the Lyst, And champion me to th'vtterance. 1821Byron Juan iv. xliii, She stood as one who champion'd human fears.
2. To fight for; to defend or protect as champion.
[Not in Todd 1818, or earlier dicts.]1820Scott Ivanhoe xxxix, Championed or unchampioned, thou diest by the stake and fagot. 1839–40W. Irving Wolfert's R. (1855) 279 Who ever..championed them [dames] more gallantly in the chivalrous tilts of the Vivarambla?
3. fig. To maintain the cause of, stand up for, uphold, support, back, defend, advocate.
1844H. Rogers Ess. I. ii. 77 His nature..prompted him to champion any cause in which justice had been outraged or innocence wronged. 1861Dickens Lett. (1880) II. 140 The idea must be championed, however much against hope. 1863Mrs. C. Clarke Shaks. Char. xvi. 402 If a friend be in adversity, Gratiano will champion him with good words and deeds.
4. To make a champion of. rare.
1886Spurgeon Treas. Dav. Ps. cxlii. 7 They..crowned him, and championed him.
Hence ˈchampioning ppl. a.
1865Dickens Mut. Fr. iv. xi, The championing little wife.
▪ IV. champion
obs. f. campion, and ? champignon. |