seekv.

Brit.

/siːk/, U.S.

/sik/

Forms: Past tense and participle sought /sɔːt/. Forms: infinitive Old English sœ́can, sécan, sécean, séocan, Middle English sieche, Middle English–1500s seche, Middle English Kentish zeche, Middle English sæche, Middle English siche, sheche, suche, Middle English sech, seeche, 1500s (1800s dialect) seech. β. Middle English–1600s seke, (Middle English imperative siec), Middle English northern sek, Middle English–1500s sieke, sike, syke, (chiefly Scottish) seyk, Middle English–1600s seeke, Middle English–1700s Scottish seik, Middle English ceke, Scottish seike, 1500s seyke, seick, seake, Middle English– seek. 3rd person singular present indicative Old English sœ́ceð, sœ́cas, Old English–Middle English séceð, Middle English sechð, Middle English schecheð, Middle English secheth, Middle English sechith, sechyth, seches. β. Old English–Middle English sécð, Middle English secþ, sekþ, Middle English Kent. zekþ, Middle English–1500s seketh, sekes, sekis, Middle English sekith, sekez, 1500s Scottish seik(k)is, 1500s–1600s seekes, 1500s– seeketh, seeks. past tense Old English sohte, plural sohtun, sohton, sohtan, Middle English sohte, (Middle English soðte, soþte, soch, Orm. sohhte), Middle English sohut(e, soghut, soht, northern sochte, ( sogtht), Middle English souhte, souȝte, soȝte, soght(e, Middle English–1500s sowte, Middle English saȝte, ( southe, southte, souch), Kent. zoȝte, Middle English soughte, sowhte, souȝt, soȝt, sowght, sout(e, sowt, saght, plural souȝtten, Scottish sowcht, schocht, Middle English–1500s Scottish socht, soucht, Middle English sowȝte, souȝhte, 1500s Scottish souchte, 1500s–1600s Scottish soght, 1600s saught, Middle English– sought. Also Middle English sekyd, 1600s seekt. past participle Old English gesoht, Middle English i-soht, i-soȝt, i-souht, ( y-soþt), Orm. sohht, Middle English soht, Middle English soȝt, souȝt, Middle English–1500s soght, Middle English sohut, sowght, Middle English souht, sout, sowt, soȝte, souȝte, (Middle English south, sowth, soyght), Middle English–1500s sowȝt(e, Scottish socht, soucht, (Middle English sochte, Middle English soacht), 1500s sowghte, 1500s–1600s saught, Middle English– sought. Also 1700s seeked.

Origin: A word inherited from Germanic.

Etymology: A Common Germanic weak verb: Old English sécan, past tense sōhte, corresponding to Old Frisian sêka, sêza, past tense sôchta, Old Saxon sôkian, past tense sôhta (Middle Low German sôken), Middle Dutch, modern Dutch zoeken, Old High German suohhan, suohhen, past tense suohta (Middle High German sûchen, modern German suchen), Old Norse sǿkja, past tense sótte (Swedish söka, Danish søge), Gothic sôkjan, past tense sôkida, < Germanic *sōk- < pre-Germanic *sāg-: compare Latin sāgīre to perceive by scent, Greek ἡγεῖσθαι to lead. The normal modern form of Old English sécan would be seech, which survives dialect in Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire (compare beseech); the form with k is probably due to the Middle English sēcþ, 3rd person singular present indicative, which shows the regular phonetic development of Old English palatal c before a spirant; but it is not clear why the k form should have been generalized in seek and not in teach, unless indeed the tendency was supported in the former instance by the influence of the Old Norse form.

I. Transitive uses.

a. To go in search or quest of; to try to find, look for (either a particular object—person, thing, or place—whose whereabouts are unknown, or an indefinite object suitable for a particular purpose).In most parts of England the verb in this sense is no longer colloquially current, being superseded by look for.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)]

seekc888

aseekc1000

i-secheOE

huntc1175

to seek afterc1175

beseechc1200

fand?c1225

ofseche?c1225

to seek forc1250

atseekc1275

furiec1290

forseeka1300

outseekc1300

upseekc1315

to look after ——c1330

wait1340

laita1350

searchc1350

pursuea1382

ensearchc1384

to feel and findc1384

inseekc1384

looka1398

fraist?a1400

umseeka1400

require?c1400

walec1400

to look up1468

prowla1475

to see for ——c1485

to look for ——a1492

to have in the wind1540

sue1548

vent?1575

seek1616

explore1618

dacker1634

research1650

to see out for1683

quest1752

to see after ——1776

c888 Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. xxxii. §3 Hwæðer ge nu secan gold on treowum?

c1000 West Saxon Gospels: Luke (Corpus Cambr.) ii. 48 Þin fæder & ic sarigende þe sohton.

c1175 Lamb. Hom. 27 Þe unclene gast..secheð reste hwer he mei wunian.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 7308 Herode king let sekenn crist.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 241 Awummon þet haueð iloset hire nelde. oðer ansutere his eal. secheð hit anan richt.

a1250 Owl & N. 380 [The hare] secheþ paþes to þe groue.

a1300 Cursor Mundi 22901 An hungre leon mete he son, Vp and dun his prai sekand.

c1374 G. Chaucer Former Age 30 Corsed was the tyme..Þat men..in þe Ryuerys fyrst gemmys sowhte.

c1440 Gesta Romanorum 118 He yede abowte in the gardin, and soute the clewe, & fonde it.

a1450 Knt. de la Tour 48 He dede seche her a man of holy lyff.

?1473 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Recuyell Hist. Troye (1894) I. lf. 54^v He..so wente and cam sechyng the tour of darayn, whiche he fonde in an euenyng.

a1500 (?c1450) Merlin iii. 41 And ther was Merlyn longe tyme, till that the sones of Constance lete seche hym in many contrees.

c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) Prol. 10 Ane hen that seikis hyr meyt in the mydding.

1600 Weakest goeth to Wall sig. G2 Sexton, I haue sought thee in euery seate in the Church.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) iv. vi. 37 I will go seeke Some Ditch, wherein to dye.

1619 E. M. Bolton tr. Florus Rom. Hist. iii. iii. 251 The Cimbrians, Theutons, and Tigurins,..sought newe habitations.

1724 A. Ramsay Vision in Ever Green I. xx Nor scour about to seik a wench.

1768 L. Sterne Sentimental Journey I. 155 I called La Fleur to go seek me a barber directly.

1780 E. Burke Corr. (1844) II. 366 Other persons should be sought who can do the necessary business with more skill.

1816 W. Scott Old Mortality viii, in Tales of my Landlord 1st Ser. IV. 158 I am seeking a place called Fairyknowe.

1817 W. Scott Rob Roy II. iv. 73 ‘I only sought the Orlando.’ ‘It lies there,’ said Miss Vernon, pointing to the table.

1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian i, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 14 Ye may be seeking a father to another wean for ony thing I ken.

1842 Ld. Tennyson Ulysses in Poems (new ed.) II. 90 Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.

1852 R. Fortune Journey Tea Countries China 86 Travellers who seek Sunglo tea may now search in vain.

1865 Mrs. L. L. Clarke Common Seaweeds iv. 89 Wade into the sea, and seek them in the shadow of a rock under water.

1871 R. Ellis tr. Catullus Poems lv. 3 You I sought on Campus.

1888 W. T. Blanford Fauna Brit. India: Mammalia i. 121 The Mungooses are terrestrial animals, seeking their prey on the ground.

b. with adverb, esp. out, up, †forth.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)]

seekc888

aseekc1000

i-secheOE

huntc1175

to seek afterc1175

beseechc1200

fand?c1225

ofseche?c1225

to seek forc1250

atseekc1275

furiec1290

forseeka1300

outseekc1300

upseekc1315

to look after ——c1330

wait1340

laita1350

searchc1350

pursuea1382

ensearchc1384

to feel and findc1384

inseekc1384

looka1398

fraist?a1400

umseeka1400

require?c1400

walec1400

to look up1468

prowla1475

to see for ——c1485

to look for ——a1492

to have in the wind1540

sue1548

vent?1575

seek1616

explore1618

dacker1634

research1650

to see out for1683

quest1752

to see after ——1776

c1290 S. Eng. Leg. 390/27 Men leten heom sechen wel widen out and bringue þere into place.

1338 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 22 Þe body son þei fonde, þe hade was in doute. Up & doune in þe felde þei souht it aboute.

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xix. 602 His men..Myssit thar lord quhen thai com thar... Than can thai consale sammyn ta, That thai to sek hym vp can ga.

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 708/2 Throw your glove where you wyl and my dogge shal seke it out.

1536 Accts. St. John's Hosp., Canterbury (Canterbury Cathedral Archives: CCA-U13/4) Payd to a man to helpe me to syke vp Byngis mare ij d.

1585 Abp. E. Sandys Serm. viii. 137 Let vs seeke vp Christ and prouide for him. He sought vs and found vs, when we [etc.].

1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xi. 139 Yet haue I venter'd to come seeke you out.

1616 T. Scot 2nd Pt. Philomythie sig. B8^v Those Serpents which you run from, I seeke forth.

1819 W. Scott Bride of Lammermoor ii, in Tales of my Landlord 3rd Ser. III. 25 Lucy arose, and, opening a little ivory-cabinet, sought out the ribbon the lad wanted.

1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. I. iv. iv. 187 The Deputies have mostly got thither, and sought out lodgings.

1871 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues I. 101 Every one of us should seek out the best teacher whom he can find.

1889 R. A. King Passion's Slave III. xxix. 61 With this hope, she sought up Herbert in his smoking den.

†c. In imperative as a direction to a reader: Look or search for (in a book, table, etc.). Also used = refer to, look up, see, vide. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > research > instruction to consult source [interjection]

seek1362

vide1565

see1613

1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. xi. 55 And so seiþ þe psauter, sech hit In Memento.

1599 E. Wright Certaine Errors Navigation sig. Ee4^v Seeke the signe and degree of the Sunne in the vpper Margine of the Table.

1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Loinceau, seeke Loinseau.

1694 J. Selden Trades-man's Help 142 Seek the Month among the rank of Months.

1730 A. Malcolm New Syst. Arithm. 342 If the given Number is even, seek in the Table the odd Number next lesser.

1828 Moore's Pract. Navigator (ed. 20) 22 Seek under the column o..the next less logarithm.

d. Sporting. to seek dead: chiefly in the imperative, as an order given to a dog to search for and retrieve killed game.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > hunting > signals > signal [verb (intransitive)] > call to hounds

hollo1613

yoicka1828

yoax1828

seek1840

yoicks1840

to seek dead1850

the world > food and drink > hunting > hunting with hounds > work done by hounds > action of hounds [verb (transitive)] > retrieve

retrieve1832

to seek dead1850

1850 W. N. Hutchinson Dog Breaking (ed. 2) 162 If you wish to establish for ever a confirmed perseverance in ‘seeking dead’, you must sacrifice hours..rather than give up any of the first wounded birds.

1850 W. N. Hutchinson Dog Breaking (ed. 2) 163 The pertinacity with which some dogs will ‘seek dead’ is really surprising.

2. To try to discover or find out (something unknown). Also with out, up. Now rare or Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > research > find out by investigation [verb (transitive)]

seekc900

seeOE

searcha1382

takea1382

inquire1390

undergrope?a1412

explore1531

to pry out1548

to scan out1548

to hunt out1576

sound1596

exquire1607

pervestigate1610

pump1611

trace1642

probe1649

to hunt up1741

to pick a person's brains (also brain)1770

verify1801

to get a load of1929

sus1966

c900 tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (1890) i. xxvii. 78 Wið untrymnesse Iacedom secan.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 16325 All all swa summ þu findenn mahht. Ȝiff þatt tu willt itt sekenn. Þe tale off sexe & fowwerrtiȝ Þurrh adam all bitacnedd.

a1300 Cursor Mundi 1542 For-þi lete god þam lijf sua lang Þat þai moght seke and vnderfang Þe kynd o thinges þat þan were dern.

c1327 Poem Evil Times Edw. II in Pol. Songs (Camden) 332 Bringe hire to the constorie ther treuthe sholde be souht.

c1374 G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (1868) i. met. ii. 8 He was wont to seche þe causes whennes þe sounyng wyndes moeuen.

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Ecclus. xxiv. 47 Not to me alone I trauailede, but to alle sechende out the treuthe.

c1386 G. Chaucer Canon's Yeoman's Prol. & Tale 310 The Philosophres stoon Elixer clept, we sechen faste echoon.

c1425 Crafte Nombrynge (E.E.T.S.) 30 Þat nounbur þat þou secheste.

c1450 J. Capgrave Life St. Augustine (1910) 4 Þouȝ þat he telle not her names þere, we haue sout hem oute of oþir of his bokis.

c1485 Digby Myst., Mary Magd. 307 Yf þe trewth be sowth.

1531 W. Tyndale Answere Mores Dialoge f. xvj If the significacion were once lost we must of necessite ether seke vpp the significacion or put some other significacion of gods word therto.

1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies ii. xi. 105 We are forced to seeke out other reasons, whence this great diversitie should proceede in the burning Zone.

1610 A. Hopton Baculum Geodæticum vi. xl. 217 To seeke the distance of any place from you.

1714 S. Cunn New Treat. Fractions 16 Multiply all the Numbers continually, and the Product is the Number sought.

1803 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 10 128 I believe that its cause must be sought in the state and variations of the atmosphere.

1828 Moore's Pract. Navigator (ed. 20) 167 The height of the elevated pole or latitude sought.

a. With object-clause introduced by a conjunction or by an interrogative pronoun or adverb: To try to find or discover (if, how, whether, what, etc.). ? Obsolete.

ΚΠ

OE Cynewulf Juliana 571 Sohte synnum fah, hu he sarlicast þurh þa wyrrestan witu meahte feorhcwale findan.

c1290 S. Eng. Leg. 339/527 Gredinde heo orn and longue souȝte a-boute bi þe se-side, Ȝif þe se him hadde up i cast.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 80 Þe yealde filozofes þet zuo byzylyche desputede and zoȝten huet wes þe heȝeste guod ine þise lyue.

1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Lev. xiii. 36 He shal na more seche, wher the heer be chaungid in to ȝalow colour.

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 85 Ayein hir will yit mot I bowe, To seche if that I myhte have grace.

c1440 Gesta Romanorum 136 He rode aboute this forest, & sowte wher this harpe myght be founde.

c1480 (a1400) St. Blaise 14 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 361 Þare-fore I..set me rycht besyly to seke quhat man he was & of quhat land.

1543 R. Record Ground of Artes f. 63^v Seke how many tymes you take the last dyuysor out of the nombre ouer hym.

1613 J. Tapp Path-way to Knowl. 311 Which product beeing 1587, I seeke how often it may be had in 3201.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) iii. vii. 91 Now let vs on, my Lords, And ioyne our Powers, And seeke how we may preiudice the Foe.

1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1738 I. 57 (note) What mean the servile imitating crew..Ne'er seek.

b. with how (etc.) followed by infinitive. ? Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1526 Bible (Tyndale) Mark xi. f. lxj^v The scribes and hye prestes..sought howe to distroye him [1611 how they might destroy him].

a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 (1623) v. iv. 2 Wise men ne'r sit and waile their losse, But chearely seeke how to redresse their harmes.

1621 T. W. tr. S. Goulart Wise Vieillard 120 As a hote furious horse,..seekes how to cast his rider.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 75 Satan..then sought Where to lie hid.

1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 795 I..sought by all means therefore How to endear, and hold thee to me firmest.

a. To go to, visit, resort to (a place). archaic.†In early use also: to take to (the sea); to fall on (the ground); to fall into (the water). (Cf. 14) to seek a saint or hallow: to visit his shrine.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > [verb (transitive)] > visit a place

seeeOE

seek971

teemc1275

visitc1400

apply1510

vizy1535

971 Blickl. Hom. 47 Þæt hi Sunnandagum & mæssedagum Godes cyrican georne secan.

OE Beowulf 1450 Se þe meregrundas mengan scolde, secan sundgebland.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 7574 Forrþrihht se time comm þærto. Þatt ure laffdiȝ MaRȝe. Affterr iudisskenn laȝhess boc. Þe minnstre shollde sekenn.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 258 Oðer pilegrimes gað inmuche swinc to sechen ane sontes banes.

c1275 Laȝamon Brut 23490.

c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1963) l. 7355 Þar þe Saxesse men þare see sohte [c1275 Calig. þæ sæ isohten].

c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1963) l. 3958 Þar Cesares folk þane grunde sohte [c1275 Calig. folden isohten].

c1386 G. Chaucer Wife's Prol. 657 Who so..suffreth his wyf to go seken halwes.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13252 Þe sinagogs all soght he Ouer-all þe land of galilee.

c1400 (?c1380) Patience l. 249 A wylde walterande whal..was war of þat wyȝe þat þe water soȝte.

c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 17 To Caunterbury they wende The holy blisful martir for to seke.

1422 J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. 245 [In autumn] the byrdys shechyn hote regions.

c1460 (?c1400) Tale of Beryn Prol. l. 632 As he souȝt his logging.

1576 G. Gascoigne Complaynt of Phylomene in Steele Glas sig. L.iiii You haue desire Your sisters court to seech.

1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Pastorals vii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 31 Your lowing Heyfars, of their own accord, At wat'ring time will seek the neighb'ring Ford.

1798 W. Wordsworth Goody Blake & Harry Gill in W. Wordsworth & S. T. Coleridge Lyrical Ballads 89 And now and then, it must be said,..She left her fire, or left her bed, To seek the hedge of Harry Gill.

1847 Ld. Tennyson Princess ii. 45 At last a solemn grace Concluded, and we sought the gardens.

1871 R. Ellis tr. Catullus Poems xxxv. 4 Come from Larius,..seek Verona.

†b. Nautical. to seek up: to make for (a place). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (transitive)] > set a ship's course > sail towards or head for

to seek up14..

to bear up1582

to stand for ——a1594

to seek up for1632

14.. in J. Gairdner Sailing Direct. (1889) 12 Goo south southwest, and seke up Tenet, and seke up vj. fadome on the brakis.

a. To come or go to (a person) in order to see or visit him; to approach or resort to (for help, or the like). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > social event > visit > visiting > visit [verb (transitive)]

seekc893

visit13..

vizyc1425

to go to (also and) see1548

to call upon ——1604

calla1616

paya1616

vis1754

to look up1827

to visit with1850

c893 tr. Orosius Hist. i. i. §17 He hæfde þagyt, ða he þone cyningc sohte, tamra deora unbebohtra syx hund.

OE Beowulf 2380 Hyne wræcmæcgas ofer sæ sohtan, suna Ohteres.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 16781 He nass nohht derrf inoh. All opennliȝ to sekenn. Þe laferrd crist biforr þe follc.

a1250 Owl & N. 1759 To seche hine is lihtlich þing, he naueþ bute one woning.

a1300 K. Horn 465 Aþelbrus he soȝte [Harl. sohte, Laud sowte] & ȝaf him þat he broȝte.

1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. viii. 149 We schulle..seche þe for neode.

c1386 G. Chaucer Friar's Tale 113 Where is now youre dwellyng, Another day if þat I sholde yow seche?

1447 O. Bokenham Lyvys Seyntys (Horstm.) x. 165 And where myht I fynd þat man? quod he; If þat I wyst, I wold hym seche.

c1480 (a1400) St. Andrew 97 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 66 Þane sante andro sone scho schocht.

1522 Worlde & Chylde (de Worde) (1909) sig. C.i Folye. But syr in London is my chefe dwellynge. Manh. In London? Where yf a man the sought?

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 708/1 We wyll seke you there as we go, nous demanderons apres vous en chemyn.

1538 J. London in T. Wright Three Chapters Lett. Suppression Monasteries (1843) 218 He ys moch sowȝt for the agow.

b. spec. To approach, draw near to (God), in prayer, etc. [A Hebraism.] Said also of God's visiting the soul. archaic.

ΘΚΠ

society > faith > worship > prayer > pray [verb (transitive)] > approach God in prayer

seek971

society > faith > aspects of faith > spirituality > soul > [verb (transitive)] > of God: visit

seek971

971 Blickl. Hom. 87 Sec nu þinne þeow, Drihten.

c1000 Ags. Ps. xiii. 3 Drihten..hawað hwæðer he geseo ænigne þæra, þe hine sece.

a1340 R. Rolle Psalter xiii. 3 Þat he see if any is vndirstandand or sekand god.

c1366 G. Chaucer A.B.C. 114 To enquere Wherfore and whi þe holi gost þee souhte.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms lxii[i]. 1 O God..early wil I seke the.

1611 Bible (King James) Ezra iv. 2

1611 Bible (King James) Psalm xxiv. 6

1611 Bible (King James) Psalm cxix. 2

1611 Bible (King James) Zeph. ii. 3

1703 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion II. viii. 435 They agreed therefore..that they would have a solemn Fast day, in which they would seek God (which was the new phrase they brought from Scotland with their Covenant) and desire his Assistance.

†6.

a. To pursue with hostile intention (a person; also, in Biblical phrase, his soul or life); to go to attack, advance against (an army, country); to persecute, harass, afflict. Also to seek out, to seek to death. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > attack > attack [verb (transitive)] > advance to attack

seekc825

to seek again(sc1230

pursue?a1425

seek1487

visitc1515

coast1531

to make upon ——1542

the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > hostile action or attack > make an attack upon [verb (transitive)] > persecute

seekc825

baitc1175

war?c1225

pursuec1300

chase1340

course1466

persecutea1475

suea1500

pickc1550

pursuit1563

prosecute1588

exagitate1602

dragoon1689

harass1788

martyr1851

dragonnade1881

witch-hunt1919

vamp1970

the world > movement > progressive motion > order of movement > following behind > follow [verb (transitive)] > pursue > with hostility or violence

seekc825

to seek afterc1175

chasec1330

huntc1385

persecute1477

to gun for1893

bloodhound1935

c825 Vesp. Ps. lxix. 3 Fiond mine ða ðe soecað sawle mine.

OE Beowulf 801 Sawle secan.

OE Anglo-Saxon Chron. anno 894 Ond hi mon eac mid oþrum floccum sohte.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 15836 Oswi iherden suggen þat Penda hine sohte..& fusde toȝæines Pendan.

1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 11361 Þe king hom sende word aȝen..þat he wolde hom seche out as is pur fon.

c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1963) l. 3459 Þat neuere onleode ne sohte his riche [c1275 Calig. þis lond ne iseoðten]. ac þis lond was in paise.

a1352 L. Minot Poems vii. 65 Inglis men with site þam soght.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13307 To man þai wroght neuer vn-pes, þof man þam soght wit gret males.

a1400–50 Wars Alex. 2020 I sall þe seke [Dubl. MS. seche] with a sowme of seggis enarmed.

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) v. 102 Thai with so felloun will thaim socht, That thai slew thame euirilkane.

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) viii. l. 441 ‘Lordis,’ he said, ‘thus is King Eduuard set In-contrar rycht to sek ws in our land’.

1561 Underhill in Narr. Reformation (1859) 169 Methynkes you do moore then the parte off a jentyllemane thus to seke hym.

1583 E. Grindal in J. Strype Hist. E. Grindal (1710) 281 Tending to the Defence of so notable and sincere a Church, dangerously sought and distressed by many mighty Enemies.

1588 W. Allen Admon. to Nobility & People 34 Elias being sought to death by Achab and Iesabell.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) ii. ii. 166–7 Of vs must Pompey presently be sought, Or else he seekes out vs.

b. Of sin, disease, etc.: To attack. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > hostile action or attack > make an attack upon [verb (transitive)] > attack (of hostile agency)

besetOE

infighta1300

saila1300

seeka1300

visitc1340

beclipc1380

entainc1380

seizec1381

offendc1385

affectc1425

rehetea1450

take1483

attaintc1534

prevent1535

attach1541

attempt1546

affront1579

buffeta1593

to get at ——1650

assault1667

insult1697

to lay at1899

a1300 Cursor Mundi 27543 Sines..Þat clerkes clepes veniale, Þe quilk sua hali man es noght Þat he ne vmquil wit þaim es soght.

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis II. 118 Mi sorwe is everemore unteid, And secheth overal my veines.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 11833 On ilk side him soght þe sare.

a1450 Le Morte Arth. 870 Lord, suche syttes me haue sought!

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) x. l. 837 Seknes hyr had so socht in-to that sted Decest scho was.

a. To try to obtain (something advantageous); to try to bring about or effect (an action, condition, opportunity, or the like). Also with out.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > endeavour > attempt [verb (transitive)] > attempt to effect

seekc1000

procurec1300

to stand for ——1531

drift1596

enround1606

the world > action or operation > endeavour > attempt [verb (transitive)] > attempt to obtain or attain

to found toOE

keepc1000

seekc1000

throwa1393

minta1400

intentc1450

to try for1534

sue1548

attempt?c1550

reachc1571

assay1595

put1596

to lay in for1599

climba1616

captate1628

court1639

obseek1646

solicit1717

to make a bid for1885

c1000 West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) v. 44 Þe..ne seceaþ þæt wuldor þe is fram gode syluum.

a1200 Moral Ode 215 in Lamb. Hom. 173 Þa þe godes milce secheð [other texts sechð, secð, sekþ], he iwis mei ha ifinden.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 285 Ichulle..arudde þe of ham þe þi deað secheð.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 7239 Hir time sco soght, bad þam be nere.

?1473 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Recuyell Hist. Troye (1894) I. lf. 21 Ye..muste seke remedye and retorne to Epire.

c1480 (a1400) St. Peter 315 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 16 Þe prefet..socht Ithandly occasione To bring hym to confusione.

c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 531 A sure knyghte, Þat ayres into vnkoth lond auntres to seche.

1572 Memorial in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. I. 22 To seik refuge againe in England.

1644 J. Vicars Jehovah-jireh 209 Seeking-out new occasions still to crosse the Parliaments desires of a faire Accommodation.

a1684 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1682 (1955) IV. 267 How earnestly the late E: of Danby..sought his frie<n>dship.

a1697 J. Aubrey Brief Lives (1898) II. Sir T. Morgan 87 At which he tooke pett, and seek't his fortune (as a soldier).

1798 J. Ferriar Illustr. Sterne i. 19 Mary sought relief from the tiresome uniformity.

1831 W. Scott Count Robert x, in Tales of my Landlord 4th Ser. I. 299 Those adventures which it is the business of errant-knights to be industrious in seeking out.

1835 Field 7 Feb. 147/3 [The fox] once more sought refuge in a drain.

1845 M. Pattison in Christian Remembrancer Jan. 79 The king sought the ruin of Prætextatus.

1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert i. 2 She sought consolation in district visiting.

†b. to seek one's best, to seek one's advantage. Cf. Old French querre son mieilz. (Later, to seek one's best avail.) Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > advantage > be advantageous or beneficial [verb (intransitive)] > seek one's advantage

to seek one's best avail1297

1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 940 Oþer half ȝer we abbeþ now iwend wiþ oute reste In þe grete se of occean vorto seche oure beste.

a1300 K. Horn 770 ‘Cutberd’, he sede, ‘ihc hote, Icomen vt of þe bote, Wel feor fram biweste To seche mine beste’.

a1300 Cursor Mundi 2456 For þai wit þaim moght haf na rest, Þai most þan scail and seke þair best.

1553 T. Wilson Arte of Rhetorique Pref. sig. A iij^v Menne lyued Brutyshlye in open feldes, hauiug neither house to shroude them in,..nor yet anye regarde to seeke their best auayle.

†c. reflexive. To aim at one's own advantage. (Cf. self-seeking n.) Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > morality > moral evil > evil nature or character > lack of magnanimity or noble-mindedness > self-interest > seek one's own interest [verb (reflexive)]

seekc1450

c1450 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi i. xiv. 16 Many priuely sekiþ hemself [L. se ipsos quaerunt] in þinges þat þey done.

1645 E. Calamy Indictm. against Eng. 19 These men seeke themselves and not the publique... These seeke their owne belly.

†d. To invent, contrive. Also with out, up.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > faculty of imagination > inventive or creative faculty > contrive, devise, or invent [verb (transitive)]

findeOE

conceive1340

seek1340

brewc1386

divine1393

to find outc1405

to search outc1425

to find up?c1430

forgec1430

upfindc1440

commentc1450

to dream out1533

inventa1538

father1548

spina1575

coin1580

conceit1591

mint1593

spawn1594

cook1599

infantize1619

fabulize1633

notionate1645

to make upc1650

to spin outa1651

to cook up1655

to strike out1735

mother1788

to think up1855

to noodle out1950

gin1980

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 38 Kueade lordes..þet be-ulaȝeþ þe poure men..be tayles,..oþer be oþre wones þet hy zecheþ oþer beþencheþ hou hi moȝe habbe of hiren.

c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 1623 The chekker.., The draghtes, the dyse, and oþer dregh gamnes [printed gaumes]. Soche soteltie þai soght to solas hom with.

1548 W. Forrest Pleasaunt Poesye 46 in T. Starkey Eng. in Reign King Henry VIII (1878) i. p. lxxxvi By moste honeste meanys of lawes ordynaunce: Sought owte wondreslye by witt polytike.

1593 G. Harvey Pierces Supererogation 110* When I haue sought-vp my day-charmes, and night-spelles.

†e. To pursue, try to practise (virtue). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > endeavour > attempt [verb (transitive)] > endeavour to practise

seek1340

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 74 Ac hit ne is naȝt ynoȝ to lete þe kueades,..bote yef me zeche þe uirtues.

f. To plan, or try to work (evil) on or to (a person).

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > cause or effect (harm) [verb (transitive)] > do harm or injury to > plan or try to

seeka1300

a1300 Cursor Mundi 688 Þe hund ne harmed noght þe hare, ne nane soght on oþer sare.

a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 3130 Oc among gu, dredeð gu nogt, To gu ne sal non iuel ben sogt.

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis II. 120 As he which of his lif ne rowhte, His deth upon himself he sowhte.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 16629 Þe scam þai on þair lauerd soght, ful tor it war to tell!

a. To ask for, demand, request (from a person); to inquire, try to learn by asking. Const. from, †at, †of, in Old English †to.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)]

yearnOE

bid971

seek971

askOE

beseechc1175

banc1275

yerec1275

cravec1300

desirec1330

impetrec1374

praya1382

nurnc1400

pleadc1400

require1400

fraynec1430

proke1440

requisitea1475

wishc1515

supply1546

request1549

implore?c1550

to speak for ——1560

entreat1565

impetratec1565

obtest?1577

solicit1595

invoke1617

mendicate1618

petition1621

imprecate1636

conjurea1704

speer1724

canvass1768

kick1792

I will thank you to do so-and-so1813

quest1897

to hit a person up for1917

971 Blickl. Hom. 137 Hwæt secestu minne naman?

OE Cynewulf Juliana 170 Gif þu godum ussum gen gecwemest, ond þe to swa mildum mundbyrd secest, hyldo to halgum, beoð þe ahylded fram wraþe geworhtra wita unrim.

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 16212 Þeȝȝ sohhtenn..Att iesu crist summ takenn.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1783 Wenne þu wult more suluer sæche [c1300 Otho feche] hit at me suluen.

1340 Ayenbite (1866) 184 ‘Vayre zone’, zayþ he, ‘zech euremo red of wyse men’... Alsuo tekþ þe writinge þet me ssel zeche red ate yealden, and naȝt mid þe yonge.

c1380 J. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 56 God schal seke þe synful mannus bloode..of þe prelatis hondis.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3138 Þat child þat was sa mani yere, Ar it was send, soght wit praiyer.

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) i. l. 54 Foly it was..Succour to sek of thar alde mortale fa.

a1500 (?c1450) Merlin i. 10 I come to seche youre counseill.

1526 Bible (Tyndale) Luke xi. f. xciiij^v And other tempted hym sekynge of hym a signe from heven.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) To Rdr. In the Psalmes we lerne how to resorte onely vnto God in all oure troubles, to seke helpe at him.

1596 T. Lodge Margarite of Amer. sig. D4^v You best were rather..to beseech for life then to seech loue.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) iv. ii. 204 I'le seeke satisfaction of you.

1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xx Before I sought a word of confidence from him.

1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert x. 113 Nothing would have induced her ever again to seek help or counsel from a priest.

†b. With up: To try to recover (a debt). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > trade and finance > management of money > insolvency > indebtedness > owe [verb (transitive)] > attempt to recover a debt

seek1581

1581 B. Rich Farewell Militarie Profession D ij To seeke vp suche small sommes as were due vnto hym.

1607 R. Johnson Pleasant Conceites Old Hobson (Percy Soc.) 8 Maister Hobson comming into Kent, to seeke up some desperate debts.

†c. With in: (a) To invite (a person); (b) to call in (rent). Scottish. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > request courteously or invite

seek1675

speer1818

invite1856

1675 in Fasti Aberd. (1854) 339 Upon the occasion of the regents ther soliciting for and seeking in of scollars throw the countrey.

1675 in Fasti Aberd. (1854) 340 None of the regents of the saids colledgis shall..seek in or solicite..for any schollers to enter this present year.

1725 A. Ramsay Gentle Shepherd i. ii. 130 With glooman brow the laird seeks in his rent.

d. In passive, of a person: To be ‘sought for’ (see 16); to be courted, to be ‘in request’ as a companion. Of a woman: to be wooed or asked in marriage.

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > seeking marriage > [verb (intransitive)] > be sought in marriage

seek1671

the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > quality of being approvable or acceptable > popularity > become popular [verb (intransitive)] > be desired or in demand

seek1671

1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd iii. 341 His daughter, sought by many Prowest Knights.

1825 T. Hook Sayings & Doings 2nd Ser. I. 208 She beheld him sought and courted.

1835 T. B. Macaulay Sir James Mackintosh in Ess. ⁋34 Charles was not imposed on his countrymen, but sought by them.

e. Of things: †To demand, call for (obsolete); to invite. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > attractiveness > attract [verb (transitive)] > invite

seek1656

the mind > will > necessity > condition of being necessary > need or want > need [verb (transitive)] > require or demand

askOE

willa1225

requirec1425

crave1576

desire1577

exact1592

solicit1592

wish1600

postulate1605

expect1615

to look after ——a1616

seek1656

demand1748

1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso (1674) i. lxxxii. 110 Injuries written by loquacious Poets, did not touch to the quick,..Truths did only nettle and seek revenge.

1883 Cent. Mag. Oct. 929/1 The fashion..of printing verse attractively and in a shape that seeks the hand.

†9. To entreat, beseech (a person) to do something; also of (the thing asked for). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > a person to do something

crave?c1225

seek1362

requirec1380

aska1400

require1415

to call upon ——a1450

will?1457

requestc1485

bespeaka1616

beg1675

1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. iv. 49 Wrong was a-Fert þo and Wisdam souhte To Make his pees with pons.

1385 in 3rd Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1872) App. 410 in Parl. Papers (C. 673) XXXIII. 337 The forsayde personaris..souch hym nother with grace, lufe, na with lauch, to delay his dome.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 19786 Til-ward þat like he turnd his face, And kneland soght godd of his grace.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 19590 For drightin has þou soght wit wogh þe to for-giue.

a1400–50 Wars Alex. 163 Him þai supplyed & soȝt & him ensence castis.

1562 A. Scott Poems (1896) i. 149 Be thai vnpayit, thy pursevandis ar socht To pund pure communis corne, and cattell keir.

1629 J. Maxwell tr. Herodian Hist. iii. 171 Plautian [the traitor]..fell on his knees, and sought them not to misdeeme him.

10.

a. To search, explore (a place) in order to find something. (Sometimes coupled with search.)With this and 10b, 10c, 10d, cf. through-seek v.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)] > search (a place)

seekc1230

searcha1382

lay1560

ferret1582

sift1611

inquire?1615

hunt1712

screenge1825

c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 162 Hwa se haueð ȝeorne isoht [?c1225 Cleo. isocht] alle þe hurnen of his heorte. ne ne con rungi [a1250 Nero ofsechen] mare ut.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 7379 Samuel went secand þe land Til he þe hus o iesse faand.

c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (1839) xxi. 226 Thei wenten and soughten the Wodes, ȝif ony of hem had ben hid in the thikke of the Wodes.

c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 65/1 Cekyn, or serchyn, scrutor.

c1450 (c1400) Sowdon of Babylon (1881) l. 225 Lukafere, kinge of Baldas, The countrey hade serchid and sought, Ten thousande maidyns faire of face Vnto the Sowdan hath he broghte.

1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) ii. 62 Thai fand nocht, The qu-hethir the chambre hale thai socht.

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 708/1 I have sought all the cofers I have for your writynge.

1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VIII f. xxxij The kyng contynually sent foorth his light horses to seke the countrey and to se yf any apparaunce were.

a1578 R. Lindsay Hist. & Cron. Scotl. (1899) I. 214 [He] bad them searche and seik his schipis at thair awin plesour.

1596 E. Spenser Second Pt. Faerie Queene vi. iv. sig. Cc3 Seeking all the woods both farre and nye For herbes to dresse their wounds.

1827 W. Scott Highland Widow in Chron. Canongate 1st Ser. I. xii. 285 They sought brake, rock, and thicket in vain.

†b. To search, examine, consult (a book, register, etc.). Cf. 1c. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > research > find out by investigation [verb (transitive)] > by consulting sources

looklOE

seek?a1500

to look upa1632

consulta1634

trawl1906

scan1926

screen1942

?a1500 Chester Pl. viii. 233 Looke vp thy Bookes of prophesie... Seeke each leafe, I thee pray.

1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. xlii. 23 b Robert of Cicyle..a great astronomyer..had often tymes sought his bokes on thestate of the kynges of England and of france: & he founde by his astrology [etc.].

1654 in W. Mure Select. Family Papers Caldwell (1854) I. For seiking of ye register, to get ye auld gift of ye ward 0 12 0.

†c. To probe (a wound); cf. search v. 8. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > health and disease > healing > diagnosis or prognosis > examination > examine medically [verb (transitive)] > by touch > probe

seeka1300

search?a1425

sound1598

tent1598

probe1656

a1300 Cursor Mundi 26641 Alsua þe sin quen it es wroght, Bot it be son wit saluing soght, it reches wide and rotes ai.

a1400–50 Wars Alex. (Dublin) 3132 He gart seke þair sarys & þaim salue.

c1400 Laud Troy Book 9437 To him come fycisiens,..And soughte his woundes on eche halue, And leyde ther-to plastres & salue.

a1500 (?a1400) Sir Torrent of Portyngale (1887) l. 1730 Lechis sone his woundis sought.

†d. With immaterial object: To examine, investigate, scrutinize; to try, test. Also with out, through. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > investigate, examine [verb (transitive)]

underseekc897

speerc900

lookeOE

askOE

seeOE

teem witnessc1200

seeka1300

fand13..

inquirec1300

undergoc1315

visit1338

pursuea1382

searcha1382

examinec1384

assay1387

ensearchc1400

vesteyea1425

to have in waitc1440

perpend1447

to bring witnessc1475

vey1512

investigate?1520

recounta1530

to call into (also in) question1534

finger1546

rip1549

sight1556

vestigatea1561

to look into ——1561

require1563

descry?1567

sound1579

question1590

resolve1593

surview1601

undersearch1609

sift1611

disquire1621

indagate1623

inspect1623

pierce1640

shrive1647

in-looka1649

probe1649

incern1656

quaeritate1657

inquisite1674

reconnoitre1740

explore1774

to bring to book1786

look-see1867

scrutate1882

to shake down1915

sleuth1939

screen1942

a1300 Cursor Mundi 26671 I haue mi hert soght ilk a delle.

c1380 J. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 231 Kyngis & lordis schulden..wiþ most diligence sike þe cause þat þei knowe not [cf. Job xxix. 16].

1408–9 26 Pol. Poems viii. 6 Wheþer hast þou serued pyne or blisse, Seche þy werkis and assaye.

1533 J. Gau tr. C. Pedersen Richt Vay 31 Faith is socht and prouine in aduersite as the gold is prouine in the fyr.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms lxxvi[i]. 6 I commoned with myne owne herte, and sought out my sprete.

1554 D. Lindsay Dialog Experience & Courteour l. 5201 in Wks. (1931) I Wer thare fals lawis weill soucht out.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) iv. ii. 161 I would Reuenges..wold seek vs through And put vs to our answer.

11.

a. Const. infinitive: To make it one's aim, to try or attempt to (do something). †Also with for to; rarely with plain infinitive (without to).

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > endeavour > make an attempt or endeavour [verb (intransitive)] > to do something

cuneOE

seekc1000

fanda1225

suec1325

tastec1330

enforcec1340

study1340

temptc1384

intendc1385

assaila1393

proffera1393

to make meansc1395

search?a1400

fraistc1400

pursuec1400

to go aboutc1405

pretend1482

attempta1513

essay?1515

attend1523

regarda1533

offer1541

frame1545

to stand about1549

to put into (also in) practice1592

prove1612

imitate1626

snap1766

begin1833

make1880

c1000 West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) vii. 30 Hig hine sohton to nimanne.

?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 104 Forto huden him from saul þet him hatede & sochte to slenne.

1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. 1325 Mid þe emperour & me pes he secþ drawe.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4076 Þai soght him ai to greue wit wrang.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3768 He soght his broþer for to sla.

c1450 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi iii. xxv. 95 Seke euer þe lower place & to be under all.

a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) ii. vi. sig. S1 The King of Phrygia..sought by force to destroy the infant.

1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost xi. 148 Since I saught By Prayer th' offended Deitie to appease.

1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xxxii. 277 He sought to drown his sorrow for the defeat in floods of beer.

b. said of a thing.

ΚΠ

a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iii. i. 80 But this is trifling, And all the more it seekes to hide it selfe, The bigger bulke it shewes.

1871 R. Ellis tr. Catullus Poems lxix. 3 Not tho' a gift should seek, some robe most filmy, to move her.

1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) IV. 93/1 The compass having free movement, is always seeking to point to the magnetic north.

c. In indirect passive const., in which the object of the infinitive becomes the subject of the main verb, followed by the passive infinitive.

ΚΠ

c1380 J. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 368 Whan he was sowȝte to be made a kynge, & so to take in hym worldly lordeschip.

1891 Law Times 92 106/2 Persons who have any interest in land which are sought to be registered can lodge a caution with the registering officer.

†d. With a clause expressing desire or purpose, introduced by that. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

c1200 Vices & Virtues 59 Siec ðat tu haue pais aȝeanes gode.

c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) 1 Cor. xiv. 12 To edificacioun of the chirche seke that ȝe be plenteuous [and similarly in later versions].

1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection i. sig. Bii Seke euer that ye may se his blessed..face.

II. Intransitive uses.

12.

a. absol. To make search.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > make a search [verb (intransitive)]

seekc1000

ofsechec1300

searchc1330

laita1400

ripea1400

to cast about1575

to fall about1632

quest1669

to bush about or out1686

beat1709

to cast about one1823

feather1892

c1000 West Saxon Gospels: Luke (Corpus Cambr.) xv. 8 Heo..secð geornlice oð heo hine fint.

a1225 Leg. Kath. 975 Heo ne sohte nawiht, an seide ananriht aȝein.

c1300 Havelok (Laud) (1868) 1085 Þou y southe heþen in-to ynde, So fayr, so strong, ne mithe y finde.

a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1533 Ðor-quiles esau sogte and ran.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 19499 Fra hus to hus secand he ran.

c1400 ( G. Chaucer Treat. Astrolabe (Cambr. Dd.3.53) (1872) ii. §1. 14 I sowhte in the bakhalf of myn astrelabie, and fond the sercle of the daies.

c1450 Mankind 770 in Macro Plays 28 Yf ȝe wyll haue hym, goo, & syke, syke, syke!

a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 233 To seik fra Sterling to Stranawer, A mirrear daunce mycht na man see.

1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 774 If examples be sufficient to attaine priuilege for my childe, I nede not farre to seeke.

?1577 F. T. Debate Pride & Lowlines sig. Avi Which in it furniture dyd so exceede, As hardly shal ye finde yf that ye seech.

1872 Ld. Tennyson Gareth & Lynette 79 ‘Seek, till we find, And when they sought and found.’ [etc.].

indirect passive.1847 C. Brontë Jane Eyre III. vii. 164 The pocket-book was again..sought through.

b. In imperative as a call to a dog to search for game, etc. Also seek out! (See quots.) Cf. sick v.²

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > hunting > signals > signal [verb (intransitive)] > call to hounds

hollo1613

yoicka1828

yoax1828

seek1840

yoicks1840

to seek dead1850

1840 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rural Sports 805 Back! returns the dog to your heels. Seek out! sends him off again in quest of game... Go seek! should be impressed on the dog's memory as an order to look for something supposed to be actually lost, or a bird you think is wounded.

1848 W. N. Hutchinson Dog Breaking 21 Then say ‘seek’ and, without your accompanying him he will search for what you have previously hidden.

1928 R. Kipling Limits & Renewals (1932) 64 Go seek, boy! It's Dinah! Seek!

1968 P. N. Walker Carnaby & Gaolbreakers xix. 178 ‘Seek,’ and the two police dogs were cast about the mini car.

†c. Cricket. to seek out: to field. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > cricket > fielding > field [verb (intransitive)]

stop1744

scout1786

to watch out1786

field1798

to look out1836

to fag out1839

to seek out1840

1840 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rural Sports 135 The whole party, who are seeking out..change their positions.

d. to have far to seek (for). Cf. sense 19.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > make a search [verb (intransitive)] > have to search over a wide area

to have far to seek (for)1780

1780 J. Bentham Introd. Princ. Morals & Legisl. (1789) xix. §9 Where then is the line to be drawn? We shall not have far to seek for it.

1828 T. Carlyle Burns in Misc. (1840) I. 340 The poet, we imagine, can never have far to seek for a subject.

13.

a. To go, resort, pay a visit (to, unto, †till a person, to, into a place). Obsolete exc. archaic.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > [verb (intransitive)]

nimeOE

becomec885

teec888

goeOE

i-goc900

lithec900

wendeOE

i-farec950

yongc950

to wend one's streetOE

fare971

i-wende971

shakeOE

winda1000

meteOE

wendOE

strikec1175

seekc1200

wevec1200

drawa1225

stira1225

glidea1275

kenc1275

movec1275

teemc1275

tightc1275

till1297

chevec1300

strake13..

travelc1300

choosec1320

to choose one's gatea1325

journeyc1330

reachc1330

repairc1330

wisec1330

cairc1340

covera1375

dressa1375

passa1375

tenda1375

puta1382

proceedc1392

doa1400

fanda1400

haunta1400

snya1400

take?a1400

thrilla1400

trace?a1400

trinea1400

fangc1400

to make (also have) resortc1425

to make one's repair (to)c1425

resort1429

ayrec1440

havea1450

speer?c1450

rokec1475

wina1500

hent1508

persevere?1521

pursuec1540

rechec1540

yede1563

bing1567

march1568

to go one's ways1581

groyl1582

yode1587

sally1590

track1590

way1596

frame1609

trickle1629

recur1654

wag1684

fadge1694

haul1802

hike1809

to get around1849

riddle1856

bat1867

biff1923

truck1925

society > leisure > social event > visit > visiting > visit [verb (intransitive)]

seekc1200

to call in1573

call1597

to call upon ——1604

to call on ——a1616

visit1626

to make, or pay (also give) a visit1643

to pay a call1648

viz.1767

c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 127 Ðo..bigan þat folc sechen to his wunienge.

c1250 Owl & N. 538 Hi boþ hoȝ-ful & uel arme, an secheþ ȝorne to þe warme.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 14363 And he gon sechien to his twam susteren.

a1300 Cursor Mundi 28432 Þe nedy sekand to my hus I haue wit-draun wit almus.

1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xv. 392 In-to Surre he souȝte.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13457 Fra full ferr can þai till him seke.

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) i. l. 282 Quha sperd, scho said to sanct Margret thai socht.

1513 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil Æneid xii. Prol. 184 Litill lammys Full tayt & tryg socht bletand to thar dammys.

a1592 R. Greene Hist. Orlando Furioso (1594) sig. Fii Sith wee haue..found the rich and wealthie Indian clime, Sought too by greedie mindes for hurtfull gold.

1596 Bp. W. Barlow tr. L. Lavater Three Christian Serm. i. 129 To seek into strange places for sustenance.

1630 Bp. J. Hall Occas. Medit. §xxxiii Giue me that Bird which will..seeke to my window in the hardest frost.

1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. iii. 99 The tempest continuing..we were constrained to seeke into a creeke..for safety of our liues.

1637 J. Milton Comus 13 Wisdoms selfe Oft seeks to sweet retired Solitude.

1856 R. A. Vaughan Hours with Mystics (1860) I. vi. vii. 252 If he is always to be thus sought unto methinks he is as far from his longed-for seclusion as ever.

1883 R. W. Dixon Mano ii. vi. 86 And in those days Sir Mano to him sought, And held with him much converse.

1887 W. Morris tr. Homer Odyssey I. xi. 197 But a-winter he sleeps in the feast-hall whereto the thrall-folk seek.

b. To apply, have recourse to or unto (a person, for something); to pay court, make request or petition to. Often in indirect passive. Obsolete exc. archaic.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > make a request [verb (intransitive)] > for something

bid971

aska1200

seekc1366

cravec1386

entreat1427

inquire?a1513

beg1576

incall1591

urgea1616

woo1615

clamour1651

to call on ——1721

tout1731

spell1790

c1366 G. Chaucer A.B.C. 78 To whom j seeche for my medicyne.

1465 J. Rising in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 309 I can not seke to no man, nor will not, but only to yow.

1553 J. Hooper Let. 13 Oct. in M. Coverdale Certain Lett. Martyrs (1564) 152 Prayer..is the meanes wherby god will be saught vnto for his gifts.

1560 Bible (Geneva) 2 Chron. xvi. 12 (margin) It is in vaine to seke to y^e Phisitians, except first we seke to God to purge our sinnes.

1584 T. Lodge Alarum against Vsurers 10 My friends now disdain thee, the day shall come that they shall seeke to thee.

a1640 J. Fletcher & P. Massinger Custome of Countrey v. ii, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Bb2^v/2 I may shine out againe, And as I have been, be admir'd and sought to.

1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso ii. liv. 316 No..Souldier, could receive a greater affront, than being sought unto, to do an unworthy action.

1740 S. Richardson Pamela II. 53 And you know you have been sought to by some of the first Families in the Nation, for your Alliance.

1746 J. Hervey Medit. (1818) 224 The dead cannot seek unto God.

1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian viii, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 199 If the wicked will turn from their transgressions, and seek to the Physician of souls.

1853 T. T. Lynch Lett. to Scattered (1872) 349 The Bereans..sought to the Referee; they searched the Old Scriptures.

1865 A. C. Swinburne Atalanta in Calydon 32 Who then sought to thee? who gat help?

†c. To resort to, unto, till (a remedy, means of help, an action). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > recourse > have recourse to [verb (transitive)]

fang855

runOE

to take to ——?c1225

seeka1300

goc1390

to have (one's or a) recourse toc1405

recourse?a1425

suit1450

to take (also make or make one's) recourse to (also into)c1456

repairc1475

to fall to ——1490

recur1511

to take unto ——1553

flee1563

betake1590

retreat1650

to call on ——1721

devolve1744

to draw upon ——1800

to draw on ——a1817

a1300 Cursor Mundi 26678 Sekand til an sakful dede.

a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 5519 Of alle bales was he brouȝt..& so schal euerich seg þat secheþ to þe gode.

c1400 Rule of St. Benet (Verse) 988 The fift degre es to be swift Eftir our sin to seke to schrift.

1621 R. Burton Anat. Melancholy ii. i. i. 289 Cunning men, Wisards, & white-witches,..that if they bee sought vnto, wil helpe almost all infirmities of body & mind.

1679 W. Penn Addr. Protestants (1692) i. x. 54 'Twas his Reproof..that they should seek to the stratagems of Heathen Nations.

1819 W. Scott Ivanhoe II. xiii. 225 Seek to prayer and penance, and mayest thou find acceptance!

†d. To make a hostile approach to, till (a person). Obsolete. (Cf. senses 6, 17a.)

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > attack > attack [verb (transitive)] > advance to attack

seekc825

to seek again(sc1230

pursue?a1425

seek1487

visitc1515

coast1531

to make upon ——1542

the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > hostile action or attack > make an attack upon [verb (transitive)] > make hostile approach to

runOE

to seek on (also upon)c1230

pursuec1300

yerna1400

seek1487

visitc1515

coast1531

accost1597

to come at ——1601

to make against ——1628

to make at ——1637

tilt1796

rush1823

to come for ——1870

to move in1941

bum-rush1988

1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) vi. 625 The kyng met thame that till hym socht.

c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 5903 He soght to on Symagon, a sad man of armys,..He bere to þe bold with a big sworde.

†14.

a. To go, move, proceed (in a specified direction). Widely used in Middle English; e.g. to seek up, to rise (from a sitting posture); to seek asunder, to part; to seek to the earth or ground, to fall; to seek out of life, to die. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > movement > progressive motion > move along [verb (intransitive)]

goeOE

lithec900

nimOE

fare971

shakeOE

strikea1000

gangOE

gengOE

seekc1000

glidea1275

wevec1300

hove1390

drevea1400

sway?a1400

wainc1540

discoursea1547

yede1563

trot1612

to get along1683

locomove1792

locomote1831

the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > downward motion > falling > fall [verb (intransitive)] > fall down or from erect position > specifically of person or animal

to light lowc1225

wendc1300

to seek to the earth or groundc1330

tumblea1375

stretchc1400

to take a fall1413

to blush to the eartha1500

to come down1603

to go to grassa1640

to be floored1826

to take a spilla1845

to come (fall, get) a cropper1858

to hunt grass1872

to come (also have) a buster1874

to hit the deck1954

the world > life > death > [verb (intransitive)]

forsweltc888

sweltc888

adeadeOE

deadc950

wendeOE

i-wite971

starveOE

witea1000

forfereOE

forthfareOE

forworthc1000

to go (also depart , pass, i-wite, chare) out of this worldOE

queleOE

fallOE

to take (also nim, underfo) (the) deathOE

to shed (one's own) blood?a1100

diec1135

endc1175

farec1175

to give up the ghostc1175

letc1200

aswelta1250

leavea1250

to-sweltc1275

to-worthc1275

to yield (up) the ghost (soul, breath, life, spirit)c1290

finea1300

spilla1300

part?1316

to leese one's life-daysa1325

to nim the way of deathc1325

to tine, leave, lose the sweatc1330

flit1340

trance1340

determinec1374

disperisha1382

to go the way of all the eartha1382

to be gathered to one's fathers1382

miscarryc1387

shut1390

goa1393

to die upa1400

expirea1400

fleea1400

to pass awaya1400

to seek out of lifea1400–50

to sye hethena1400

tinea1400

trespass14..

espirec1430

to end one's days?a1439

decease1439

to go away?a1450

ungoc1450

unlivec1450

to change one's lifea1470

vade1495

depart1501

to pay one's debt to (also the debt of) naturea1513

to decease this world1515

to go over?1520

jet1530

vade1530

to go westa1532

to pick over the perch1532

galpa1535

to die the death1535

to depart to God1548

to go home1561

mort1568

inlaikc1575

shuffle1576

finish1578

to hop (also tip, pitch over, drop off, etc.) the perch1587

relent1587

unbreathe1589

transpass1592

to lose one's breath1596

to make a die (of it)1611

to go offa1616

fail1623

to go out1635

to peak over the percha1641

exita1652

drop1654

to knock offa1657

to kick upa1658

to pay nature her due1657

ghost1666

to march off1693

to die off1697

pike1697

to drop off1699

tip (over) the perch1699

to pass (also go, be called, etc.) to one's reward1703

sink1718

vent1718

to launch into eternity1719

to join the majority1721

demise1727

to pack off1735

to slip one's cable1751

turf1763

to move off1764

to pop off the hooks1764

to hop off1797

to pass on1805

to go to glory1814

sough1816

to hand in one's accounts1817

to slip one's breatha1819

croak1819

to slip one's wind1819

stiffen1820

weed1824

buy1825

to drop short1826

to fall (a) prey (also victim, sacrifice) to1839

to get one's (also the) call1839

to drop (etc.) off the hooks1840

to unreeve one's lifeline1840

to step out1844

to cash, pass or send in one's checks1845

to hand in one's checks1845

to go off the handle1848

to go under1848

succumb1849

to turn one's toes up1851

to peg out1852

walk1858

snuff1864

to go or be up the flume1865

to pass outc1867

to cash in one's chips1870

to go (also pass over) to the majority1883

to cash in1884

to cop it1884

snuff1885

to belly up1886

perch1886

to kick the bucket1889

off1890

to knock over1892

to pass over1897

to stop one1901

to pass in1904

to hand in one's marble1911

the silver cord is loosed1911

pip1913

to cross over1915

conk1917

to check out1921

to kick off1921

to pack up1925

to step off1926

to take the ferry1928

peg1931

to meet one's Maker1933

to kiss off1935

to crease it1959

zonk1968

cark1977

to cark it1979

to take a dirt nap1981

c1000 Ælfric Homilies I. 504 Hi ða syððan gewunelice þider sohton.

1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 1810 Þe luþer maximian westward hider soȝte.

c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. Wace (Rolls) 12734 Wyþ þat strok to þe erþe he sought.

a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 5455 Þei..soute seþe on-sunder, þouȝh it hem sore greued.

c1390 (?c1350) Joseph of Arimathie (1871) l. 655 Þat þou miȝt seo him þi-self ar þow henne seche.

a1400–50 Wars Alex. 2962 With þat he sleȝly vp soȝt & his sete leuys.

a1450 Le Morte Arth. 2952 They brake sege and homward sought.

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) vi. l. 201 War nocht for schayme he had socht to the ground.

a1500 Lancelot of Laik (1870) 3428 And he goith one, and frome the feld he socht.

c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 6644 He seyt to þe soile & soght out of lyue.

b. said of a thing. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

c1384 G. Chaucer Hous of Fame 744 Ryght so sey I be fire or sovne Or smoke or other thynges lyght Alwey they seke vpwarde on hight.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3106 Þe smel was suette þat soght til heuen.

c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness l. 563 Quen þe swemande sorȝe soȝt to his hert.

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) vi. l. 200 The paynfull wo socht till his hart full sone.

a1500 (?a1400) Sir Torrent of Portyngale (1887) l. 1606 The Giaunt hym ayen smate, Thorough his sheld and his plate, Into the flesh it sought.

c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 1091 Er the sun vp soght with his softe beames.

1567 J. Maplet Greene Forest f. 43 Another Fig tree called Ægiptiaca, being throwen into the water, it straight waye discendeth and seeketh to the bottom.

c. Sometimes conjugated with be, in the perfect and pluperfect tenses. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

13.. Guy Warw. (1891) 502 Swiche sorwe icham in souȝt.

a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 3707 In-to cades ðe folc was sogt.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4320 For sua þou mai þe driue to ded..Quen þou art soght fra þi succur.

a1400–50 Wars Alex. 3003 Or he was soȝt to þe side.

1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid ix. i. 23 Eneas..Is till Evander socht.

15. to seek after. To go in quest of, look for; to try to find, reach, or obtain; †to pursue in order to hurt. Now chiefly in passive: To be desired or in demand; to be courted, to have one's presence desired.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)]

seekc888

aseekc1000

i-secheOE

huntc1175

to seek afterc1175

beseechc1200

fand?c1225

ofseche?c1225

to seek forc1250

atseekc1275

furiec1290

forseeka1300

outseekc1300

upseekc1315

to look after ——c1330

wait1340

laita1350

searchc1350

pursuea1382

ensearchc1384

to feel and findc1384

inseekc1384

looka1398

fraist?a1400

umseeka1400

require?c1400

walec1400

to look up1468

prowla1475

to see for ——c1485

to look for ——a1492

to have in the wind1540

sue1548

vent?1575

seek1616

explore1618

dacker1634

research1650

to see out for1683

quest1752

to see after ——1776

the world > movement > progressive motion > order of movement > following behind > follow [verb (transitive)] > pursue > with hostility or violence

seekc825

to seek afterc1175

chasec1330

huntc1385

persecute1477

to gun for1893

bloodhound1935

c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 6273 & all forrwerrp þu towarrd himm. To sekenn affterr wræche.

c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 9 Sech after þing þe ðe beð biheue.

c1290 S. Eng. Leg. 1/6 Eleyne, þat was is moder, to Ierusalem he sende to sechen after þe holie rode.

c1374 G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (1868) ii. pr. v. 47 Þan is it no nede þat þou seke after þe superfluite of fortune.

1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xvi. 178 I seke after a segge þat I seigh ones.

c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 48 Bifore eer he eny suche causis fyndeth, and eer he aftir eny suche causis sechith.

1482 Monk of Evesham 53 Yef they..sekyd after the mercye of god and alsoo after the helpe of his holy seyntys.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms xiii. (xiv.) 2 To se yf there were eny, that wolde vnderstonde & seke after God.

1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms lxix. [lxx.] 2 Let them be shamed & confounded that seke after my soule [and so 1611].

1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 ii. iv. 378 You see my good wenches how men of merrite are sought after.

1615 W. Bedwell tr. Mohammedis Imposturæ iii. §97 We..do not seeke after those bookes.

1638 R. Baker tr. J. L. G. de Balzac New Epist. II. 44 I will never beleeve that ill fortune any more than good will seeke after mee so farre as this.

1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 11. ⁋5 They have been always seek'd after by the Ladies.

1850 H. T. Cheever Whale & his Captors vi. 97 The first four of this catalogue only are much sought after for their oil.

1856 R. A. Vaughan Hours with Mystics (1860) I. vi. viii. 262 I was aware that he had been greatly sought after as a preacher.

16. to seek for.

a. To look for, try to find or obtain, etc. (An equivalent for the transitive senses 1, 2, 7.)

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)]

seekc888

aseekc1000

i-secheOE

huntc1175

to seek afterc1175

beseechc1200

fand?c1225

ofseche?c1225

to seek forc1250

atseekc1275

furiec1290

forseeka1300

outseekc1300

upseekc1315

to look after ——c1330

wait1340

laita1350

searchc1350

pursuea1382

ensearchc1384

to feel and findc1384

inseekc1384

looka1398

fraist?a1400

umseeka1400

require?c1400

walec1400

to look up1468

prowla1475

to see for ——c1485

to look for ——a1492

to have in the wind1540

sue1548

vent?1575

seek1616

explore1618

dacker1634

research1650

to see out for1683

quest1752

to see after ——1776

c1250 Owl & N. 1508 Ich not hu mai eni freo-man for hire sechen after þan.

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 208 And yit therfore With al his wit he hath don sieke.

c1430 J. Lydgate Minor Poems (Percy Soc.) 133 For more pasture I will nat stryue Nor seche for my foode no more.

1526 Bible (Tyndale) Mark i. f. xlv All men seke for the.

1563 2nd Tome Homelyes Rogation Week iii. 247 b If we be colde, we seke for cloth.

1600 E. Blount tr. G. F. di Conestaggio Hist. Uniting Portugall to Castill 18 They went therefore seeking heere and there for money.

1748 B. Robins & R. Walter Voy. round World by Anson ii. iv. 161 Our disappointment and their security were neither to be sought for in their valour nor our misconduct.

1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xxv. 182 The group..broke up, seeking in all directions for a means of passage.

1871 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues IV. 305 The true life should neither seek for pleasures, nor..entirely avoid pains.

†b. Nautical. to seek up for: to ‘bear up for’, sail towards. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (transitive)] > set a ship's course > sail towards or head for

to seek up14..

to bear up1582

to stand for ——a1594

to seek up for1632

1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. ii. 44 The tempest increasing.., we were constrained to seeke vp for the Port.

†17. to seek on (also upon). [Compare onseek v.]

a. To approach with hostile intention; to advance against, set on, attack, assail. Also in indirect passive. Similarly, to seek again(s (= against). (Cf. sense 6) Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

society > armed hostility > attack > attack [verb (transitive)] > advance to attack

seekc825

to seek again(sc1230

pursue?a1425

seek1487

visitc1515

coast1531

to make upon ——1542

the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > hostile action or attack > make an attack upon [verb (transitive)] > make hostile approach to

runOE

to seek on (also upon)c1230

pursuec1300

yerna1400

seek1487

visitc1515

coast1531

accost1597

to come at ——1601

to make against ——1628

to make at ——1637

tilt1796

rush1823

to come for ——1870

to move in1941

bum-rush1988

c1230 Hali Meid. 22 Leccherie anan riht greideð hire wið þet to weorrin o þi meiðhad, & secheð erst upon hire, nebbe to nebbe.

c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 4206 Herigal him soðte on. mid hehære strengðe.

c1386 G. Chaucer Friar's Tale 196 And somtyme be we suffred for to seke Vp-on a man, and doon his soule vnreste.

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 190 And he with pouer goth to seke Ayein the Scottes forto fonde the werre which he tok on honde.

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4411 Was neuer don to leuedi mar Scam..þan..Ioseph soght [Gött. sohut] on me in bour.

a1400–50 Wars Alex. 1735 For þou has samed..a selly nounbre..to seke vs agaynes.

c1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 84 My lord the Sowdon vpon me soght In grete wrathe.

1470–85 T. Malory Morte d'Arthur iii. xiii. 115 He is..ful lothe to fyghte with ony man but yf he be sore souȝt on.

1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) iii. l. 304 Undyr my seylle I sall be bound to the For Inglismen that thai sall do him nocht, Nor to no Scottis, les it be on thaim socht.

a1500 Lancelot of Laik (1870) 3311 One thar fois ful fersly thai soght.

1525 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles II. xlv. 150 Better it were for vs to seke batayle then to be sought on.

1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes f. 341 Alcibiades..so came home highly welcomed, although thei had by necessitee been forced to seeke vpon hym.

b. To approach, apply to (a person) in order to obtain something. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > make a request [verb (intransitive)] > to, of, or upon someone

clepec825

cryc1290

to pray (one) of a boon1393

to call on ——a1400

to seek on (also upon)a1400

to call upon ——c1405

sue1405

supplicate1417

peala1425

labour1442

to make suit1447–8

supply1489

suit1526

appeal1540

apply1554

incalla1572

invocate1582

beg1600

palaver1859

a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13726 Quen þai þis wais on iesu soght, Well he wist all quat þai thoght.

1470–85 T. Malory Morte d'Arthur xxi. i. 840 Than Syr Mordred sought on quene Gueneuer by letters & sondes..for to haue hir to come oute of the toure of london.

1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. cccxlviii. 556 When Johan Lyon sawe himselfe sought on by them whom he desyred to haue their good wylles and loue, he was greatly reioysed.

1536 T. Cromwell in R. B. Merriman Life & Lett. T. Cromwell (1902) II. 5 They..seke only uppon hym for theyr ouun commodytye.

1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. xij^v Seyng that we seke vpon straungers [L. quando peregrinos euocamus].

†18. To make inquiry or request. Const. of (the thing inquired for). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > language > speech > request > make a request [verb (intransitive)]

yearnOE

ask1340

fand1340

frayne1377

seek1390

allegea1393

to make requestc1400

require?c1425

sue1440

thigc1480

solicit1509

petition1611

petitionate1625

postulate1754

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 80 Bot of here entre whan thei soghte, The gates weren al to smale.

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis III. 373 This have I for thin ese cast, That thou nomore of love sieche.

III. Uses of the infinitive to seek.

19.

a. Predicated of a thing or person that needs to be sought or looked for; = not to be found or not yet found, not at hand, absent, missing, lacking. far to seek, far out of reach, a long way off.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > distance > distance or farness > a long way off [phrase]

at distancea1425

in the distance?a1439

far to seek?1544

at a distance1697

c1386 G. Chaucer Canon's Yeoman's Prol. & Tale 321 The Philosophres stoon..I warne yow wel, it is to seken euere.

1509 tr. A. de la Sale Fyftene Ioyes of Maryage (de Worde) (new ed.) iv. sig. D.iij^v A rustye payre of sporres he hath eke Wherof one of the rowelles be to seke.

?1544 J. Heywood Foure PP sig. B.ii Who may not playe one day in a weke May thynke hys thryfte is farre to seke.

1573 T. Tusser Fiue Hundreth Points Good Husbandry (new ed.) f. 9 With some vpon Sundaies, their tables do reke, and halfe the weeke after, their dinners to seeke.

1575 J. Awdely Fraternitye of Vacabondes (new ed.) sig. B3^v When his Maister nedeth him, he is to seeke.

1612 S. Rowlands Knaue of Harts B 4 b With trauellers monie may be to seeke.

1653 H. Holcroft tr. Procopius Persian Wars i. 4 in tr. Procopius Hist. Warres Justinian Being to seek his food he would hunt for it.

1670 S. Wilson Lassels's Voy. Italy (new ed.) ii. 317 Least they should grow idle, and haue their strength to seek when the warre should break out.

1775 Tender Father I. 205 Amelia..was still to seek, and, perhaps, in reality, totally lost to him.

1874 H. Sidgwick Methods of Ethics iii. v. §6. 262 This supposes that we have found the rational method of determining value: which, however, is still to seek.

1904 S. J. Weyman Abbess of Vlaye xi The end she knew; the means were to seek.

1917 T. Hardy Moments of Vision & Misc. Verses 171 Not as one wanzing weak From life's roar and reek, His rest still to seek.

1951 B. Russell New Hopes for Changing World (1952) 21 The revolutions that it demands in these two provinces are still to seek, and it is the fact that they are still to seek which is the main cause of the present troubles of the world.

b. With negative: Not needing to be sought or looked for, not hard to find, not absent or wanting. Also not far, †not long, to seek.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > place > presence > present [phrase] > not absent

not far, not long, to seek1390

not to seek1569

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 160 My sorwe is thanne noght to seche.

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 236 Whan Deianyre hath herd this speche, Ther was no sorwe forto seche.

c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 784 Oure conseil was nat longe for to seche.

a1525 (c1448) R. Holland Bk. Howlat l. 238 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 102 All se fowle and seid fowle was nocht for to seike.

1568 (a1500) Freiris Berwik 26 in W. T. Ritchie Bannatyne MS (1930) IV. 262 The four ordo^ris wer no^t for to seik Thay wer all in þis toun dwelling.

1860 T. P. Thompson Audi Alteram Partem (1861) III. cxxxiv. 102 The extreme answer, for which examples are not to seek.

1876 W. H. Pollock in Contemp. Rev. June 57 The reason is not far to seek.

1993 Isis 84 247 The reason Owen made an about-face, and involved himself in the Platonization of his archetype, is not far to seek.

20. Of a person, his faculties, etc.:

a. At a loss or at fault; unable to act, understand, etc.; puzzled to know or decide. Const. indirect question introduced by how, what, etc.; also to (do). Obsolete or archaic.Also much, far, all to seek; †new to seek, utterly at a loss.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > perplexity, bewilderment > confused, at a loss [phrase]

at one's wit's end (occasionally ends)1377

seek1390

will of wane (also wone)a1400

will of redea1425

on wild1477

to be at a muse1548

at a loss1592

at a stopa1626

in a fog?c1640

in a wood1659

at a wit-standa1670

at sea1768

at fault1833

far to find, seek1879

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 61 Thi wittes ben riht feer to seche.

14.. T. Hoccleve Min. Poems xxiv. 514 With him ther hath been many a sundry leeche..but al to seeche Hire art was.

1523 J. Skelton Goodly Garlande of Laurell 893 Zeuxes, that enpicturid fare Elene the quene, You to deuyse his crafte were to seke.

a1529 J. Skelton Poems against Garnesche in Poet Wks. (1843) I. 119 To turney or to tante with me ye ar to fare to seke.

1576 C. Hollyband Frenche Littelton Ep. Ded. sig. *iii Saying, that the learner is new to seeke, when he cometh to a boke without such markes.

1581 B. Rich Farewell Militarie Profession B b j Thus Emelya was now [read new] to seeke.

1583 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Deuteronomie lxxii. 445/1 Insomuch that..they wote not where they bee, but are newe to seeke in their imaginations.

1594 R. Carew tr. J. Huarte Exam. Mens Wits xi. 156 Lawyers..if the cases which the law thrusteth into their mouth, be not squared and chewed to their hands, they are to seek what to doe.

1598 Floure & Leafe in T. Speght Wks. G. Chaucer f. 367/1 Hardily they were no thing to seke How they on hem should the harneis set.

1602 W. Warner Albions Eng. (rev. ed.) xiii. lxxix. 325 Yea far he is to seeke of what his proper Nature is.

1603 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes 847 The Gouernour..who alwaies brought vp in ciuile affaires, was to seeke how to defend a siege.

1654 O. Cromwell Speech 12 Sept. in Lett. & Speeches (1871) IV. 52 We were exceedingly to seek how to settle things.

1667 Duchess of Newcastle Life Duke of Newcastle iii. 141 Whereas now he should be much to seek to do the like, his Estate being so much ruined by the late Civil Wars.

1699 M. Lister Journey to Paris (new ed.) 27 Whence this great Liberty of Sculpture arises, I am much to seek.

1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. v. 454 They were very much to seek, how the Case of Hull could concern Descents and Purchases.

1709 Ld. Shaftesbury Moralists ii. i. 47 But what real Good is, I am still to seek.

1803 tr. G. C. A. Pigault-Lebrun Monsieur Botte I. 48 Charles passed the night in..forming projects, abandoning them [etc.]. In the morning he was as much to seek as ever.

1886 R. L. Stevenson Kidnapped xx. 190 For the details of our itinerary, I am all to seek.

b. Wanting or deficient in, †of; without skill or learning in. With for: Badly off or at a loss for, unable to find. archaic.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > ability > inability > unskilfulness > be unskilled in [verb (transitive)]

seeka1529

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > want of knowledge, ignorance > unfamiliarity with, inexperience > lack skill or experience [verb]

unknowa1382

seeka1529

not to know the first thing about1856

not to have a clue1948

not to have a scooby1993

a1529 J. Skelton Why come ye nat to Courte (?1545) 314 Sergyantes of the coyfe eke, He sayth they are to seke In pletynge of theyr case At the Commune Place.

1545 T. Raynald in tr. E. Roesslin Byrth of Mankynde Prol. D j So be there agayne many mofull vndiscreate, vnreasonable, chorlishe, and farre to seke in such thinges.

1578 J. Lyly Euphues f. 29 Greece is..neuer void of some Synon, neuer to seeke of some deceitfull shifter.

1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World I. 89 The complete measure of it..that such as are desirous of knowledge be not to seek in any one thing.

1625 F. Bacon Ess. (new ed.) 243 For if you reduce Vsury, to one Low Rate,..the Merchant wil be to seeke for Money.

1631 B. Jonson Bartholmew Fayre ii. ii. 19 in Wks. II I that haue dealt so long in the fire, will not be to seek in smoak, now.

1633 Bp. J. Hall Plaine Explic. Hard Texts i. 500 O King Nebuchadnezzar, wee are not to seeke of a ready answer to this charge of thine.

1670 A. Wood Life & Times (1892) II. 199 He being to seek for a version that would please the Doctor, it was a long time before he could hit it.

1704 J. Swift Tale of Tub v. 118 Does he not also leave us wholly to seek in the Art of Political Wagering?

c1771 S. Foote Maid of Bath iii. 64 I promise you she sha'n't be to seek for the means.

1803 Porson in Museum Criticum (1814) I. 332 The Germans in Greek Are sadly to seek.

1832 Fair of May Fair III. ii. 278 It was excusable that a man having passed so large a portion of those sixty years in a compting house, could be somewhat to seek in the economy of his social system.

1835 H. J. Rose in Newman's Lett. (1891) II. 107 Our good clergy are sadly to seek in the great points, viz. Church authority, &c.

1886 W. Besant Children of Gibeon I. i. ix. 211 The Cause, which is at present sadly to seek in the matter of young ladies.

†c. Astray from the truth, mistaken. not to seek: not ignorant, well aware (that). Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > know, be aware of [verb (intransitive)]

wit971

knowlOE

to be aware (of, that)a1250

wota1300

be (well) warec1325

to know of ——c1390

not to seek1569

to know for ——1576

to know on ——1608

to have cognizance of1635

reck1764

to be (or get) wise to1896

the world > space > place > presence > present [phrase] > not absent

not far, not long, to seek1390

not to seek1569

the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > lack of truth, falsity > an error, mistake > [adjective]

erringa1340

overseena1393

willa1400

out of one's book (also books)1549

straying1553

faulting1566

deceived1569

seek1569

tripping1577

amiss1582

mistaking1582

naught1597

errant1609

solecistical1654

solecismical1656

wrong1695

solecistic1865

1569 Sir N. Throckmorton Let. in Robertson Hist. Scot. App. No. 32 You are not to seek that some will use cautions, some neutrality, some delays.

1639 T. de Gray Compl. Horseman ii. xx. 347 Yet are they very much to seeke in that they doe so much exclaime against taking up of veyns.

1657 P. Heylyn Ecclesia Vindicata Gen. Pref. c 1 b Which if it be not a restraining of the Gift of Prayer, I am much to seek.

Compounds

C1. Combinations of the verb + object.

seek-sorrow n. = seek-trouble n.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > suffering > sorrow or grief > [noun] > once who seeks sorrow

seek-sorrowa1586

a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1593) i. sig. H4 A field they goe, where many lookers be, And thou seke-sorow Klaius them among.

† seek-trouble n. Obsolete one who seeks sorrow, etc.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > harmful mischievousness > harmfully mischievous person > [noun]

disturberc1290

troublera1382

distroublerc1440

disturblerc1440

boutefeu?1584

mischief1586

breed-bate1593

trouble-feast1603

flight-head1605

trouble-rest1605

trouble-house1608

trouble-cupa1610

trouble-state1609

seek-trouble1611

fling-brand1616

trouble-town1619

blow-coal1622

trouble-world1663

mischief-maker1675

fire-sprit1847

firebug1869

ratbag1890

disturbant1894

mixer1938

society > society and the community > dissent > lack of peacefulness > [noun] > persons full of strife > one who causes disturbance or trouble

disturberc1290

troublera1382

distroublerc1440

disturblerc1440

shakebucklera1538

hellcat1603

trouble-feast1603

trouble-rest1605

trouble-house1608

trouble-cupa1610

trouble-state1609

seek-trouble1611

trouble-town1619

trouble-world1663

hellion1845

rowdy1859

bad actor1879

ratbag1890

disturbant1894

trouble-maker1923

performer1937

messer1942

shit-stirrer1961

1611 J. Florio Queen Anna's New World of Words Cattabriga, a make-bate, a busie-bodie, a pick-thanke, a seeke-trouble.

C2.

seek-no-farther n. (also seek-no-further) a kind of apple.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > food > fruit and vegetables > fruit or a fruit > apple > [noun] > eating-apple > types of

costardc1390

bitter-sweet1393

Queening?1435

richardine?1435

blaundrellc1440

pear apple1440

tuberc1440

quarrendenc1450

birtle1483

deusan1570

apple-john1572

Richard1572

lording1573

greening1577

queen apple1579

peeler1580

darling1584

doucin1584

golding1589

puffin1589

lady's longing1591

bitter-sweeting1597

pearmain1597

paradise apple1598

garden globe1600

gastlet1600

leather-coat1600

maligar1600

pome-paradise1601

French pippin1629

gillyflower1629

king apple1635

lady apple1651

golden pippin1654

goldling1655

puff1655

cardinal1658

green fillet1662

chestnut1664

cinnamon apple1664

fenouil1664

go-no-further1664

Westbury apple1664

seek-no-farther1670

nonsuch1676

calville1691

passe-pomme1691

fennel apple1699

queen1699

genet1706

fig-apple1707

oaken pin1707

nonpareil1726

costing1731

monstrous reinette1731

Newtown pippin1760

Ribston1782

Rhode Island greening1795

oslin1801

fall pippin1803

monstrous pippin1817

Newtown Spitzenburg1817

Gravenstein1821

Red Astrachan1822

Tolman sweet1822

grange apple1823

orange pippin1823

Baldwin1826

Sturmer Pippin1831

Newtowner1846

Northern Spy1847

Blenheim Orange1860

Cox1860

McIntosh Red1876

Worcester1877

raspberry apple1894

delicious1898

Laxton's Superb1920

Macoun1924

the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular types of fruit > [noun] > apple > eating-apple > types of

costardc1390

bitter-sweet1393

pippin?1435

pomewater?1435

Queening?1435

richardine?1435

blaundrellc1440

pear apple1440

tuberc1440

quarrendenc1450

birtle1483

sweeting1530

pomeroyal1534

renneta1568

deusan1570

apple-john1572

Richard1572

lording1573

russeting1573

greening1577

queen apple1579

peeler1580

reinette1582

darling1584

doucin1584

golding1589

puffin1589

lady's longing1591

bitter-sweeting1597

pearmain1597

paradise apple1598

garden globe1600

gastlet1600

leather-coat1600

maligar1600

pomeroy1600

short-start1600

jenneting1601

pome-paradise1601

russet coat1602

John apple1604

honey apple1611

honeymeal1611

musk apple1611

short-shank1611

spice apple1611

French pippin1629

king apple1635

lady apple1651

golden pippin1654

goldling1655

puff1655

cardinal1658

renneting1658

green fillet1662

chestnut1664

cinnamon apple1664

fenouil1664

go-no-further1664

reinetting1664

Westbury apple1664

seek-no-farther1670

nonsuch1676

white-wining1676

russet1686

calville1691

fennel apple1699

queen1699

genet1706

fig-apple1707

oaken pin1707

musk1708

nonpareil1726

costing1731

monstrous reinette1731

Newtown pippin1760

Ribston1782

Rhode Island greening1795

oslin1801

wine apple1802

fall pippin1803

monstrous pippin1817

Newtown Spitzenburg1817

Gravenstein1821

Red Astrachan1822

Tolman sweet1822

grange apple1823

orange pippin1823

Baldwin1826

wine-sap1826

Jonathan1831

Sturmer Pippin1831

rusty-coat1843

Newtowner1846

Northern Spy1847

Cornish gilliflowerc1850

Blenheim Orange1860

Cox1860

nutmeg pippin1860

McIntosh Red1876

Worcester1877

raspberry apple1894

delicious1898

Laxton's Superb1920

Melba apple1928

Melba1933

Mutsu1951

Newtown1953

discovery1964

1670 L. Meager Eng. Gardener 86 [Apples.] Seek no farther.

1845 A. J. Downing Fruits & Fruit Trees Amer. viii. 93 Autumn Apples... Rambo... Seek-no-further,..of New Jersey.

1851 S. Warner Wide Wide World I. xxii. 285 ‘Seek-no-further!’ said Ellen;—‘what a funny name. It ought to be a mighty good apple’.

1875 R. Hogg Fruit Man. (ed. 4) 134 This is the true old Seek-no-farther.

This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online June 2022).

单词	seek
释义	seekn. Etymology: < seek v. †1. A series of notes upon a horn calling out hounds to begin a chase. Usually to blow a seek (blow v.¹ 14c). Also figurative. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > hunting > signals > [noun] > signal on horn forloinc1369 motec1400 strakea1425 rechasec1425 recopec1425 morta1500 seekc1500 death note1575 recheat1575 gibbet1590 wind1596 relief1602 call1677 stroke1688 gone away1827 rattle1889 the world > physical sensation > hearing and noise > degree, kind, or quality of sound > sound of horn > [noun] seekc1500 poopa1556 gibbet1590 honking1844 tra-ra1900 hoot1904 honk1905 honk-honk1908 klaxoning1922 beep-beep1929 parp1936 society > leisure > the arts > music > type of music > music on specific instrument > [noun] > wind music > cadence or flourish on horn blas?c1225 forloinc1369 windc1374 strakea1425 strakinga1425 rechasec1425 rechasingc1425 recopec1425 seekc1500 mort1555 recheat1575 gibbet1590 senneta1593 relief1602 horn-call1632 call1677 stroke1688 tantivy1785 tralira1801 tra-la-la1886 the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > make a search [verb (intransitive)] > begin a search to blow a seek1624 c1500 Coucher-bk. Tutburye in Blount Anc. Tenures (1679) 170 At the said Crosse in the Towne the formast keper shall blow a Seeke. 1575 G. Gascoigne Noble Arte Venerie xliv. 139 Lo now he blowes his horne, euen at the kennell dore, Alas, alas, he blowes a seeke, alas yet blowes he more. 1575 G. Gascoigne Measures of Blowing in Noble Arte Venerie sig. † The measures of blowing set downe in the notes... The Seeke, With twoo windes. 1624 R. Montagu Immediate Addresse 35 There are..that loose themselues often, and their Desires in their Deuotions: and may very well goe blow the seeke for them. 1826 H. Smith Tor Hill I. 292 The foremost keeper blew a seek, to which all the others replied. 2. Computing. The movement of a read/write head to a new position on a storage device; seek-time n. the time taken by this, as part of the total access time. ΚΠ 1965 IEEE Trans. Electronic Computers 14 580/2 No more than three concurrent seek operations per data channel are justified for System I. 1967 Proc. AFIPS Conf. 30 11/1 Suppose that secondary memory is a disk... The operation of moving the arm is known as a seek; but the policy shortest seek time first..is unsatisfactory. 1974 Communications ACM 17 139/2 The objective of optimally scheduling a sequence of requests on the dasd to minimize seektime or rotational delays. 1980 Sci. Amer. Aug. 118/3 First the head must be positioned over the proper track. This requires a ‘seek time’. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online June 2021). seekv. Brit. /siːk/, U.S. /sik/ Forms: Past tense and participle sought /sɔːt/. Forms: infinitive Old English sœ́can, sécan, sécean, séocan, Middle English sieche, Middle English–1500s seche, Middle English Kentish zeche, Middle English sæche, Middle English siche, sheche, suche, Middle English sech, seeche, 1500s (1800s dialect) seech. β. Middle English–1600s seke, (Middle English imperative siec), Middle English northern sek, Middle English–1500s sieke, sike, syke, (chiefly Scottish) seyk, Middle English–1600s seeke, Middle English–1700s Scottish seik, Middle English ceke, Scottish seike, 1500s seyke, seick, seake, Middle English– seek. 3rd person singular present indicative Old English sœ́ceð, sœ́cas, Old English–Middle English séceð, Middle English sechð, Middle English schecheð, Middle English secheth, Middle English sechith, sechyth, seches. β. Old English–Middle English sécð, Middle English secþ, sekþ, Middle English Kent. zekþ, Middle English–1500s seketh, sekes, sekis, Middle English sekith, sekez, 1500s Scottish seik(k)is, 1500s–1600s seekes, 1500s– seeketh, seeks. past tense Old English sohte, plural sohtun, sohton, sohtan, Middle English sohte, (Middle English soðte, soþte, soch, Orm. sohhte), Middle English sohut(e, soghut, soht, northern sochte, ( sogtht), Middle English souhte, souȝte, soȝte, soght(e, Middle English–1500s sowte, Middle English saȝte, ( southe, southte, souch), Kent. zoȝte, Middle English soughte, sowhte, souȝt, soȝt, sowght, sout(e, sowt, saght, plural souȝtten, Scottish sowcht, schocht, Middle English–1500s Scottish socht, soucht, Middle English sowȝte, souȝhte, 1500s Scottish souchte, 1500s–1600s Scottish soght, 1600s saught, Middle English– sought. Also Middle English sekyd, 1600s seekt. past participle Old English gesoht, Middle English i-soht, i-soȝt, i-souht, ( y-soþt), Orm. sohht, Middle English soht, Middle English soȝt, souȝt, Middle English–1500s soght, Middle English sohut, sowght, Middle English souht, sout, sowt, soȝte, souȝte, (Middle English south, sowth, soyght), Middle English–1500s sowȝt(e, Scottish socht, soucht, (Middle English sochte, Middle English soacht), 1500s sowghte, 1500s–1600s saught, Middle English– sought. Also 1700s seeked. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: A Common Germanic weak verb: Old English sécan, past tense sōhte, corresponding to Old Frisian sêka, sêza, past tense sôchta, Old Saxon sôkian, past tense sôhta (Middle Low German sôken), Middle Dutch, modern Dutch zoeken, Old High German suohhan, suohhen, past tense suohta (Middle High German sûchen, modern German suchen), Old Norse sǿkja, past tense sótte (Swedish söka, Danish søge), Gothic sôkjan, past tense sôkida, < Germanic sōk- < pre-Germanic sāg-: compare Latin sāgīre to perceive by scent, Greek ἡγεῖσθαι to lead. The normal modern form of Old English sécan would be seech, which survives dialect in Lancashire, Cheshire, and Derbyshire (compare beseech); the form with k is probably due to the Middle English sēcþ, 3rd person singular present indicative, which shows the regular phonetic development of Old English palatal c before a spirant; but it is not clear why the k form should have been generalized in seek and not in teach, unless indeed the tendency was supported in the former instance by the influence of the Old Norse form. I. Transitive uses. 1. a. To go in search or quest of; to try to find, look for (either a particular object—person, thing, or place—whose whereabouts are unknown, or an indefinite object suitable for a particular purpose).In most parts of England the verb in this sense is no longer colloquially current, being superseded by look for. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)] seekc888 aseekc1000 i-secheOE huntc1175 to seek afterc1175 beseechc1200 fand?c1225 ofseche?c1225 to seek forc1250 atseekc1275 furiec1290 forseeka1300 outseekc1300 upseekc1315 to look after ——c1330 wait1340 laita1350 searchc1350 pursuea1382 ensearchc1384 to feel and findc1384 inseekc1384 looka1398 fraist?a1400 umseeka1400 require?c1400 walec1400 to look up1468 prowla1475 to see for ——c1485 to look for ——a1492 to have in the wind1540 sue1548 vent?1575 seek1616 explore1618 dacker1634 research1650 to see out for1683 quest1752 to see after ——1776 c888 Ælfred tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. xxxii. §3 Hwæðer ge nu secan gold on treowum? c1000 West Saxon Gospels: Luke (Corpus Cambr.) ii. 48 Þin fæder & ic sarigende þe sohton. c1175 Lamb. Hom. 27 Þe unclene gast..secheð reste hwer he mei wunian. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 7308 Herode king let sekenn crist. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 241 Awummon þet haueð iloset hire nelde. oðer ansutere his eal. secheð hit anan richt. a1250 Owl & N. 380 [The hare] secheþ paþes to þe groue. a1300 Cursor Mundi 22901 An hungre leon mete he son, Vp and dun his prai sekand. c1374 G. Chaucer Former Age 30 Corsed was the tyme..Þat men..in þe Ryuerys fyrst gemmys sowhte. c1440 Gesta Romanorum 118 He yede abowte in the gardin, and soute the clewe, & fonde it. a1450 Knt. de la Tour 48 He dede seche her a man of holy lyff. ?1473 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Recuyell Hist. Troye (1894) I. lf. 54^v He..so wente and cam sechyng the tour of darayn, whiche he fonde in an euenyng. a1500 (?c1450) Merlin iii. 41 And ther was Merlyn longe tyme, till that the sones of Constance lete seche hym in many contrees. c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) Prol. 10 Ane hen that seikis hyr meyt in the mydding. 1600 Weakest goeth to Wall sig. G2 Sexton, I haue sought thee in euery seate in the Church. a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) iv. vi. 37 I will go seeke Some Ditch, wherein to dye. View more context for this quotation 1619 E. M. Bolton tr. Florus Rom. Hist. iii. iii. 251 The Cimbrians, Theutons, and Tigurins,..sought newe habitations. 1724 A. Ramsay Vision in Ever Green I. xx Nor scour about to seik a wench. 1768 L. Sterne Sentimental Journey I. 155 I called La Fleur to go seek me a barber directly. 1780 E. Burke Corr. (1844) II. 366 Other persons should be sought who can do the necessary business with more skill. 1816 W. Scott Old Mortality viii, in Tales of my Landlord 1st Ser. IV. 158 I am seeking a place called Fairyknowe. 1817 W. Scott Rob Roy II. iv. 73 ‘I only sought the Orlando.’ ‘It lies there,’ said Miss Vernon, pointing to the table. 1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian i, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 14 Ye may be seeking a father to another wean for ony thing I ken. 1842 Ld. Tennyson Ulysses in Poems (new ed.) II. 90 Come, my friends, 'Tis not too late to seek a newer world. 1852 R. Fortune Journey Tea Countries China 86 Travellers who seek Sunglo tea may now search in vain. 1865 Mrs. L. L. Clarke Common Seaweeds iv. 89 Wade into the sea, and seek them in the shadow of a rock under water. 1871 R. Ellis tr. Catullus Poems lv. 3 You I sought on Campus. 1888 W. T. Blanford Fauna Brit. India: Mammalia i. 121 The Mungooses are terrestrial animals, seeking their prey on the ground. b. with adverb, esp. out, up, †forth. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)] seekc888 aseekc1000 i-secheOE huntc1175 to seek afterc1175 beseechc1200 fand?c1225 ofseche?c1225 to seek forc1250 atseekc1275 furiec1290 forseeka1300 outseekc1300 upseekc1315 to look after ——c1330 wait1340 laita1350 searchc1350 pursuea1382 ensearchc1384 to feel and findc1384 inseekc1384 looka1398 fraist?a1400 umseeka1400 require?c1400 walec1400 to look up1468 prowla1475 to see for ——c1485 to look for ——a1492 to have in the wind1540 sue1548 vent?1575 seek1616 explore1618 dacker1634 research1650 to see out for1683 quest1752 to see after ——1776 c1290 S. Eng. Leg. 390/27 Men leten heom sechen wel widen out and bringue þere into place. 1338 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 22 Þe body son þei fonde, þe hade was in doute. Up & doune in þe felde þei souht it aboute. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) xix. 602 His men..Myssit thar lord quhen thai com thar... Than can thai consale sammyn ta, That thai to sek hym vp can ga. 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 708/2 Throw your glove where you wyl and my dogge shal seke it out. 1536 Accts. St. John's Hosp., Canterbury (Canterbury Cathedral Archives: CCA-U13/4) Payd to a man to helpe me to syke vp Byngis mare ij d. 1585 Abp. E. Sandys Serm. viii. 137 Let vs seeke vp Christ and prouide for him. He sought vs and found vs, when we [etc.]. 1608 W. Shakespeare King Lear xi. 139 Yet haue I venter'd to come seeke you out. View more context for this quotation 1616 T. Scot 2nd Pt. Philomythie sig. B8^v Those Serpents which you run from, I seeke forth. 1819 W. Scott Bride of Lammermoor ii, in Tales of my Landlord 3rd Ser. III. 25 Lucy arose, and, opening a little ivory-cabinet, sought out the ribbon the lad wanted. 1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. I. iv. iv. 187 The Deputies have mostly got thither, and sought out lodgings. 1871 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues I. 101 Every one of us should seek out the best teacher whom he can find. 1889 R. A. King Passion's Slave III. xxix. 61 With this hope, she sought up Herbert in his smoking den. †c. In imperative as a direction to a reader: Look or search for (in a book, table, etc.). Also used = refer to, look up, see, vide. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > research > instruction to consult source [interjection] seek1362 vide1565 see1613 1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. xi. 55 And so seiþ þe psauter, sech hit In Memento. 1599 E. Wright Certaine Errors Navigation sig. Ee4^v Seeke the signe and degree of the Sunne in the vpper Margine of the Table. 1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Loinceau, seeke Loinseau. 1694 J. Selden Trades-man's Help 142 Seek the Month among the rank of Months. 1730 A. Malcolm New Syst. Arithm. 342 If the given Number is even, seek in the Table the odd Number next lesser. 1828 Moore's Pract. Navigator (ed. 20) 22 Seek under the column o..the next less logarithm. d. Sporting. to seek dead: chiefly in the imperative, as an order given to a dog to search for and retrieve killed game. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > hunting > signals > signal [verb (intransitive)] > call to hounds hollo1613 yoicka1828 yoax1828 seek1840 yoicks1840 to seek dead1850 the world > food and drink > hunting > hunting with hounds > work done by hounds > action of hounds [verb (transitive)] > retrieve retrieve1832 to seek dead1850 1850 W. N. Hutchinson Dog Breaking (ed. 2) 162 If you wish to establish for ever a confirmed perseverance in ‘seeking dead’, you must sacrifice hours..rather than give up any of the first wounded birds. 1850 W. N. Hutchinson Dog Breaking (ed. 2) 163 The pertinacity with which some dogs will ‘seek dead’ is really surprising. 2. To try to discover or find out (something unknown). Also with out, up. Now rare or Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > research > find out by investigation [verb (transitive)] seekc900 seeOE searcha1382 takea1382 inquire1390 undergrope?a1412 explore1531 to pry out1548 to scan out1548 to hunt out1576 sound1596 exquire1607 pervestigate1610 pump1611 trace1642 probe1649 to hunt up1741 to pick a person's brains (also brain)1770 verify1801 to get a load of1929 sus1966 c900 tr. Bede Eccl. Hist. (1890) i. xxvii. 78 Wið untrymnesse Iacedom secan. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 16325 All all swa summ þu findenn mahht. Ȝiff þatt tu willt itt sekenn. Þe tale off sexe & fowwerrtiȝ Þurrh adam all bitacnedd. a1300 Cursor Mundi 1542 For-þi lete god þam lijf sua lang Þat þai moght seke and vnderfang Þe kynd o thinges þat þan were dern. c1327 Poem Evil Times Edw. II in Pol. Songs (Camden) 332 Bringe hire to the constorie ther treuthe sholde be souht. c1374 G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (1868) i. met. ii. 8 He was wont to seche þe causes whennes þe sounyng wyndes moeuen. a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Ecclus. xxiv. 47 Not to me alone I trauailede, but to alle sechende out the treuthe. c1386 G. Chaucer Canon's Yeoman's Prol. & Tale 310 The Philosophres stoon Elixer clept, we sechen faste echoon. c1425 Crafte Nombrynge (E.E.T.S.) 30 Þat nounbur þat þou secheste. c1450 J. Capgrave Life St. Augustine (1910) 4 Þouȝ þat he telle not her names þere, we haue sout hem oute of oþir of his bokis. c1485 Digby Myst., Mary Magd. 307 Yf þe trewth be sowth. 1531 W. Tyndale Answere Mores Dialoge f. xvj If the significacion were once lost we must of necessite ether seke vpp the significacion or put some other significacion of gods word therto. 1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies ii. xi. 105 We are forced to seeke out other reasons, whence this great diversitie should proceede in the burning Zone. 1610 A. Hopton Baculum Geodæticum vi. xl. 217 To seeke the distance of any place from you. 1714 S. Cunn New Treat. Fractions 16 Multiply all the Numbers continually, and the Product is the Number sought. 1803 Med. & Physical Jrnl. 10 128 I believe that its cause must be sought in the state and variations of the atmosphere. 1828 Moore's Pract. Navigator (ed. 20) 167 The height of the elevated pole or latitude sought. 3. a. With object-clause introduced by a conjunction or by an interrogative pronoun or adverb: To try to find or discover (if, how, whether, what, etc.). ? Obsolete. ΚΠ OE Cynewulf Juliana 571 Sohte synnum fah, hu he sarlicast þurh þa wyrrestan witu meahte feorhcwale findan. c1290 S. Eng. Leg. 339/527 Gredinde heo orn and longue souȝte a-boute bi þe se-side, Ȝif þe se him hadde up i cast. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 80 Þe yealde filozofes þet zuo byzylyche desputede and zoȝten huet wes þe heȝeste guod ine þise lyue. 1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Lev. xiii. 36 He shal na more seche, wher the heer be chaungid in to ȝalow colour. 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 85 Ayein hir will yit mot I bowe, To seche if that I myhte have grace. c1440 Gesta Romanorum 136 He rode aboute this forest, & sowte wher this harpe myght be founde. c1480 (a1400) St. Blaise 14 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 361 Þare-fore I..set me rycht besyly to seke quhat man he was & of quhat land. 1543 R. Record Ground of Artes f. 63^v Seke how many tymes you take the last dyuysor out of the nombre ouer hym. 1613 J. Tapp Path-way to Knowl. 311 Which product beeing 1587, I seeke how often it may be had in 3201. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 1 (1623) iii. vii. 91 Now let vs on, my Lords, And ioyne our Powers, And seeke how we may preiudice the Foe. View more context for this quotation 1791 J. Boswell Life Johnson anno 1738 I. 57 (note) What mean the servile imitating crew..Ne'er seek. b. with how (etc.) followed by infinitive. ? Obsolete. ΚΠ 1526 Bible (Tyndale) Mark xi. f. lxj^v The scribes and hye prestes..sought howe to distroye him [1611 how they might destroy him]. a1616 W. Shakespeare Henry VI, Pt. 3 (1623) v. iv. 2 Wise men ne'r sit and waile their losse, But chearely seeke how to redresse their harmes. View more context for this quotation 1621 T. W. tr. S. Goulart Wise Vieillard 120 As a hote furious horse,..seekes how to cast his rider. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 75 Satan..then sought Where to lie hid. View more context for this quotation 1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 795 I..sought by all means therefore How to endear, and hold thee to me firmest. View more context for this quotation 4. a. To go to, visit, resort to (a place). archaic.†In early use also: to take to (the sea); to fall on (the ground); to fall into (the water). (Cf. 14) to seek a saint or hallow: to visit his shrine. ΘΚΠ society > travel > [verb (transitive)] > visit a place seeeOE seek971 teemc1275 visitc1400 apply1510 vizy1535 971 Blickl. Hom. 47 Þæt hi Sunnandagum & mæssedagum Godes cyrican georne secan. OE Beowulf 1450 Se þe meregrundas mengan scolde, secan sundgebland. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 7574 Forrþrihht se time comm þærto. Þatt ure laffdiȝ MaRȝe. Affterr iudisskenn laȝhess boc. Þe minnstre shollde sekenn. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 258 Oðer pilegrimes gað inmuche swinc to sechen ane sontes banes. c1275 Laȝamon Brut 23490. c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1963) l. 7355 Þar þe Saxesse men þare see sohte [c1275 Calig. þæ sæ isohten]. c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1963) l. 3958 Þar Cesares folk þane grunde sohte [c1275 Calig. folden isohten]. c1386 G. Chaucer Wife's Prol. 657 Who so..suffreth his wyf to go seken halwes. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13252 Þe sinagogs all soght he Ouer-all þe land of galilee. c1400 (?c1380) Patience l. 249 A wylde walterande whal..was war of þat wyȝe þat þe water soȝte. c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 17 To Caunterbury they wende The holy blisful martir for to seke. 1422 J. Yonge tr. Secreta Secret. 245 [In autumn] the byrdys shechyn hote regions. c1460 (?c1400) Tale of Beryn Prol. l. 632 As he souȝt his logging. 1576 G. Gascoigne Complaynt of Phylomene in Steele Glas sig. L.iiii You haue desire Your sisters court to seech. 1697 J. Dryden tr. Virgil Pastorals vii, in tr. Virgil Wks. 31 Your lowing Heyfars, of their own accord, At wat'ring time will seek the neighb'ring Ford. 1798 W. Wordsworth Goody Blake & Harry Gill in W. Wordsworth & S. T. Coleridge Lyrical Ballads 89 And now and then, it must be said,..She left her fire, or left her bed, To seek the hedge of Harry Gill. 1847 Ld. Tennyson Princess ii. 45 At last a solemn grace Concluded, and we sought the gardens. 1871 R. Ellis tr. Catullus Poems xxxv. 4 Come from Larius,..seek Verona. †b. Nautical. to seek up: to make for (a place). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (transitive)] > set a ship's course > sail towards or head for to seek up14.. to bear up1582 to stand for ——a1594 to seek up for1632 14.. in J. Gairdner Sailing Direct. (1889) 12 Goo south southwest, and seke up Tenet, and seke up vj. fadome on the brakis. 5. a. To come or go to (a person) in order to see or visit him; to approach or resort to (for help, or the like). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > social event > visit > visiting > visit [verb (transitive)] seekc893 visit13.. vizyc1425 to go to (also and) see1548 to call upon ——1604 calla1616 paya1616 vis1754 to look up1827 to visit with1850 c893 tr. Orosius Hist. i. i. §17 He hæfde þagyt, ða he þone cyningc sohte, tamra deora unbebohtra syx hund. OE Beowulf 2380 Hyne wræcmæcgas ofer sæ sohtan, suna Ohteres. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 16781 He nass nohht derrf inoh. All opennliȝ to sekenn. Þe laferrd crist biforr þe follc. a1250 Owl & N. 1759 To seche hine is lihtlich þing, he naueþ bute one woning. a1300 K. Horn 465 Aþelbrus he soȝte [Harl. sohte, Laud sowte] & ȝaf him þat he broȝte. 1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. viii. 149 We schulle..seche þe for neode. c1386 G. Chaucer Friar's Tale 113 Where is now youre dwellyng, Another day if þat I sholde yow seche? 1447 O. Bokenham Lyvys Seyntys (Horstm.) x. 165 And where myht I fynd þat man? quod he; If þat I wyst, I wold hym seche. c1480 (a1400) St. Andrew 97 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 66 Þane sante andro sone scho schocht. 1522 Worlde & Chylde (de Worde) (1909) sig. C.i Folye. But syr in London is my chefe dwellynge. Manh. In London? Where yf a man the sought? 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 708/1 We wyll seke you there as we go, nous demanderons apres vous en chemyn. 1538 J. London in T. Wright Three Chapters Lett. Suppression Monasteries (1843) 218 He ys moch sowȝt for the agow. b. spec. To approach, draw near to (God), in prayer, etc. [A Hebraism.] Said also of God's visiting the soul. archaic. ΘΚΠ society > faith > worship > prayer > pray [verb (transitive)] > approach God in prayer seek971 society > faith > aspects of faith > spirituality > soul > [verb (transitive)] > of God: visit seek971 971 Blickl. Hom. 87 Sec nu þinne þeow, Drihten. c1000 Ags. Ps. xiii. 3 Drihten..hawað hwæðer he geseo ænigne þæra, þe hine sece. a1340 R. Rolle Psalter xiii. 3 Þat he see if any is vndirstandand or sekand god. c1366 G. Chaucer A.B.C. 114 To enquere Wherfore and whi þe holi gost þee souhte. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms lxii[i]. 1 O God..early wil I seke the. 1611 Bible (King James) Ezra iv. 2 1611 Bible (King James) Psalm xxiv. 6 1611 Bible (King James) Psalm cxix. 2 1611 Bible (King James) Zeph. ii. 3 1703 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion II. viii. 435 They agreed therefore..that they would have a solemn Fast day, in which they would seek God (which was the new phrase they brought from Scotland with their Covenant) and desire his Assistance. †6. a. To pursue with hostile intention (a person; also, in Biblical phrase, his soul or life); to go to attack, advance against (an army, country); to persecute, harass, afflict. Also to seek out, to seek to death. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > attack > attack [verb (transitive)] > advance to attack seekc825 to seek again(sc1230 pursue?a1425 seek1487 visitc1515 coast1531 to make upon ——1542 the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > hostile action or attack > make an attack upon [verb (transitive)] > persecute seekc825 baitc1175 war?c1225 pursuec1300 chase1340 course1466 persecutea1475 suea1500 pickc1550 pursuit1563 prosecute1588 exagitate1602 dragoon1689 harass1788 martyr1851 dragonnade1881 witch-hunt1919 vamp1970 the world > movement > progressive motion > order of movement > following behind > follow [verb (transitive)] > pursue > with hostility or violence seekc825 to seek afterc1175 chasec1330 huntc1385 persecute1477 to gun for1893 bloodhound1935 c825 Vesp. Ps. lxix. 3 Fiond mine ða ðe soecað sawle mine. OE Beowulf 801 Sawle secan. OE Anglo-Saxon Chron. anno 894 Ond hi mon eac mid oþrum floccum sohte. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 15836 Oswi iherden suggen þat Penda hine sohte..& fusde toȝæines Pendan. 1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 11361 Þe king hom sende word aȝen..þat he wolde hom seche out as is pur fon. c1300 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Otho) (1963) l. 3459 Þat neuere onleode ne sohte his riche [c1275 Calig. þis lond ne iseoðten]. ac þis lond was in paise. a1352 L. Minot Poems vii. 65 Inglis men with site þam soght. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13307 To man þai wroght neuer vn-pes, þof man þam soght wit gret males. a1400–50 Wars Alex. 2020 I sall þe seke [Dubl. MS. seche] with a sowme of seggis enarmed. 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) v. 102 Thai with so felloun will thaim socht, That thai slew thame euirilkane. 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) viii. l. 441 ‘Lordis,’ he said, ‘thus is King Eduuard set In-contrar rycht to sek ws in our land’. 1561 Underhill in Narr. Reformation (1859) 169 Methynkes you do moore then the parte off a jentyllemane thus to seke hym. 1583 E. Grindal in J. Strype Hist. E. Grindal (1710) 281 Tending to the Defence of so notable and sincere a Church, dangerously sought and distressed by many mighty Enemies. 1588 W. Allen Admon. to Nobility & People 34 Elias being sought to death by Achab and Iesabell. a1616 W. Shakespeare Antony & Cleopatra (1623) ii. ii. 166–7 Of vs must Pompey presently be sought, Or else he seekes out vs. View more context for this quotation b. Of sin, disease, etc.: To attack. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > hostile action or attack > make an attack upon [verb (transitive)] > attack (of hostile agency) besetOE infighta1300 saila1300 seeka1300 visitc1340 beclipc1380 entainc1380 seizec1381 offendc1385 affectc1425 rehetea1450 take1483 attaintc1534 prevent1535 attach1541 attempt1546 affront1579 buffeta1593 to get at ——1650 assault1667 insult1697 to lay at1899 a1300 Cursor Mundi 27543 Sines..Þat clerkes clepes veniale, Þe quilk sua hali man es noght Þat he ne vmquil wit þaim es soght. 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis II. 118 Mi sorwe is everemore unteid, And secheth overal my veines. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 11833 On ilk side him soght þe sare. a1450 Le Morte Arth. 870 Lord, suche syttes me haue sought! 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) x. l. 837 Seknes hyr had so socht in-to that sted Decest scho was. 7. a. To try to obtain (something advantageous); to try to bring about or effect (an action, condition, opportunity, or the like). Also with out. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > attempt [verb (transitive)] > attempt to effect seekc1000 procurec1300 to stand for ——1531 drift1596 enround1606 the world > action or operation > endeavour > attempt [verb (transitive)] > attempt to obtain or attain to found toOE keepc1000 seekc1000 throwa1393 minta1400 intentc1450 to try for1534 sue1548 attempt?c1550 reachc1571 assay1595 put1596 to lay in for1599 climba1616 captate1628 court1639 obseek1646 solicit1717 to make a bid for1885 c1000 West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) v. 44 Þe..ne seceaþ þæt wuldor þe is fram gode syluum. a1200 Moral Ode 215 in Lamb. Hom. 173 Þa þe godes milce secheð [other texts sechð, secð, sekþ], he iwis mei ha ifinden. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 285 Ichulle..arudde þe of ham þe þi deað secheð. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 7239 Hir time sco soght, bad þam be nere. ?1473 W. Caxton tr. R. Le Fèvre Recuyell Hist. Troye (1894) I. lf. 21 Ye..muste seke remedye and retorne to Epire. c1480 (a1400) St. Peter 315 in W. M. Metcalfe Legends Saints Sc. Dial. (1896) I. 16 Þe prefet..socht Ithandly occasione To bring hym to confusione. c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 531 A sure knyghte, Þat ayres into vnkoth lond auntres to seche. 1572 Memorial in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. I. 22 To seik refuge againe in England. 1644 J. Vicars Jehovah-jireh 209 Seeking-out new occasions still to crosse the Parliaments desires of a faire Accommodation. a1684 J. Evelyn Diary anno 1682 (1955) IV. 267 How earnestly the late E: of Danby..sought his frie<n>dship. a1697 J. Aubrey Brief Lives (1898) II. Sir T. Morgan 87 At which he tooke pett, and seek't his fortune (as a soldier). 1798 J. Ferriar Illustr. Sterne i. 19 Mary sought relief from the tiresome uniformity. 1831 W. Scott Count Robert x, in Tales of my Landlord 4th Ser. I. 299 Those adventures which it is the business of errant-knights to be industrious in seeking out. 1835 Field 7 Feb. 147/3 [The fox] once more sought refuge in a drain. 1845 M. Pattison in Christian Remembrancer Jan. 79 The king sought the ruin of Prætextatus. 1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert i. 2 She sought consolation in district visiting. †b. to seek one's best, to seek one's advantage. Cf. Old French querre son mieilz. (Later, to seek one's best avail.) Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > advantage > be advantageous or beneficial [verb (intransitive)] > seek one's advantage to seek one's best avail1297 1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 940 Oþer half ȝer we abbeþ now iwend wiþ oute reste In þe grete se of occean vorto seche oure beste. a1300 K. Horn 770 ‘Cutberd’, he sede, ‘ihc hote, Icomen vt of þe bote, Wel feor fram biweste To seche mine beste’. a1300 Cursor Mundi 2456 For þai wit þaim moght haf na rest, Þai most þan scail and seke þair best. 1553 T. Wilson Arte of Rhetorique Pref. sig. A iij^v Menne lyued Brutyshlye in open feldes, hauiug neither house to shroude them in,..nor yet anye regarde to seeke their best auayle. †c. reflexive. To aim at one's own advantage. (Cf. self-seeking n.) Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > morality > moral evil > evil nature or character > lack of magnanimity or noble-mindedness > self-interest > seek one's own interest [verb (reflexive)] seekc1450 c1450 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi i. xiv. 16 Many priuely sekiþ hemself [L. se ipsos quaerunt] in þinges þat þey done. 1645 E. Calamy Indictm. against Eng. 19 These men seeke themselves and not the publique... These seeke their owne belly. †d. To invent, contrive. Also with out, up. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > faculty of imagination > inventive or creative faculty > contrive, devise, or invent [verb (transitive)] findeOE conceive1340 seek1340 brewc1386 divine1393 to find outc1405 to search outc1425 to find up?c1430 forgec1430 upfindc1440 commentc1450 to dream out1533 inventa1538 father1548 spina1575 coin1580 conceit1591 mint1593 spawn1594 cook1599 infantize1619 fabulize1633 notionate1645 to make upc1650 to spin outa1651 to cook up1655 to strike out1735 mother1788 to think up1855 to noodle out1950 gin1980 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 38 Kueade lordes..þet be-ulaȝeþ þe poure men..be tayles,..oþer be oþre wones þet hy zecheþ oþer beþencheþ hou hi moȝe habbe of hiren. c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 1623 The chekker.., The draghtes, the dyse, and oþer dregh gamnes [printed gaumes]. Soche soteltie þai soght to solas hom with. 1548 W. Forrest Pleasaunt Poesye 46 in T. Starkey Eng. in Reign King Henry VIII (1878) i. p. lxxxvi By moste honeste meanys of lawes ordynaunce: Sought owte wondreslye by witt polytike. 1593 G. Harvey Pierces Supererogation 110* When I haue sought-vp my day-charmes, and night-spelles. †e. To pursue, try to practise (virtue). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > attempt [verb (transitive)] > endeavour to practise seek1340 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 74 Ac hit ne is naȝt ynoȝ to lete þe kueades,..bote yef me zeche þe uirtues. f. To plan, or try to work (evil) on or to (a person). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > cause or effect (harm) [verb (transitive)] > do harm or injury to > plan or try to seeka1300 a1300 Cursor Mundi 688 Þe hund ne harmed noght þe hare, ne nane soght on oþer sare. a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 3130 Oc among gu, dredeð gu nogt, To gu ne sal non iuel ben sogt. 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis II. 120 As he which of his lif ne rowhte, His deth upon himself he sowhte. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 16629 Þe scam þai on þair lauerd soght, ful tor it war to tell! 8. a. To ask for, demand, request (from a person); to inquire, try to learn by asking. Const. from, †at, †of, in Old English †to. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] yearnOE bid971 seek971 askOE beseechc1175 banc1275 yerec1275 cravec1300 desirec1330 impetrec1374 praya1382 nurnc1400 pleadc1400 require1400 fraynec1430 proke1440 requisitea1475 wishc1515 supply1546 request1549 implore?c1550 to speak for ——1560 entreat1565 impetratec1565 obtest?1577 solicit1595 invoke1617 mendicate1618 petition1621 imprecate1636 conjurea1704 speer1724 canvass1768 kick1792 I will thank you to do so-and-so1813 quest1897 to hit a person up for1917 971 Blickl. Hom. 137 Hwæt secestu minne naman? OE Cynewulf Juliana 170 Gif þu godum ussum gen gecwemest, ond þe to swa mildum mundbyrd secest, hyldo to halgum, beoð þe ahylded fram wraþe geworhtra wita unrim. c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 16212 Þeȝȝ sohhtenn..Att iesu crist summ takenn. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 1783 Wenne þu wult more suluer sæche [c1300 Otho feche] hit at me suluen. 1340 Ayenbite (1866) 184 ‘Vayre zone’, zayþ he, ‘zech euremo red of wyse men’... Alsuo tekþ þe writinge þet me ssel zeche red ate yealden, and naȝt mid þe yonge. c1380 J. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 56 God schal seke þe synful mannus bloode..of þe prelatis hondis. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3138 Þat child þat was sa mani yere, Ar it was send, soght wit praiyer. 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) i. l. 54 Foly it was..Succour to sek of thar alde mortale fa. a1500 (?c1450) Merlin i. 10 I come to seche youre counseill. 1526 Bible (Tyndale) Luke xi. f. xciiij^v And other tempted hym sekynge of hym a signe from heven. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) To Rdr. In the Psalmes we lerne how to resorte onely vnto God in all oure troubles, to seke helpe at him. 1596 T. Lodge Margarite of Amer. sig. D4^v You best were rather..to beseech for life then to seech loue. a1616 W. Shakespeare Othello (1622) iv. ii. 204 I'le seeke satisfaction of you. View more context for this quotation 1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xx Before I sought a word of confidence from him. 1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert x. 113 Nothing would have induced her ever again to seek help or counsel from a priest. †b. With up: To try to recover (a debt). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > trade and finance > management of money > insolvency > indebtedness > owe [verb (transitive)] > attempt to recover a debt seek1581 1581 B. Rich Farewell Militarie Profession D ij To seeke vp suche small sommes as were due vnto hym. 1607 R. Johnson Pleasant Conceites Old Hobson (Percy Soc.) 8 Maister Hobson comming into Kent, to seeke up some desperate debts. †c. With in: (a) To invite (a person); (b) to call in (rent). Scottish. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > request courteously or invite seek1675 speer1818 invite1856 1675 in Fasti Aberd. (1854) 339 Upon the occasion of the regents ther soliciting for and seeking in of scollars throw the countrey. 1675 in Fasti Aberd. (1854) 340 None of the regents of the saids colledgis shall..seek in or solicite..for any schollers to enter this present year. 1725 A. Ramsay Gentle Shepherd i. ii. 130 With glooman brow the laird seeks in his rent. d. In passive, of a person: To be ‘sought for’ (see 16); to be courted, to be ‘in request’ as a companion. Of a woman: to be wooed or asked in marriage. ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > kinship or relationship > marriage or wedlock > seeking marriage > [verb (intransitive)] > be sought in marriage seek1671 the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > quality of being approvable or acceptable > popularity > become popular [verb (intransitive)] > be desired or in demand seek1671 1671 J. Milton Paradise Regain'd iii. 341 His daughter, sought by many Prowest Knights. View more context for this quotation 1825 T. Hook Sayings & Doings 2nd Ser. I. 208 She beheld him sought and courted. 1835 T. B. Macaulay Sir James Mackintosh in Ess. ⁋34 Charles was not imposed on his countrymen, but sought by them. e. Of things: †To demand, call for (obsolete); to invite. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > attractiveness > attract [verb (transitive)] > invite seek1656 the mind > will > necessity > condition of being necessary > need or want > need [verb (transitive)] > require or demand askOE willa1225 requirec1425 crave1576 desire1577 exact1592 solicit1592 wish1600 postulate1605 expect1615 to look after ——a1616 seek1656 demand1748 1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso (1674) i. lxxxii. 110 Injuries written by loquacious Poets, did not touch to the quick,..Truths did only nettle and seek revenge. 1883 Cent. Mag. Oct. 929/1 The fashion..of printing verse attractively and in a shape that seeks the hand. †9. To entreat, beseech (a person) to do something; also of (the thing asked for). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > request or ask for [verb (transitive)] > a person to do something crave?c1225 seek1362 requirec1380 aska1400 require1415 to call upon ——a1450 will?1457 requestc1485 bespeaka1616 beg1675 1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. iv. 49 Wrong was a-Fert þo and Wisdam souhte To Make his pees with pons. 1385 in 3rd Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1872) App. 410 in Parl. Papers (C. 673) XXXIII. 337 The forsayde personaris..souch hym nother with grace, lufe, na with lauch, to delay his dome. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 19786 Til-ward þat like he turnd his face, And kneland soght godd of his grace. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) 19590 For drightin has þou soght wit wogh þe to for-giue. a1400–50 Wars Alex. 163 Him þai supplyed & soȝt & him ensence castis. 1562 A. Scott Poems (1896) i. 149 Be thai vnpayit, thy pursevandis ar socht To pund pure communis corne, and cattell keir. 1629 J. Maxwell tr. Herodian Hist. iii. 171 Plautian [the traitor]..fell on his knees, and sought them not to misdeeme him. 10. a. To search, explore (a place) in order to find something. (Sometimes coupled with search.)With this and 10b, 10c, 10d, cf. through-seek v. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)] > search (a place) seekc1230 searcha1382 lay1560 ferret1582 sift1611 inquire?1615 hunt1712 screenge1825 c1230 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 162 Hwa se haueð ȝeorne isoht [?c1225 Cleo. isocht] alle þe hurnen of his heorte. ne ne con rungi [a1250 Nero ofsechen] mare ut. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 7379 Samuel went secand þe land Til he þe hus o iesse faand. c1400 Mandeville's Trav. (1839) xxi. 226 Thei wenten and soughten the Wodes, ȝif ony of hem had ben hid in the thikke of the Wodes. c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 65/1 Cekyn, or serchyn, scrutor. c1450 (c1400) Sowdon of Babylon (1881) l. 225 Lukafere, kinge of Baldas, The countrey hade serchid and sought, Ten thousande maidyns faire of face Vnto the Sowdan hath he broghte. 1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) ii. 62 Thai fand nocht, The qu-hethir the chambre hale thai socht. 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 708/1 I have sought all the cofers I have for your writynge. 1548 Hall's Vnion: Henry VIII f. xxxij The kyng contynually sent foorth his light horses to seke the countrey and to se yf any apparaunce were. a1578 R. Lindsay Hist. & Cron. Scotl. (1899) I. 214 [He] bad them searche and seik his schipis at thair awin plesour. 1596 E. Spenser Second Pt. Faerie Queene vi. iv. sig. Cc3 Seeking all the woods both farre and nye For herbes to dresse their wounds. View more context for this quotation 1827 W. Scott Highland Widow in Chron. Canongate 1st Ser. I. xii. 285 They sought brake, rock, and thicket in vain. †b. To search, examine, consult (a book, register, etc.). Cf. 1c. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > discovery > research > find out by investigation [verb (transitive)] > by consulting sources looklOE seek?a1500 to look upa1632 consulta1634 trawl1906 scan1926 screen1942 ?a1500 Chester Pl. viii. 233 Looke vp thy Bookes of prophesie... Seeke each leafe, I thee pray. 1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. xlii. 23 b Robert of Cicyle..a great astronomyer..had often tymes sought his bokes on thestate of the kynges of England and of france: & he founde by his astrology [etc.]. 1654 in W. Mure Select. Family Papers Caldwell (1854) I. For seiking of ye register, to get ye auld gift of ye ward 0 12 0. †c. To probe (a wound); cf. search v. 8. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > health and disease > healing > diagnosis or prognosis > examination > examine medically [verb (transitive)] > by touch > probe seeka1300 search?a1425 sound1598 tent1598 probe1656 a1300 Cursor Mundi 26641 Alsua þe sin quen it es wroght, Bot it be son wit saluing soght, it reches wide and rotes ai. a1400–50 Wars Alex. (Dublin) 3132 He gart seke þair sarys & þaim salue. c1400 Laud Troy Book 9437 To him come fycisiens,..And soughte his woundes on eche halue, And leyde ther-to plastres & salue. a1500 (?a1400) Sir Torrent of Portyngale (1887) l. 1730 Lechis sone his woundis sought. †d. With immaterial object: To examine, investigate, scrutinize; to try, test. Also with out, through. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > enquiry > investigation, inspection > investigate, examine [verb (transitive)] underseekc897 speerc900 lookeOE askOE seeOE teem witnessc1200 seeka1300 fand13.. inquirec1300 undergoc1315 visit1338 pursuea1382 searcha1382 examinec1384 assay1387 ensearchc1400 vesteyea1425 to have in waitc1440 perpend1447 to bring witnessc1475 vey1512 investigate?1520 recounta1530 to call into (also in) question1534 finger1546 rip1549 sight1556 vestigatea1561 to look into ——1561 require1563 descry?1567 sound1579 question1590 resolve1593 surview1601 undersearch1609 sift1611 disquire1621 indagate1623 inspect1623 pierce1640 shrive1647 in-looka1649 probe1649 incern1656 quaeritate1657 inquisite1674 reconnoitre1740 explore1774 to bring to book1786 look-see1867 scrutate1882 to shake down1915 sleuth1939 screen1942 a1300 Cursor Mundi 26671 I haue mi hert soght ilk a delle. c1380 J. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 231 Kyngis & lordis schulden..wiþ most diligence sike þe cause þat þei knowe not [cf. Job xxix. 16]. 1408–9 26 Pol. Poems viii. 6 Wheþer hast þou serued pyne or blisse, Seche þy werkis and assaye. 1533 J. Gau tr. C. Pedersen Richt Vay 31 Faith is socht and prouine in aduersite as the gold is prouine in the fyr. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms lxxvi[i]. 6 I commoned with myne owne herte, and sought out my sprete. 1554 D. Lindsay Dialog Experience & Courteour l. 5201 in Wks. (1931) I Wer thare fals lawis weill soucht out. a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) iv. ii. 161 I would Reuenges..wold seek vs through And put vs to our answer. View more context for this quotation 11. a. Const. infinitive: To make it one's aim, to try or attempt to (do something). †Also with for to; rarely with plain infinitive (without to). ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > make an attempt or endeavour [verb (intransitive)] > to do something cuneOE seekc1000 fanda1225 suec1325 tastec1330 enforcec1340 study1340 temptc1384 intendc1385 assaila1393 proffera1393 to make meansc1395 search?a1400 fraistc1400 pursuec1400 to go aboutc1405 pretend1482 attempta1513 essay?1515 attend1523 regarda1533 offer1541 frame1545 to stand about1549 to put into (also in) practice1592 prove1612 imitate1626 snap1766 begin1833 make1880 c1000 West Saxon Gospels: John (Corpus Cambr.) vii. 30 Hig hine sohton to nimanne. ?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 104 Forto huden him from saul þet him hatede & sochte to slenne. 1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. 1325 Mid þe emperour & me pes he secþ drawe. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4076 Þai soght him ai to greue wit wrang. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3768 He soght his broþer for to sla. c1450 tr. Thomas à Kempis De Imitatione Christi iii. xxv. 95 Seke euer þe lower place & to be under all. a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) ii. vi. sig. S1 The King of Phrygia..sought by force to destroy the infant. 1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost xi. 148 Since I saught By Prayer th' offended Deitie to appease. View more context for this quotation 1847 W. M. Thackeray Vanity Fair (1848) xxxii. 277 He sought to drown his sorrow for the defeat in floods of beer. b. said of a thing. ΚΠ a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iii. i. 80 But this is trifling, And all the more it seekes to hide it selfe, The bigger bulke it shewes. View more context for this quotation 1871 R. Ellis tr. Catullus Poems lxix. 3 Not tho' a gift should seek, some robe most filmy, to move her. 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) IV. 93/1 The compass having free movement, is always seeking to point to the magnetic north. c. In indirect passive const., in which the object of the infinitive becomes the subject of the main verb, followed by the passive infinitive. ΚΠ c1380 J. Wyclif Wks. (1880) 368 Whan he was sowȝte to be made a kynge, & so to take in hym worldly lordeschip. 1891 Law Times 92 106/2 Persons who have any interest in land which are sought to be registered can lodge a caution with the registering officer. †d. With a clause expressing desire or purpose, introduced by that. Obsolete. ΚΠ c1200 Vices & Virtues 59 Siec ðat tu haue pais aȝeanes gode. c1384 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(2)) (1850) 1 Cor. xiv. 12 To edificacioun of the chirche seke that ȝe be plenteuous [and similarly in later versions]. 1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection i. sig. Bii Seke euer that ye may se his blessed..face. II. Intransitive uses. 12. a. absol. To make search. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > make a search [verb (intransitive)] seekc1000 ofsechec1300 searchc1330 laita1400 ripea1400 to cast about1575 to fall about1632 quest1669 to bush about or out1686 beat1709 to cast about one1823 feather1892 c1000 West Saxon Gospels: Luke (Corpus Cambr.) xv. 8 Heo..secð geornlice oð heo hine fint. a1225 Leg. Kath. 975 Heo ne sohte nawiht, an seide ananriht aȝein. c1300 Havelok (Laud) (1868) 1085 Þou y southe heþen in-to ynde, So fayr, so strong, ne mithe y finde. a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1533 Ðor-quiles esau sogte and ran. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 19499 Fra hus to hus secand he ran. c1400 ( G. Chaucer Treat. Astrolabe (Cambr. Dd.3.53) (1872) ii. §1. 14 I sowhte in the bakhalf of myn astrelabie, and fond the sercle of the daies. c1450 Mankind 770 in Macro Plays 28 Yf ȝe wyll haue hym, goo, & syke, syke, syke! a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 233 To seik fra Sterling to Stranawer, A mirrear daunce mycht na man see. 1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 774 If examples be sufficient to attaine priuilege for my childe, I nede not farre to seeke. ?1577 F. T. Debate Pride & Lowlines sig. Avi Which in it furniture dyd so exceede, As hardly shal ye finde yf that ye seech. 1872 Ld. Tennyson Gareth & Lynette 79 ‘Seek, till we find, And when they sought and found.’ [etc.]. indirect passive.1847 C. Brontë Jane Eyre III. vii. 164 The pocket-book was again..sought through. b. In imperative as a call to a dog to search for game, etc. Also seek out! (See quots.) Cf. sick v.² ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > hunting > signals > signal [verb (intransitive)] > call to hounds hollo1613 yoicka1828 yoax1828 seek1840 yoicks1840 to seek dead1850 1840 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rural Sports 805 Back! returns the dog to your heels. Seek out! sends him off again in quest of game... Go seek! should be impressed on the dog's memory as an order to look for something supposed to be actually lost, or a bird you think is wounded. 1848 W. N. Hutchinson Dog Breaking 21 Then say ‘seek’ and, without your accompanying him he will search for what you have previously hidden. 1928 R. Kipling Limits & Renewals (1932) 64 Go seek, boy! It's Dinah! Seek! 1968 P. N. Walker Carnaby & Gaolbreakers xix. 178 ‘Seek,’ and the two police dogs were cast about the mini car. †c. Cricket. to seek out: to field. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > cricket > fielding > field [verb (intransitive)] stop1744 scout1786 to watch out1786 field1798 to look out1836 to fag out1839 to seek out1840 1840 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rural Sports 135 The whole party, who are seeking out..change their positions. d. to have far to seek (for). Cf. sense 19. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > make a search [verb (intransitive)] > have to search over a wide area to have far to seek (for)1780 1780 J. Bentham Introd. Princ. Morals & Legisl. (1789) xix. §9 Where then is the line to be drawn? We shall not have far to seek for it. 1828 T. Carlyle Burns in Misc. (1840) I. 340 The poet, we imagine, can never have far to seek for a subject. 13. a. To go, resort, pay a visit (to, unto, †till a person, to, into a place). Obsolete exc. archaic. ΘΚΠ society > travel > [verb (intransitive)] nimeOE becomec885 teec888 goeOE i-goc900 lithec900 wendeOE i-farec950 yongc950 to wend one's streetOE fare971 i-wende971 shakeOE winda1000 meteOE wendOE strikec1175 seekc1200 wevec1200 drawa1225 stira1225 glidea1275 kenc1275 movec1275 teemc1275 tightc1275 till1297 chevec1300 strake13.. travelc1300 choosec1320 to choose one's gatea1325 journeyc1330 reachc1330 repairc1330 wisec1330 cairc1340 covera1375 dressa1375 passa1375 tenda1375 puta1382 proceedc1392 doa1400 fanda1400 haunta1400 snya1400 take?a1400 thrilla1400 trace?a1400 trinea1400 fangc1400 to make (also have) resortc1425 to make one's repair (to)c1425 resort1429 ayrec1440 havea1450 speer?c1450 rokec1475 wina1500 hent1508 persevere?1521 pursuec1540 rechec1540 yede1563 bing1567 march1568 to go one's ways1581 groyl1582 yode1587 sally1590 track1590 way1596 frame1609 trickle1629 recur1654 wag1684 fadge1694 haul1802 hike1809 to get around1849 riddle1856 bat1867 biff1923 truck1925 society > leisure > social event > visit > visiting > visit [verb (intransitive)] seekc1200 to call in1573 call1597 to call upon ——1604 to call on ——a1616 visit1626 to make, or pay (also give) a visit1643 to pay a call1648 viz.1767 c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 127 Ðo..bigan þat folc sechen to his wunienge. c1250 Owl & N. 538 Hi boþ hoȝ-ful & uel arme, an secheþ ȝorne to þe warme. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1978) l. 14363 And he gon sechien to his twam susteren. a1300 Cursor Mundi 28432 Þe nedy sekand to my hus I haue wit-draun wit almus. 1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xv. 392 In-to Surre he souȝte. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13457 Fra full ferr can þai till him seke. 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) i. l. 282 Quha sperd, scho said to sanct Margret thai socht. 1513 G. Douglas in tr. Virgil Æneid xii. Prol. 184 Litill lammys Full tayt & tryg socht bletand to thar dammys. a1592 R. Greene Hist. Orlando Furioso (1594) sig. Fii Sith wee haue..found the rich and wealthie Indian clime, Sought too by greedie mindes for hurtfull gold. 1596 Bp. W. Barlow tr. L. Lavater Three Christian Serm. i. 129 To seek into strange places for sustenance. 1630 Bp. J. Hall Occas. Medit. §xxxiii Giue me that Bird which will..seeke to my window in the hardest frost. 1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. iii. 99 The tempest continuing..we were constrained to seeke into a creeke..for safety of our liues. 1637 J. Milton Comus 13 Wisdoms selfe Oft seeks to sweet retired Solitude. 1856 R. A. Vaughan Hours with Mystics (1860) I. vi. vii. 252 If he is always to be thus sought unto methinks he is as far from his longed-for seclusion as ever. 1883 R. W. Dixon Mano ii. vi. 86 And in those days Sir Mano to him sought, And held with him much converse. 1887 W. Morris tr. Homer Odyssey I. xi. 197 But a-winter he sleeps in the feast-hall whereto the thrall-folk seek. b. To apply, have recourse to or unto (a person, for something); to pay court, make request or petition to. Often in indirect passive. Obsolete exc. archaic. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > make a request [verb (intransitive)] > for something bid971 aska1200 seekc1366 cravec1386 entreat1427 inquire?a1513 beg1576 incall1591 urgea1616 woo1615 clamour1651 to call on ——1721 tout1731 spell1790 c1366 G. Chaucer A.B.C. 78 To whom j seeche for my medicyne. 1465 J. Rising in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) II. 309 I can not seke to no man, nor will not, but only to yow. 1553 J. Hooper Let. 13 Oct. in M. Coverdale Certain Lett. Martyrs (1564) 152 Prayer..is the meanes wherby god will be saught vnto for his gifts. 1560 Bible (Geneva) 2 Chron. xvi. 12 (margin) It is in vaine to seke to y^e Phisitians, except first we seke to God to purge our sinnes. 1584 T. Lodge Alarum against Vsurers 10 My friends now disdain thee, the day shall come that they shall seeke to thee. a1640 J. Fletcher & P. Massinger Custome of Countrey v. ii, in F. Beaumont & J. Fletcher Comedies & Trag. (1647) sig. Bb2^v/2 I may shine out againe, And as I have been, be admir'd and sought to. 1656 Earl of Monmouth tr. T. Boccalini Ragguagli di Parnasso ii. liv. 316 No..Souldier, could receive a greater affront, than being sought unto, to do an unworthy action. 1740 S. Richardson Pamela II. 53 And you know you have been sought to by some of the first Families in the Nation, for your Alliance. 1746 J. Hervey Medit. (1818) 224 The dead cannot seek unto God. 1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian viii, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. III. 199 If the wicked will turn from their transgressions, and seek to the Physician of souls. 1853 T. T. Lynch Lett. to Scattered (1872) 349 The Bereans..sought to the Referee; they searched the Old Scriptures. 1865 A. C. Swinburne Atalanta in Calydon 32 Who then sought to thee? who gat help? †c. To resort to, unto, till (a remedy, means of help, an action). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > advantage > usefulness > use (made of things) > recourse > have recourse to [verb (transitive)] fang855 runOE to take to ——?c1225 seeka1300 goc1390 to have (one's or a) recourse toc1405 recourse?a1425 suit1450 to take (also make or make one's) recourse to (also into)c1456 repairc1475 to fall to ——1490 recur1511 to take unto ——1553 flee1563 betake1590 retreat1650 to call on ——1721 devolve1744 to draw upon ——1800 to draw on ——a1817 a1300 Cursor Mundi 26678 Sekand til an sakful dede. a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 5519 Of alle bales was he brouȝt..& so schal euerich seg þat secheþ to þe gode. c1400 Rule of St. Benet (Verse) 988 The fift degre es to be swift Eftir our sin to seke to schrift. 1621 R. Burton Anat. Melancholy ii. i. i. 289 Cunning men, Wisards, & white-witches,..that if they bee sought vnto, wil helpe almost all infirmities of body & mind. 1679 W. Penn Addr. Protestants (1692) i. x. 54 'Twas his Reproof..that they should seek to the stratagems of Heathen Nations. 1819 W. Scott Ivanhoe II. xiii. 225 Seek to prayer and penance, and mayest thou find acceptance! †d. To make a hostile approach to, till (a person). Obsolete. (Cf. senses 6, 17a.) ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > attack > attack [verb (transitive)] > advance to attack seekc825 to seek again(sc1230 pursue?a1425 seek1487 visitc1515 coast1531 to make upon ——1542 the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > hostile action or attack > make an attack upon [verb (transitive)] > make hostile approach to runOE to seek on (also upon)c1230 pursuec1300 yerna1400 seek1487 visitc1515 coast1531 accost1597 to come at ——1601 to make against ——1628 to make at ——1637 tilt1796 rush1823 to come for ——1870 to move in1941 bum-rush1988 1487 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (St. John's Cambr.) vi. 625 The kyng met thame that till hym socht. c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 5903 He soght to on Symagon, a sad man of armys,..He bere to þe bold with a big sworde. †14. a. To go, move, proceed (in a specified direction). Widely used in Middle English; e.g. to seek up, to rise (from a sitting posture); to seek asunder, to part; to seek to the earth or ground, to fall; to seek out of life, to die. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > movement > progressive motion > move along [verb (intransitive)] goeOE lithec900 nimOE fare971 shakeOE strikea1000 gangOE gengOE seekc1000 glidea1275 wevec1300 hove1390 drevea1400 sway?a1400 wainc1540 discoursea1547 yede1563 trot1612 to get along1683 locomove1792 locomote1831 the world > movement > motion in a certain direction > downward motion > falling > fall [verb (intransitive)] > fall down or from erect position > specifically of person or animal to light lowc1225 wendc1300 to seek to the earth or groundc1330 tumblea1375 stretchc1400 to take a fall1413 to blush to the eartha1500 to come down1603 to go to grassa1640 to be floored1826 to take a spilla1845 to come (fall, get) a cropper1858 to hunt grass1872 to come (also have) a buster1874 to hit the deck1954 the world > life > death > [verb (intransitive)] forsweltc888 sweltc888 adeadeOE deadc950 wendeOE i-wite971 starveOE witea1000 forfereOE forthfareOE forworthc1000 to go (also depart , pass, i-wite, chare) out of this worldOE queleOE fallOE to take (also nim, underfo) (the) deathOE to shed (one's own) blood?a1100 diec1135 endc1175 farec1175 to give up the ghostc1175 letc1200 aswelta1250 leavea1250 to-sweltc1275 to-worthc1275 to yield (up) the ghost (soul, breath, life, spirit)c1290 finea1300 spilla1300 part?1316 to leese one's life-daysa1325 to nim the way of deathc1325 to tine, leave, lose the sweatc1330 flit1340 trance1340 determinec1374 disperisha1382 to go the way of all the eartha1382 to be gathered to one's fathers1382 miscarryc1387 shut1390 goa1393 to die upa1400 expirea1400 fleea1400 to pass awaya1400 to seek out of lifea1400–50 to sye hethena1400 tinea1400 trespass14.. espirec1430 to end one's days?a1439 decease1439 to go away?a1450 ungoc1450 unlivec1450 to change one's lifea1470 vade1495 depart1501 to pay one's debt to (also the debt of) naturea1513 to decease this world1515 to go over?1520 jet1530 vade1530 to go westa1532 to pick over the perch1532 galpa1535 to die the death1535 to depart to God1548 to go home1561 mort1568 inlaikc1575 shuffle1576 finish1578 to hop (also tip, pitch over, drop off, etc.) the perch1587 relent1587 unbreathe1589 transpass1592 to lose one's breath1596 to make a die (of it)1611 to go offa1616 fail1623 to go out1635 to peak over the percha1641 exita1652 drop1654 to knock offa1657 to kick upa1658 to pay nature her due1657 ghost1666 to march off1693 to die off1697 pike1697 to drop off1699 tip (over) the perch1699 to pass (also go, be called, etc.) to one's reward1703 sink1718 vent1718 to launch into eternity1719 to join the majority1721 demise1727 to pack off1735 to slip one's cable1751 turf1763 to move off1764 to pop off the hooks1764 to hop off1797 to pass on1805 to go to glory1814 sough1816 to hand in one's accounts1817 to slip one's breatha1819 croak1819 to slip one's wind1819 stiffen1820 weed1824 buy1825 to drop short1826 to fall (a) prey (also victim, sacrifice) to1839 to get one's (also the) call1839 to drop (etc.) off the hooks1840 to unreeve one's lifeline1840 to step out1844 to cash, pass or send in one's checks1845 to hand in one's checks1845 to go off the handle1848 to go under1848 succumb1849 to turn one's toes up1851 to peg out1852 walk1858 snuff1864 to go or be up the flume1865 to pass outc1867 to cash in one's chips1870 to go (also pass over) to the majority1883 to cash in1884 to cop it1884 snuff1885 to belly up1886 perch1886 to kick the bucket1889 off1890 to knock over1892 to pass over1897 to stop one1901 to pass in1904 to hand in one's marble1911 the silver cord is loosed1911 pip1913 to cross over1915 conk1917 to check out1921 to kick off1921 to pack up1925 to step off1926 to take the ferry1928 peg1931 to meet one's Maker1933 to kiss off1935 to crease it1959 zonk1968 cark1977 to cark it1979 to take a dirt nap1981 c1000 Ælfric Homilies I. 504 Hi ða syððan gewunelice þider sohton. 1297 R. Gloucester's Chron. (Rolls) 1810 Þe luþer maximian westward hider soȝte. c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. Wace (Rolls) 12734 Wyþ þat strok to þe erþe he sought. a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) l. 5455 Þei..soute seþe on-sunder, þouȝh it hem sore greued. c1390 (?c1350) Joseph of Arimathie (1871) l. 655 Þat þou miȝt seo him þi-self ar þow henne seche. a1400–50 Wars Alex. 2962 With þat he sleȝly vp soȝt & his sete leuys. a1450 Le Morte Arth. 2952 They brake sege and homward sought. 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) vi. l. 201 War nocht for schayme he had socht to the ground. a1500 Lancelot of Laik (1870) 3428 And he goith one, and frome the feld he socht. c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 6644 He seyt to þe soile & soght out of lyue. b. said of a thing. Obsolete. ΚΠ c1384 G. Chaucer Hous of Fame 744 Ryght so sey I be fire or sovne Or smoke or other thynges lyght Alwey they seke vpwarde on hight. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 3106 Þe smel was suette þat soght til heuen. c1400 (?c1380) Cleanness l. 563 Quen þe swemande sorȝe soȝt to his hert. 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) vi. l. 200 The paynfull wo socht till his hart full sone. a1500 (?a1400) Sir Torrent of Portyngale (1887) l. 1606 The Giaunt hym ayen smate, Thorough his sheld and his plate, Into the flesh it sought. c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 1091 Er the sun vp soght with his softe beames. 1567 J. Maplet Greene Forest f. 43 Another Fig tree called Ægiptiaca, being throwen into the water, it straight waye discendeth and seeketh to the bottom. c. Sometimes conjugated with be, in the perfect and pluperfect tenses. Obsolete. ΚΠ 13.. Guy Warw. (1891) 502 Swiche sorwe icham in souȝt. a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 3707 In-to cades ðe folc was sogt. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4320 For sua þou mai þe driue to ded..Quen þou art soght fra þi succur. a1400–50 Wars Alex. 3003 Or he was soȝt to þe side. 1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid ix. i. 23 Eneas..Is till Evander socht. 15. to seek after. To go in quest of, look for; to try to find, reach, or obtain; †to pursue in order to hurt. Now chiefly in passive: To be desired or in demand; to be courted, to have one's presence desired. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)] seekc888 aseekc1000 i-secheOE huntc1175 to seek afterc1175 beseechc1200 fand?c1225 ofseche?c1225 to seek forc1250 atseekc1275 furiec1290 forseeka1300 outseekc1300 upseekc1315 to look after ——c1330 wait1340 laita1350 searchc1350 pursuea1382 ensearchc1384 to feel and findc1384 inseekc1384 looka1398 fraist?a1400 umseeka1400 require?c1400 walec1400 to look up1468 prowla1475 to see for ——c1485 to look for ——a1492 to have in the wind1540 sue1548 vent?1575 seek1616 explore1618 dacker1634 research1650 to see out for1683 quest1752 to see after ——1776 the world > movement > progressive motion > order of movement > following behind > follow [verb (transitive)] > pursue > with hostility or violence seekc825 to seek afterc1175 chasec1330 huntc1385 persecute1477 to gun for1893 bloodhound1935 c1175 Ormulum (Burchfield transcript) l. 6273 & all forrwerrp þu towarrd himm. To sekenn affterr wræche. c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 9 Sech after þing þe ðe beð biheue. c1290 S. Eng. Leg. 1/6 Eleyne, þat was is moder, to Ierusalem he sende to sechen after þe holie rode. c1374 G. Chaucer tr. Boethius De Consol. Philos. (1868) ii. pr. v. 47 Þan is it no nede þat þou seke after þe superfluite of fortune. 1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xvi. 178 I seke after a segge þat I seigh ones. c1449 R. Pecock Repressor (1860) 48 Bifore eer he eny suche causis fyndeth, and eer he aftir eny suche causis sechith. 1482 Monk of Evesham 53 Yef they..sekyd after the mercye of god and alsoo after the helpe of his holy seyntys. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms xiii. (xiv.) 2 To se yf there were eny, that wolde vnderstonde & seke after God. 1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms lxix. [lxx.] 2 Let them be shamed & confounded that seke after my soule [and so 1611]. 1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 ii. iv. 378 You see my good wenches how men of merrite are sought after. View more context for this quotation 1615 W. Bedwell tr. Mohammedis Imposturæ iii. §97 We..do not seeke after those bookes. 1638 R. Baker tr. J. L. G. de Balzac New Epist. II. 44 I will never beleeve that ill fortune any more than good will seeke after mee so farre as this. 1709 R. Steele Tatler No. 11. ⁋5 They have been always seek'd after by the Ladies. 1850 H. T. Cheever Whale & his Captors vi. 97 The first four of this catalogue only are much sought after for their oil. 1856 R. A. Vaughan Hours with Mystics (1860) I. vi. viii. 262 I was aware that he had been greatly sought after as a preacher. 16. to seek for. a. To look for, try to find or obtain, etc. (An equivalent for the transitive senses 1, 2, 7.) ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > endeavour > searching or seeking > search for or seek [verb (transitive)] seekc888 aseekc1000 i-secheOE huntc1175 to seek afterc1175 beseechc1200 fand?c1225 ofseche?c1225 to seek forc1250 atseekc1275 furiec1290 forseeka1300 outseekc1300 upseekc1315 to look after ——c1330 wait1340 laita1350 searchc1350 pursuea1382 ensearchc1384 to feel and findc1384 inseekc1384 looka1398 fraist?a1400 umseeka1400 require?c1400 walec1400 to look up1468 prowla1475 to see for ——c1485 to look for ——a1492 to have in the wind1540 sue1548 vent?1575 seek1616 explore1618 dacker1634 research1650 to see out for1683 quest1752 to see after ——1776 c1250 Owl & N. 1508 Ich not hu mai eni freo-man for hire sechen after þan. 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 208 And yit therfore With al his wit he hath don sieke. c1430 J. Lydgate Minor Poems (Percy Soc.) 133 For more pasture I will nat stryue Nor seche for my foode no more. 1526 Bible (Tyndale) Mark i. f. xlv All men seke for the. 1563 2nd Tome Homelyes Rogation Week iii. 247 b If we be colde, we seke for cloth. 1600 E. Blount tr. G. F. di Conestaggio Hist. Uniting Portugall to Castill 18 They went therefore seeking heere and there for money. 1748 B. Robins & R. Walter Voy. round World by Anson ii. iv. 161 Our disappointment and their security were neither to be sought for in their valour nor our misconduct. 1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xxv. 182 The group..broke up, seeking in all directions for a means of passage. 1871 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues IV. 305 The true life should neither seek for pleasures, nor..entirely avoid pains. †b. Nautical. to seek up for: to ‘bear up for’, sail towards. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ society > travel > travel by water > directing or managing a ship > direct or manage ship [verb (transitive)] > set a ship's course > sail towards or head for to seek up14.. to bear up1582 to stand for ——a1594 to seek up for1632 1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. ii. 44 The tempest increasing.., we were constrained to seeke vp for the Port. †17. to seek on (also upon). [Compare onseek v.] a. To approach with hostile intention; to advance against, set on, attack, assail. Also in indirect passive. Similarly, to seek again(s (= against). (Cf. sense 6) Obsolete. ΘΚΠ society > armed hostility > attack > attack [verb (transitive)] > advance to attack seekc825 to seek again(sc1230 pursue?a1425 seek1487 visitc1515 coast1531 to make upon ——1542 the world > action or operation > harm or detriment > hostile action or attack > make an attack upon [verb (transitive)] > make hostile approach to runOE to seek on (also upon)c1230 pursuec1300 yerna1400 seek1487 visitc1515 coast1531 accost1597 to come at ——1601 to make against ——1628 to make at ——1637 tilt1796 rush1823 to come for ——1870 to move in1941 bum-rush1988 c1230 Hali Meid. 22 Leccherie anan riht greideð hire wið þet to weorrin o þi meiðhad, & secheð erst upon hire, nebbe to nebbe. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon Brut (Calig.) (1963) l. 4206 Herigal him soðte on. mid hehære strengðe. c1386 G. Chaucer Friar's Tale 196 And somtyme be we suffred for to seke Vp-on a man, and doon his soule vnreste. 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 190 And he with pouer goth to seke Ayein the Scottes forto fonde the werre which he tok on honde. a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 4411 Was neuer don to leuedi mar Scam..þan..Ioseph soght [Gött. sohut] on me in bour. a1400–50 Wars Alex. 1735 For þou has samed..a selly nounbre..to seke vs agaynes. c1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 84 My lord the Sowdon vpon me soght In grete wrathe. 1470–85 T. Malory Morte d'Arthur iii. xiii. 115 He is..ful lothe to fyghte with ony man but yf he be sore souȝt on. 1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) iii. l. 304 Undyr my seylle I sall be bound to the For Inglismen that thai sall do him nocht, Nor to no Scottis, les it be on thaim socht. a1500 Lancelot of Laik (1870) 3311 One thar fois ful fersly thai soght. 1525 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles II. xlv. 150 Better it were for vs to seke batayle then to be sought on. 1542 N. Udall tr. Erasmus Apophthegmes f. 341 Alcibiades..so came home highly welcomed, although thei had by necessitee been forced to seeke vpon hym. b. To approach, apply to (a person) in order to obtain something. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > make a request [verb (intransitive)] > to, of, or upon someone clepec825 cryc1290 to pray (one) of a boon1393 to call on ——a1400 to seek on (also upon)a1400 to call upon ——c1405 sue1405 supplicate1417 peala1425 labour1442 to make suit1447–8 supply1489 suit1526 appeal1540 apply1554 incalla1572 invocate1582 beg1600 palaver1859 a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 13726 Quen þai þis wais on iesu soght, Well he wist all quat þai thoght. 1470–85 T. Malory Morte d'Arthur xxi. i. 840 Than Syr Mordred sought on quene Gueneuer by letters & sondes..for to haue hir to come oute of the toure of london. 1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. cccxlviii. 556 When Johan Lyon sawe himselfe sought on by them whom he desyred to haue their good wylles and loue, he was greatly reioysed. 1536 T. Cromwell in R. B. Merriman Life & Lett. T. Cromwell (1902) II. 5 They..seke only uppon hym for theyr ouun commodytye. 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. xij^v Seyng that we seke vpon straungers [L. quando peregrinos euocamus]. †18. To make inquiry or request. Const. of (the thing inquired for). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > language > speech > request > make a request [verb (intransitive)] yearnOE ask1340 fand1340 frayne1377 seek1390 allegea1393 to make requestc1400 require?c1425 sue1440 thigc1480 solicit1509 petition1611 petitionate1625 postulate1754 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 80 Bot of here entre whan thei soghte, The gates weren al to smale. 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis III. 373 This have I for thin ese cast, That thou nomore of love sieche. III. Uses of the infinitive to seek. 19. a. Predicated of a thing or person that needs to be sought or looked for; = not to be found or not yet found, not at hand, absent, missing, lacking. far to seek, far out of reach, a long way off. ΘΚΠ the world > space > distance > distance or farness > a long way off [phrase] at distancea1425 in the distance?a1439 far to seek?1544 at a distance1697 c1386 G. Chaucer Canon's Yeoman's Prol. & Tale 321 The Philosophres stoon..I warne yow wel, it is to seken euere. 1509 tr. A. de la Sale Fyftene Ioyes of Maryage (de Worde) (new ed.) iv. sig. D.iij^v A rustye payre of sporres he hath eke Wherof one of the rowelles be to seke. ?1544 J. Heywood Foure PP sig. B.ii Who may not playe one day in a weke May thynke hys thryfte is farre to seke. 1573 T. Tusser Fiue Hundreth Points Good Husbandry (new ed.) f. 9 With some vpon Sundaies, their tables do reke, and halfe the weeke after, their dinners to seeke. 1575 J. Awdely Fraternitye of Vacabondes (new ed.) sig. B3^v When his Maister nedeth him, he is to seeke. 1612 S. Rowlands Knaue of Harts B 4 b With trauellers monie may be to seeke. 1653 H. Holcroft tr. Procopius Persian Wars i. 4 in tr. Procopius Hist. Warres Justinian Being to seek his food he would hunt for it. 1670 S. Wilson Lassels's Voy. Italy (new ed.) ii. 317 Least they should grow idle, and haue their strength to seek when the warre should break out. 1775 Tender Father I. 205 Amelia..was still to seek, and, perhaps, in reality, totally lost to him. 1874 H. Sidgwick Methods of Ethics iii. v. §6. 262 This supposes that we have found the rational method of determining value: which, however, is still to seek. 1904 S. J. Weyman Abbess of Vlaye xi The end she knew; the means were to seek. 1917 T. Hardy Moments of Vision & Misc. Verses 171 Not as one wanzing weak From life's roar and reek, His rest still to seek. 1951 B. Russell New Hopes for Changing World (1952) 21 The revolutions that it demands in these two provinces are still to seek, and it is the fact that they are still to seek which is the main cause of the present troubles of the world. b. With negative: Not needing to be sought or looked for, not hard to find, not absent or wanting. Also not far, †not long, to seek. ΘΚΠ the world > space > place > presence > present [phrase] > not absent not far, not long, to seek1390 not to seek1569 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 160 My sorwe is thanne noght to seche. 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 236 Whan Deianyre hath herd this speche, Ther was no sorwe forto seche. c1405 (c1387–95) G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 784 Oure conseil was nat longe for to seche. a1525 (c1448) R. Holland Bk. Howlat l. 238 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 102 All se fowle and seid fowle was nocht for to seike. 1568 (a1500) Freiris Berwik 26 in W. T. Ritchie Bannatyne MS (1930) IV. 262 The four ordo^ris wer no^t for to seik Thay wer all in þis toun dwelling. 1860 T. P. Thompson Audi Alteram Partem (1861) III. cxxxiv. 102 The extreme answer, for which examples are not to seek. 1876 W. H. Pollock in Contemp. Rev. June 57 The reason is not far to seek. 1993 Isis 84 247 The reason Owen made an about-face, and involved himself in the Platonization of his archetype, is not far to seek. 20. Of a person, his faculties, etc.: a. At a loss or at fault; unable to act, understand, etc.; puzzled to know or decide. Const. indirect question introduced by how, what, etc.; also to (do). Obsolete or archaic.Also much, far, all to seek; †new to seek, utterly at a loss. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > belief > uncertainty, doubt, hesitation > perplexity, bewilderment > confused, at a loss [phrase] at one's wit's end (occasionally ends)1377 seek1390 will of wane (also wone)a1400 will of redea1425 on wild1477 to be at a muse1548 at a loss1592 at a stopa1626 in a fog?c1640 in a wood1659 at a wit-standa1670 at sea1768 at fault1833 far to find, seek1879 1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 61 Thi wittes ben riht feer to seche. 14.. T. Hoccleve Min. Poems xxiv. 514 With him ther hath been many a sundry leeche..but al to seeche Hire art was. 1523 J. Skelton Goodly Garlande of Laurell 893 Zeuxes, that enpicturid fare Elene the quene, You to deuyse his crafte were to seke. a1529 J. Skelton Poems against Garnesche in Poet Wks. (1843) I. 119 To turney or to tante with me ye ar to fare to seke. 1576 C. Hollyband Frenche Littelton Ep. Ded. sig. iii Saying, that the learner is new to seeke, when he cometh to a boke without such markes. 1581 B. Rich Farewell Militarie Profession* B b j Thus Emelya was now [read new] to seeke. 1583 A. Golding tr. J. Calvin Serm. on Deuteronomie lxxii. 445/1 Insomuch that..they wote not where they bee, but are newe to seeke in their imaginations. 1594 R. Carew tr. J. Huarte Exam. Mens Wits xi. 156 Lawyers..if the cases which the law thrusteth into their mouth, be not squared and chewed to their hands, they are to seek what to doe. 1598 Floure & Leafe in T. Speght Wks. G. Chaucer f. 367/1 Hardily they were no thing to seke How they on hem should the harneis set. 1602 W. Warner Albions Eng. (rev. ed.) xiii. lxxix. 325 Yea far he is to seeke of what his proper Nature is. 1603 R. Knolles Gen. Hist. Turkes 847 The Gouernour..who alwaies brought vp in ciuile affaires, was to seeke how to defend a siege. 1654 O. Cromwell Speech 12 Sept. in Lett. & Speeches (1871) IV. 52 We were exceedingly to seek how to settle things. 1667 Duchess of Newcastle Life Duke of Newcastle iii. 141 Whereas now he should be much to seek to do the like, his Estate being so much ruined by the late Civil Wars. 1699 M. Lister Journey to Paris (new ed.) 27 Whence this great Liberty of Sculpture arises, I am much to seek. 1702 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion I. v. 454 They were very much to seek, how the Case of Hull could concern Descents and Purchases. 1709 Ld. Shaftesbury Moralists ii. i. 47 But what real Good is, I am still to seek. 1803 tr. G. C. A. Pigault-Lebrun Monsieur Botte I. 48 Charles passed the night in..forming projects, abandoning them [etc.]. In the morning he was as much to seek as ever. 1886 R. L. Stevenson Kidnapped xx. 190 For the details of our itinerary, I am all to seek. b. Wanting or deficient in, †of; without skill or learning in. With for: Badly off or at a loss for, unable to find. archaic. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > ability > inability > unskilfulness > be unskilled in [verb (transitive)] seeka1529 the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > want of knowledge, ignorance > unfamiliarity with, inexperience > lack skill or experience [verb] unknowa1382 seeka1529 not to know the first thing about1856 not to have a clue1948 not to have a scooby1993 a1529 J. Skelton Why come ye nat to Courte (?1545) 314 Sergyantes of the coyfe eke, He sayth they are to seke In pletynge of theyr case At the Commune Place. 1545 T. Raynald in tr. E. Roesslin Byrth of Mankynde Prol. D j So be there agayne many mofull vndiscreate, vnreasonable, chorlishe, and farre to seke in such thinges. 1578 J. Lyly Euphues f. 29 Greece is..neuer void of some Synon, neuer to seeke of some deceitfull shifter. 1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World I. 89 The complete measure of it..that such as are desirous of knowledge be not to seek in any one thing. 1625 F. Bacon Ess. (new ed.) 243 For if you reduce Vsury, to one Low Rate,..the Merchant wil be to seeke for Money. 1631 B. Jonson Bartholmew Fayre ii. ii. 19 in Wks. II I that haue dealt so long in the fire, will not be to seek in smoak, now. 1633 Bp. J. Hall Plaine Explic. Hard Texts i. 500 O King Nebuchadnezzar, wee are not to seeke of a ready answer to this charge of thine. 1670 A. Wood Life & Times (1892) II. 199 He being to seek for a version that would please the Doctor, it was a long time before he could hit it. 1704 J. Swift Tale of Tub v. 118 Does he not also leave us wholly to seek in the Art of Political Wagering? c1771 S. Foote Maid of Bath iii. 64 I promise you she sha'n't be to seek for the means. 1803 Porson in Museum Criticum (1814) I. 332 The Germans in Greek Are sadly to seek. 1832 Fair of May Fair III. ii. 278 It was excusable that a man having passed so large a portion of those sixty years in a compting house, could be somewhat to seek in the economy of his social system. 1835 H. J. Rose in Newman's Lett. (1891) II. 107 Our good clergy are sadly to seek in the great points, viz. Church authority, &c. 1886 W. Besant Children of Gibeon I. i. ix. 211 The Cause, which is at present sadly to seek in the matter of young ladies. †c. Astray from the truth, mistaken. not to seek: not ignorant, well aware (that). Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > know, be aware of [verb (intransitive)] wit971 knowlOE to be aware (of, that)a1250 wota1300 be (well) warec1325 to know of ——c1390 not to seek1569 to know for ——1576 to know on ——1608 to have cognizance of1635 reck1764 to be (or get) wise to1896 the world > space > place > presence > present [phrase] > not absent not far, not long, to seek1390 not to seek1569 the mind > mental capacity > knowledge > conformity with what is known, truth > disregard for truth, falsehood > lack of truth, falsity > an error, mistake > [adjective] erringa1340 overseena1393 willa1400 out of one's book (also books)1549 straying1553 faulting1566 deceived1569 seek1569 tripping1577 amiss1582 mistaking1582 naught1597 errant1609 solecistical1654 solecismical1656 wrong1695 solecistic1865 1569 Sir N. Throckmorton Let. in Robertson Hist. Scot. App. No. 32 You are not to seek that some will use cautions, some neutrality, some delays. 1639 T. de Gray Compl. Horseman ii. xx. 347 Yet are they very much to seeke in that they doe so much exclaime against taking up of veyns. 1657 P. Heylyn Ecclesia Vindicata Gen. Pref. c 1 b Which if it be not a restraining of the Gift of Prayer, I am much to seek. Compounds C1. Combinations of the verb + object. seek-sorrow n. = seek-trouble n. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > suffering > sorrow or grief > [noun] > once who seeks sorrow seek-sorrowa1586 a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1593) i. sig. H4 A field they goe, where many lookers be, And thou seke-sorow Klaius them among. † seek-trouble n. Obsolete one who seeks sorrow, etc. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > harmfulness > harmful mischievousness > harmfully mischievous person > [noun] disturberc1290 troublera1382 distroublerc1440 disturblerc1440 boutefeu?1584 mischief1586 breed-bate1593 trouble-feast1603 flight-head1605 trouble-rest1605 trouble-house1608 trouble-cupa1610 trouble-state1609 seek-trouble1611 fling-brand1616 trouble-town1619 blow-coal1622 trouble-world1663 mischief-maker1675 fire-sprit1847 firebug1869 ratbag1890 disturbant1894 mixer1938 society > society and the community > dissent > lack of peacefulness > [noun] > persons full of strife > one who causes disturbance or trouble disturberc1290 troublera1382 distroublerc1440 disturblerc1440 shakebucklera1538 hellcat1603 trouble-feast1603 trouble-rest1605 trouble-house1608 trouble-cupa1610 trouble-state1609 seek-trouble1611 trouble-town1619 trouble-world1663 hellion1845 rowdy1859 bad actor1879 ratbag1890 disturbant1894 trouble-maker1923 performer1937 messer1942 shit-stirrer1961 1611 J. Florio Queen Anna's New World of Words Cattabriga, a make-bate, a busie-bodie, a pick-thanke, a seeke-trouble. C2. seek-no-farther n. (also seek-no-further) a kind of apple. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > fruit and vegetables > fruit or a fruit > apple > [noun] > eating-apple > types of costardc1390 bitter-sweet1393 Queening?1435 richardine?1435 blaundrellc1440 pear apple1440 tuberc1440 quarrendenc1450 birtle1483 deusan1570 apple-john1572 Richard1572 lording1573 greening1577 queen apple1579 peeler1580 darling1584 doucin1584 golding1589 puffin1589 lady's longing1591 bitter-sweeting1597 pearmain1597 paradise apple1598 garden globe1600 gastlet1600 leather-coat1600 maligar1600 pome-paradise1601 French pippin1629 gillyflower1629 king apple1635 lady apple1651 golden pippin1654 goldling1655 puff1655 cardinal1658 green fillet1662 chestnut1664 cinnamon apple1664 fenouil1664 go-no-further1664 Westbury apple1664 seek-no-farther1670 nonsuch1676 calville1691 passe-pomme1691 fennel apple1699 queen1699 genet1706 fig-apple1707 oaken pin1707 nonpareil1726 costing1731 monstrous reinette1731 Newtown pippin1760 Ribston1782 Rhode Island greening1795 oslin1801 fall pippin1803 monstrous pippin1817 Newtown Spitzenburg1817 Gravenstein1821 Red Astrachan1822 Tolman sweet1822 grange apple1823 orange pippin1823 Baldwin1826 Sturmer Pippin1831 Newtowner1846 Northern Spy1847 Blenheim Orange1860 Cox1860 McIntosh Red1876 Worcester1877 raspberry apple1894 delicious1898 Laxton's Superb1920 Macoun1924 the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular types of fruit > [noun] > apple > eating-apple > types of costardc1390 bitter-sweet1393 pippin?1435 pomewater?1435 Queening?1435 richardine?1435 blaundrellc1440 pear apple1440 tuberc1440 quarrendenc1450 birtle1483 sweeting1530 pomeroyal1534 renneta1568 deusan1570 apple-john1572 Richard1572 lording1573 russeting1573 greening1577 queen apple1579 peeler1580 reinette1582 darling1584 doucin1584 golding1589 puffin1589 lady's longing1591 bitter-sweeting1597 pearmain1597 paradise apple1598 garden globe1600 gastlet1600 leather-coat1600 maligar1600 pomeroy1600 short-start1600 jenneting1601 pome-paradise1601 russet coat1602 John apple1604 honey apple1611 honeymeal1611 musk apple1611 short-shank1611 spice apple1611 French pippin1629 king apple1635 lady apple1651 golden pippin1654 goldling1655 puff1655 cardinal1658 renneting1658 green fillet1662 chestnut1664 cinnamon apple1664 fenouil1664 go-no-further1664 reinetting1664 Westbury apple1664 seek-no-farther1670 nonsuch1676 white-wining1676 russet1686 calville1691 fennel apple1699 queen1699 genet1706 fig-apple1707 oaken pin1707 musk1708 nonpareil1726 costing1731 monstrous reinette1731 Newtown pippin1760 Ribston1782 Rhode Island greening1795 oslin1801 wine apple1802 fall pippin1803 monstrous pippin1817 Newtown Spitzenburg1817 Gravenstein1821 Red Astrachan1822 Tolman sweet1822 grange apple1823 orange pippin1823 Baldwin1826 wine-sap1826 Jonathan1831 Sturmer Pippin1831 rusty-coat1843 Newtowner1846 Northern Spy1847 Cornish gilliflowerc1850 Blenheim Orange1860 Cox1860 nutmeg pippin1860 McIntosh Red1876 Worcester1877 raspberry apple1894 delicious1898 Laxton's Superb1920 Melba apple1928 Melba1933 Mutsu1951 Newtown1953 discovery1964 1670 L. Meager Eng. Gardener 86 [Apples.] Seek no farther. 1845 A. J. Downing Fruits & Fruit Trees Amer. viii. 93 Autumn Apples... Rambo... Seek-no-further,..of New Jersey. 1851 S. Warner Wide Wide World I. xxii. 285 ‘Seek-no-further!’ said Ellen;—‘what a funny name. It ought to be a mighty good apple’. 1875 R. Hogg Fruit Man. (ed. 4) 134 This is the true old Seek-no-farther. This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1911; most recently modified version published online June 2022). < n.c1500v.c825
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seekn.

seekv.

Compounds