† sweightn.
northern dialect and Scottish. Obsolete.
a. ‘The force of a body in motion’ (Jamieson); impetus.
ΘΚΠ
the world > movement > [noun] > force of movement
coursec1330
swough1338
swayc1374
birra1382
feezec1405
impetc1440
radeur1477
ravina1500
sweight1513
bensela1522
swinge1583
impetus1656
motive power1702
impulse1715
momentum1740
impulsion1795
send1890
14.. Chaucer's Troilus ii. 1383 (MS. St. John's Camb.) Whan that the sturdy ook..Receyued hath the happy fallynge strooke The grete sweyght [also Harl. 1239; v.rr. sweigh, swey, sweyf, swough] makith it come al at ones.
c1440 York Myst. xxxiii. 362 Swete may þis swayne for sweght of our swappes!
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid ix. ix. 36 Tho wyth thar swechtis, as thai reyll and leipe, The byrnand towyr doun rollis with a rusche.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid xii. xi. 159 Like as the gret roch crag..Is maid to fall and tumble with all his swecht.
1827 W. Tennant Papistry Storm'd 173 Round him they rush't, and push't, and pecht To overturn him wi' their swecht.]
b. figurative. (See quot. a1800.)
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > wholeness > incompleteness > part of whole > [noun] > a great part or proportion > the greater part, the majority
the more partOE
the best part ofOE
(the) more parta1350
(the) most parta1350
(the) most part alla1350
(the) most party1372
for (also be, in) the most part (also deal, party)a1387
the better part ofa1393
the mo?a1400
most forcea1400
substancea1413
corsec1420
generalty?c1430
the greater partc1430
three quartersc1470
generalityc1485
the most feck1488
corpse1533
most1553
nine-tenths?1556
better half1566
generality?1570
pluralityc1570
body1574
the great body (of)1588
flush1592
three fourths1600
best1601
heap1609
gross1625
lump1709
bulk1711
majority1714
nineteen in twenty1730
balance1747
sweighta1800
heft1816
chief1841
the force1842
thick end1847
a1800 S. Pegge Suppl. Grose's Provinc. Gloss. (1814) Sweight, the greatest part of any thing. North.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1919; most recently modified version published online December 2020).
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