| 释义 |
▪ I. † fail, n.1 Sc. Obs.
Also 6 fale, 6–8 faill, 8 feal.
[? a. Gael. fàl a sod.]
1. ‘Any grassy part of the surface of the ground, as united to the rest’ (Jam.).
1513Douglas æneis xii. Prol. 88 The variant vestur of the venust vaill Schrowdis the scherald fur, and euery faill.
2. ‘A turf, a flat clod covered with grass cut off from the rest of the sward’ (Jam.). Also turf, as a material.
1535Stewart Cron. Scot. II. 146 Euerie man ane flaik sould mak of tre, And faillis delf into greit quantitie. 1536Bellenden Cron. Scot. (1821) I. 172 He beildit ane huge wall of fail and devait. 1639Spalding Troub. Chas. I (1792) I. 173 Close it [the port] up strongly with faill and thatch. 1708J. Chamberlayne St. Gt. Brit. ii. iii. i. (1743) 400 Every minister has fewel, foggage, faill, and diviots allowed them.
3. Comb. fail-dyke, a wall built of sods.
1536in Pitcairn Crim. Trials Scot. I. 174* The overthrowing of a ‘faill-dyke’ built on the said lands. 17..in Scott Minstr. Scot. Bord. (1803) III. 241 ‘Behint yon auld fail dyke, I wot there lies a new slain knight.’ 1816Scott Antiq. xx, ‘Auld Edie will hirple out himsell if he can get a feal-dike to lay his gun ower.’
▪ II. fail, n.2|feɪl|
Also failyie.
[a. OF. faile, faille, deficiency, failure, fault, f. faillir to fail.]
1. = failure 1. Obs. exc. in phrase without fail; now used only to strengthen an injunction or a promise; formerly also with statements of fact, = unquestionably, certainly. † Also, in same sense, (it is) no fail (but), sans fail: without any doubt, for certain.
1297R. Glouc. (1724) 245 Þer wyþoute fayle, At Eccestre strong enou hii smyte an batayle. c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1725) 245 In luf & pes sanz faile went Edward. c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 1092 Dido, Comaunded hire massangerys for to go The same day with outyn any fayle. c1430Lydg. Bochas viii. xvii. (1544) 188 b, In Europe stant Thrace..it is no fayle. 1546Langley Pol. Verg. De Invent. i. xvi. 29 a, It is no fayle but it [the knowledge of medecines] was perceyued, by what thinges were wholsome, & what unwholsome. 1555Abp. Parker Ps. l, I wil no fayle deliuer thee. 1611Bible Josh. iii. 10 The liuing God..will without faile driue out from before you the Canaanites. 1611Shakes. Wint. T. v. i. 27 Dangers, by his Highnesse faile of Issue, May drop vpon his Kingdome. 1656Burton's Diary (1828) I. 176 There is no fail of justice..yet. 1678Cudworth Intell. Syst. 128 There might be never any Fail of Generations. 1713Swift Jrnl. to Stella 26 Feb., The meeting of parliament..will be next Tuesday..without fail. 1847Marryat Childr. N. Forest xviii, The tailor has promised the clothes on Saturday without fail.
†2. = failure 3. for fail: in the event of failure; as a precaution against failure. Obs.
1477Norton Ord. Alch. ii. in Ashm. (1652) 29 Of all paines the most grevious paine, Is for one faile to beginn all againe. 1627–77Feltham Resolves i. xci. 141 The Prince suffers in the fails of his Ambassador. 1660Sharrock Vegetables 98 Be sure you plow up..annoying weeds, and for fail let some⁓body, with a spade, follow the plough, to root up such as are left. a1734North Exam. ii. iv. §84 (1740) 272 They continually watched for Colours, and for Fail, made them, to affirm this.
†3. = failure 2. Obs.
1647Sanderson Serm. II. 207 Overmuch sorrow..upon the fail of any earthly helps or hopes. 1654Gataker Disc. Apol. 47 Chalkie Pillars..threatning a fail, if not a fall.
†b. Death. Obs. rare.
1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. ii. 145 How grounded hee his Title to the Crowne Vpon our faile.
Restrict † Obs. to sense 2 a in Dict. and add: [2.] b. A failure to achieve the standard required to pass an examination; a classification denoting this. Cf. pass n.2 4 and pass-fail a.
1944J. L. Brereton Case for Examinations 206 The marks..have fulfilled their purpose when they have enabled the examiners to classify the candidates in each subject separately as ‘pass’ or ‘fail’. 1988M. Warnock Common Policy for Educ. iii. 78 In this way [Grade] F must soon be interpreted as standing for ‘Fail’.
▪ III. fail, v.|feɪl|
Forms: 3–4 faile-n, (4–5 faylen), 3–5 fail(l)i, 3–6 faille(n, faylle, 3–7 faile, (3 vaile), fayle, -y, 4–6 faly(e, (4 failly, fal(l)e, feile, 6 feyle, faeille, 7 faill, fall), 3– fail. Sc. 4–6 failȝe (6–7 printed failze), (6 falȝe, 7 failyie), faillie.
[a. OF. faillir to be wanting, miss (mod.F. faillir to miss, falloir impers. to be wanting, to be necessary) = Pr. faillir, falhir, OSp. fallir (in mod.Sp. replaced by the derivative form fallecer, f. L. type *fallescĕre), Cat., OPg. falir (mod.Pg. falecer), It. fallire:—vulgar L. *fallīre (for class. L. fallĕre to deceive), used absol. in sense ‘to disappoint expectation, be wanting or defective.’ The OF. verb was adopted in MHG. vêlen (mod.G. fehlen), Du. feilen, ON. feila.
In 15–17th c. in intrans. senses often conjugated with be.]
I. To be or become deficient.
1. a. intr. To be absent or wanting. Now only of something necessary or desirable (coinciding with sense 5); often in pr. pple. with n. or pron., as failing this = ‘in default of this’ (see failing prep.). In early use, † To be wanting to complete a specified quantity; also impers.
a1300Cursor M. 1486 (Cott.) Matusale Liued..til þat nine hundret yeir war gan And seuenti, falid it bot an. c1325E.E. Allit. P. B. 741 What if fyue faylen of fyfty þe noumbre? c1400Mandeville (1839) xvii. 182 There faylethe but 5 Degrees & an half, of the fourthe partie. c1400Lanfranc's Cirurg. 63 Make þat þe splentis & byndynge faile above þe wounde. a1400–50Alexander 4279 Forþi failis vs all infirmit[e]s of ffeuyre & of ells. 1483Caxton Gold. Leg. 284/3 The preues of the lignages were fayled. 1543–4Act 35 Hen. VIII, c. 1 §6 If suche heyres shulde fayle. 1611Bible 2 Sam. iii. 29 Let there not faile from the house of Ioab one that hath an issue. 1703Maundrell Journ. Jerus. (1732) 128 Shaded over head with Trees, and with Matts when the boughs fail. 1878Browning La Saisiaz 58 Failing proof then of invented trouble.
†b. with dat. of the person. Obs.
a1300Cursor M. 11426 (Gött.) Þaim fayled neuer drinc ne fode. a1300Leg. Rood (1871) 30 Þo þe work was almest ido; hem vailed a vair tre. c1300St. Brandan 510 Him faillede grace..his lyf to amende. 1424Paston Lett. 4 I. 12 Hem fayled ropes convenient to here..purpos. 1611Bible 1 Kings ii. 4 There shall not faile thee..a man on the throne of Israel.
c. To be inadequate or insufficient. Chiefly in phrase time would fail. Const. dat. of person.
c1325E.E. Allit. P. B. 548 Tyl any water in þe worlde to wasche þe fayly. 1548Hall Chron. 244 Kyng James would make no aunswere..knowing that his power now fayled..to performe the request demaunded. 1611Bible Heb. xi. 32 The time would faile mee to tell of Gedeon. 1614Bp. Hall Recoll. Treat. 612 The day would faile mee if I should [etc.].
2. a. To become exhausted, come to an end, run short. Const. dat. of the person; also, † of, from (a place, receptacle).
c1250Old Kentish Serm. in O.E. Misc. 29 Wyn failede at þise bredale. c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1725) 326 Alle þer store failed. 1382Wyclif 1 Macc. iii. 29 He sawȝ, that monee failide of his tresours. c1400Cato's Morals 87 in Cursor M. App. iv, Loke þou spende mesureli, þe gode þat þou liuis bi, or ellis wille hit faile. 1596Spenser F.Q. iv. i. 43 The breath gan him to fayle. 1611Bible 1 Kings xvii. 14 Neither shall the cruse of oile faile. ― Job xiv. 11 The waters faile from the sea. 1653Holcroft Procopius ii. xvi. 58 Their Provisions being failed, they fed upon Hides. 1695Locke Further Consider. Money (ed. 2) 68 Where the credit and money fail, barter alone must do. 1729Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 146 All other enjoyments fail in these circumstances. 1801Southey Thalaba iv. xviii, Soon would our food and water fail us here. 1871B. Taylor Faust (1875) II. ii. iii. 124 Health is none where water fails!
b. To become extinct; to die out, lose vitality, pass away. Of an odour or sound: To die away.
c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) xv. 68 Machometes lawe sall faile. 1463Bury Wills (Camden) 18 If the office of Seynt Marie preest fayle. 1535Stewart Cron. Scot. III. 393 Of him the airis maill did falȝe. 1611Bible Esther ix. 28 These dayes of Purim should not faile from among the Jewes. 1647–8Sir C. Cotterell Davila's Hist. Fr. (1678) 5 The eldest line failing. 1764Goldsm. Trav. 91 Where wealth and freedom reign, contentment fails. 1767Blackstone Comm. II. 239 The blood of the Kempes shall not inherit till the blood of the Stiles's fail. 1819Shelley Ind. Serenade, The Champak's odours fail Like sweet thoughts in a dream. 1837Newman Par. Serm. (ed. 2) III. viii. 120 Religion seems to be failing when it is merely changing its form. 1842Tennyson Vision of Sin 24 The music..Rose again from where it seem'd to fail.
†c. Of a period of time or anything that has a finite duration: To come to an end, expire. Obs.
c1399Langl. Rich. Redeles ii. 14 Somere hem ffaylid. c1477Caxton Jason 14 b, As sone as the triews shall faylle ye shal be guerdoned. 1563Golding Cæsar (1565) 96 b, The season of the yeare mete for warrefare fayled. 1611Bible Heb. i. 12 Thou art the same and thy yeeres shall not fayle.
†d. To cease to speak of. Obs. rare.
c1650Merline 1208 in Furniv. Percy Folio I. 460 Now let us of his mother fayle, And turne us to another tale.
3. a. ‘To fall off in respect of vigour or activity’ (W.); to lose power or strength; to flag, wane; to break down; fig. of the heart. Of the eyes, light, etc.: To grow dim.
a1225Ancr. R. 228 None deofles puffe ne þurue ȝe dreden, but ȝif þet lim ualse [v.r. faille]. c1275Lay. 2938 Þo holdede þe king [Leir] and failede his mihte. 1340Hampole Pr. Consc. i. 727 At even late he..fayles..and dwynes to noght. 1382Wyclif Isa. xiii. 7 Eche herte of a man shal wane, or faylen. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. iii. viii. (1495) 54 The soule vegetable faylyth and at the laste whan the body deyth, it deyeth. c1400Destr. Troy 3549 His sight failet. 1548Hall Chron. 88 His heart fayled. 1667Milton P.L. xii. 9, I perceave Thy mortal sight to faile. 1669Sturmy Mariner's Mag. iv. 136 Let slip thine Anchor, the Wind fails. 1743Wesley Jrnl. 20 Oct., My voice suddenly fail'd. 1820Shelley Julian 597 The poor sufferer's health began to fail. 1833H. Martineau Tale of Tyne iv. 67 The wind..failed. 1842Tennyson Lady Clare 78 Her heart within her did not fail. 1860Ramsay Remin. 1st Ser. (ed. 7) 107 In Scotland it used to be quite common to say of a person whose health and strength had declined, that he had failed. 1881S. Colvin Landor 136 That kind..old lady had been failing since the spring of 1829 and had died in October.
b. with dat. of the person (approaching sense 5).
a1300Cursor M. 24001 (Cott.) Gang, and steyuen, and tung, and sight, All failled me þat tide. a1300Leg. Rood (1871) 20 Þe strengþe him failede of is lymes. a1400–50Alexander 1443 All failis þam þe force. 1586A. Day Eng. Secretary ii. (1625) 47 My senses did faile me. 1611Bible Luke xxi. 26 Mens hearts failing them for feare. 1678Trans. Crt. Spain ii. 61 If my memory fail me not. 1842Miss Mitford in L'Estrange Life III. ix. 136 His eyesight fails him now. 1871Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) IV. xviii. 116 The heart of Eustace failed him.
c. dial. To fall ill (of).
1875Sussex Gloss. s.v., As though he was going to fail with the measles. 1876Surrey Provinc., Fail of, to fall ill of, to sicken with.
†d. To die. Obs. [So Sp. fallecer.]
1613Shakes. Hen. VIII, i. ii. 184 Had the King in his last Sicknesse faild. 1878Cumberld. Gloss., Fail, to die.
4. a. To prove deficient upon trial. † Of fighting men: To give way (before an enemy). Of a material thing: To break down under strain or pressure (arch.). Of a rule, anticipation, sign: To prove misleading.
1375Barbour Bruce ii. 393 For thar small folk begouth to failȝe, And fled all skalyt her and thar. c1398Chaucer Fortune 56 In general this rewle may not fayle. a1400–50Alexander 1372 With þat scho [a tower] flisch noþer fayle fyue score aunkirs. c1400Lanfranc's Cirurg. 133 Or ellis þou schalt knowe bi þis signe þat nevere failiþ. c1430Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 47 Thyng counterfeet wol faylen [printed fayler] at assay. 1622R. Hawkins Voy. S. Sea xxxii. 76 Creatures..bred in..fresh Rivers die presently, if they come into Salt water..This fayleth in some Fishes. 1776G. Semple Building in Water 18 The second Pier of the Foot-way, failed and carried off by the Floods. 1782Cowper Gilpin 95 Loop and button failing both At last it [the cloak] flew away. 1815T. Forster Atmos. Phenom. 155 The abundance of berries in the hedges is said to presage a hard winter, but this often fails. 1855Tennyson Maud i. xi. 2 O let the solid ground Not fail beneath my feet.
b. to fail safe: of a mechanical or electrical device or machine, aircraft, etc., to revert, in the event of failure or breakdown, to a condition involving no danger. Also fail-safe a.
1948Jrnl. R. Aeronaut. Soc. LII. 198/1 Automatic power plant control including automatic ‘fail safe’ provision against mechanical trouble or power failure. 1949Ibid. LIII. 179/1 What was really required was a propeller and c.s.u. combination which would fail safe. 1958‘P. Bryant’ Two Hours to Doom 15 The Failsafe procedure, the system SAC had dreamed up to prevent any accidental attack sparking off a third world war. 1958Times 20 Aug. 9/7 It is becoming accepted practice that they [sc. jet aircraft] must ‘fail safe’. 1958Listener 16 Oct. 593/1 Designers [of aircraft] learnt how to design against fatigue, and the ‘fail-safe’ form of design was developed. 1959New Statesman 790/3 Just as atomic bombers have a technical fail-safe device which recalls them from a mission if anything goes wrong, so it is inevitable that every country will have to devise its own political fail-safe policy, designed to insulate itself from the dangers due to other countries' actions. 1962F. I. Ordway et al. Basic Astronautics vii. 317 The component..is as fail-safe as the one tested. 1962Want to run a Railway? 16 The system is designed throughout on ‘fail-safe’ principles—if any part of it is not working properly then signals automatically go to danger. 1971Daily Tel. (Colour Suppl.) 8 Jan. 15/4 Because of the possibility of human error and total reliance on communications between pilots and controller the system will ‘fail-dangerous’ rather than ‘fail-safe’.
5. a. Not to render the due or expected service or aid; to be wanting at need. Chiefly with dat. of the person, rarely with to. quasi-trans.: To disappoint, give no help to; to withold help from.
a1300Floriz & Bl. 424 Ihc schal þe failli neure mo. a1300K. Horn 638 Mi swerd me nolde faille. c1305Edmund Conf. 592 in E.E.P. (1862) 86 Foreward he huld þis monekes: & ne faillede hem noȝt. c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 99 Sir Lowys failed nouht, his help was him redie. c1420Anturs of Arth. xlvi, Frettut with fyne gold, that failis in the fiȝte. c1489Caxton Sonnes of Aymon i. 37 Serue the kynge..nor faylle hym not for noo thyng. 1549Compl. Scot. viii. 74 The inglis men dreymis that ȝe haue failȝet to them. 1590Sir J. Smyth Disc. Weapons 3 b, Al their other weapons in fight have failed them. 1771E. Griffith tr. Viaud's Shipwreck 44 If it [the shattered boat] should fail me..said I to myself. 1836Keble Serm. viii. Postscript (1848) 373 The language..fails him..in his endeavour to find words to express the greatness of the gift. a1845Lyte Hymn, ‘Abide with me’, When other helpers fail and comforts flee. 1871Freeman Norm. Conq. (1876) IV. xviii. 222 Here again chronology fails us. 1881Daily Tel. 28 Jan., In the afternoon the wind failed us.
†b. trans. with double obj. or const. of: To disappoint of (something due or expected). Obs.
c1386Chaucer Shipman's T. 188, I wil nought faile yow my thankes. 1647Evelyn Mem. (1857) III. 7 Two posts having falled me of intelligence.
II. To have a deficiency or want; to lack.
6. a. intr. To be wanting or deficient in (an essential quality or part).
c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 22 Men þat failen in charite. c1384Chaucer H. Fame iii. 8 Though somme vers fayle in A sillable. c1400Mandeville (Roxb.) xiii. 58 Bot ȝit þai faile in sum articles of oure beleue. 1556Aurelio & Isab. (1608) K v, Beter to faille a litell in the justice, than to be superflue in crualte. 1655Earl of Orrery Parthenissa (1676) 80 You might have fail'd in the knowledge of those particulars. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 114 The Dialogue fails in unity.
b. to fail of: = 7.
1307Elegy Edw. I, x. in Warton (1840) I. 94 Of gode knyhtes darh him nout fail. c1386Chaucer Shipman's T. 248 Of siluer in thy purs shaltow nat faille. 1495Act 11 Hen. VII, c. 9 §1 The King..not willing his..subgettis to faill of remedy. 1586A. Day Eng. Secretary i. (1625) 42 If I faile not of memory therein, we [etc.]. 1651J. Marius Adv. Conc. Bills of Exchange 24 The drawer of the Bill was failed of his credit. 1671R. Bohun Disc. Wind 20 When the Atmosphere begins to thicken..wee seldom fail of a Wind. 1713Gay Guardian No. 149 ⁋17 A dancing-master of the lowest rank seldom fails of the scarlet stocking and the red heel. 1796Morse Amer. Geog. I. 150 Whenever the continent shall come to fail of timber. 1867Longfellow Giotto's Tower 6 How many lives..Fail of the nimbus which the artists paint Around the shining forehead of the saint. 1884Manch. Exam. 22 May 5/4 Failing of any other remedy, they grumble.
7. trans. To be or become deficient in; to lack, want, be without. Now rare.
c1325E.E. Allit. P. B. 1535 A fust faylaynde þe wryst. 1375Barbour Bruce xviii. 269 Thai of the host that falit met. c1400Sowdone Bab. 2290 He saugh the ladies so whiȝte of ler, Faile brede on here table. 1466Marg. Paston in Paston Lett. 560 II. 291 Send me word..whether ye have your last dedes that ye fayled. 1483Festivall (W. de W. 1515) 22 Whan Jacob fayled corne he must nedes sende for more. 1869Freeman Norm. Conq. (ed. 2) III. xi. 44 The Primate prayed that their chosen King might never fail the throne. 1883Jefferies Stor. Heart vii. 115, I fail words to express my utter contempt.
†8. to fail little, not much: to have a narrow escape (of some misadventure). Const. to with inf. and of with gerund. Also, to fail of: to keep clear of, escape, miss. Obs.
1624Capt. Smith Virginia i. (1629) 13 We fayled not much to have been cast away. 1653Holcroft Procopius iv. 130 The Romans Rams..failed little to be all set on fire. 1684Contempl. State of Man i. ii. (1699) 16 Croesus.. failed but little of being burnt alive. 1724Swift Drapier's Lett. iv, That pernicious Counsel of sending base money hither very narrowly failed of losing the Kingdom. 1771Goldsm. Hist. Eng. II. 216 A weak prince..seldom fails of having his authority despised.
III. To fall short in performance or attainment.
9. a. intr. To make default; to be a defaulter; to come short of performing one's duty or functions.
1340Ayenb. 173 Yef he faileþ at his rekeninge: god nele naȝt faly at his. 1389in Eng. Gilds (1870) 30 And qwo falye, schal payen thre pound of wax. 1471Earl Warwick in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. App. iv. I. 4, I pray you ffayle not now. 1535Stewart Cron. Scot. III. 394 Desyrand..To mak redres als far as tha had faillit. 1551Act Mary (1814) 488 Gif ony Lord..failȝeis and brekis the said act. 1611Bible Job xxi. 10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not. 1667Milton P.L. viii. 534 Nature fail'd in mee. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) III. 324 No one will be less likely..to fail in his religious duties.
†b. trans. To make default in; to break. Obs.
c1500Melusine 12 Fals kinge, thou hast faylled thy couenaunt. a1653Gouge Comm. Heb. iii. 5 It is a great crime to fail trust. 1784Cowper Tirocin. 293 These menageries all fail their trust.
†c. To disappoint (expectation). Obs. Cf. 5.
1634Heywood Lanc. Witches i. Wks. 1874 IV. 178 Your Vncle..Hath failed your expectation. 1651Gataker in Fuller's Abel Rediv., Whitaker 403 Neither did he therein either faile their estimation, or [etc.]. 1699W. Dampier Voy. II. i. 105 Not altogether to fail the Readers expectation, I shall give a brief account.
10. a. trans. To leave undone, omit to perform, miss (some customary or expected action). Obs. exc. with inf. as object.
1393Gower Conf. I. 352 To mordre who that woll assente He may nought faile to repente. 1485Caxton Chas. Gt. 29 He faylled not to doo gretely hys deuoyr in sacrifyses & oblacions. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. ccxliii. 362 We commaunde you..that this be nat fayled, in as hasty wyse as ye can. 1529Wolsey in Ellis Orig. Lett. i. 102 II. 2 Fayle not therfor to be here thys nygth. 1611Bible 1 Sam. ii. 16 Let them not faile to burne the fat presently. 1719De Foe Crusoe i. v. (1840) 87 My morning Walk with my Gun, which I seldom failed. 1810Scott Lady of L. iii. xi, Burst be the ear that fails to heed. 1885C. J. Mathew in Law Times' Rep. LIII. 779/1 He failed to keep his word.
†b. with gerund as object. Also, to fail of.
1723Pres. State Russia I. 105 Such corrupt Habits as could not fail producing an Aversion to him. 1749Fielding Tom Jones ii. ii, Thomas..whom he had hitherto seldom failed of visiting at least once a Day.
c. With inf. as object, of a thing, circumstance, situation, influence: not to have the effect of, not to result in (doing something) (usu. in negative const.).
1920Eng. Hist. Rev. Jan. 143 Turenne..was a protestant, a circumstance which could not fail to prejudice Louis.
†11.
a. intr. To be at fault; to miss the mark, go astray, err. Const. of, from. Obs.
c1290S. Eng. Leg. I. 95/103 Þou faillest of þin art. a1340Hampole Psalter xi. 1 Vnnethes ere any funden þat failes noght fra halynes. 1393Langl. P. Pl. C. xxiii. 31 And spiritus prudencie in menye poynt shal fayle Of þat he weneþ wolde falle. c1440York Myst. xxiii. 210 In ȝoure faith fayland. 1538Starkey England i. iv. 119 The ordur of our law also in the punnyschment of theft..faylyth much from gud cyvylyte. 1590Sir J. Smyth Disc. Weapons 17 b, If..Mosquettiers in taking their sights, doo faile but the lengthe of a wheate corne in the height of their point.
†b. trans. To miss (a mark, one's footing, etc.). Also, to fail of. Obs.
1375Barbour Bruce iii. 123 He lansyt furth delyuerly, Swa that the tothir failȝeit fete. c1430Syr Tryam. 1220 He faylyd of hym, hys hors he hytt. 1470–85Malory Arthur ix. xxxv, The hors fayled footynge, and felle in the Ryuer. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss I. clxiii. 201 He fayled nat the Englysshe Knyght, for he strake hym. 1568Grafton Chron. II. 338 He had thought to have lept agayne to his horse, but he fayled of the Styrop.
†c. trans. To come short of; to miss, not to obtain. Also absol. Obs.
1377Langl. P. Pl. B. xi. 25 Þe freke þat folwed my wille failled neuere blisse. 1393Ibid. C. iii. 159 Gyue gold al a-boute..to notaries þat non of hem faille.
12. a. intr. To be unsuccessful in an attempt or enterprise. Const. to with inf.; also in. Said of persons; occas. of the means.
1340Hampole Pr. Consc. 1463 Now we fande our force, now we fail. c1385Chaucer L.G.W. 1646 Hipsiph. & M., He shal nat fayle The fles to wynne. 1523Ld. Berners Froiss. I. clxiii. 201 And thenglyshe knight thought to haue striken hym with his speare in the targe, but he fayled. 1609Skene Reg. Maj. 116 Albeit he faillie in probation of the remanent exceptions. 1667Milton P.L. vii. 139 Our envious Foe hath fail'd. 1732Law Serious C. viii. (ed. 2) 112 Poor Tradesmen that had fail'd in their business. 1775Burke Sp. Conc. Amer. Wks. III. 47 Conciliation failing, no further hope of reconciliation is left. 1796H. Hunter tr. St.-Pierre's Stud. Nat. (1799) II. 254 They scarcely ever fail to bring out fish. 1842Tennyson Gardener's Dau. 31 You scarce can fail to match his master⁓piece. 1878Jevons Prim. Pol. Econ. 60 Some occupations..can be taken up by men who fail in other work.
b. Of an action, design, etc.: To miscarry, not to succeed.
c1394P. Pl. Crede 98 My purpos is i-failed. c1450Why I can't be a nun 151 in E.E.P. (1862) 142 My techyng may not fayle. 1610Shakes. Temp. Epil. 12 My project failes. 1874Green Short Hist. iii. 148 A revolt which failed..through the desertion of their head. 1883Sir N. Lindley in Law Rep. 25 Ch. Div. 355 His action..would fail, and he would have to pay the costs.
c. Of crops, seeds, etc.: To be abortive or unproductive.
1297R. Glouc. (1724) 414 Frute faylede all þulke ȝer, & heruest late also. c1325E.E. Allit. P. A. 34 So semly a sede moȝt fayly not. 1611Bible 2 Esdras, Their seedes shall faile, through the blasting, and haile. 1657Austen Fruit Trees i. 48 Chuse not those [Grafts] that are very small, they commonly fayle. 1712Mortimer Husb. ii. ii. 9 He thinks that very few [Grains] failed. 1847Tennyson Princ. 124 The year in which our olives fail'd.
d. to fail of: to come short of obtaining or meeting with (an object desired), or of accomplishing or attaining (a purpose, etc.). Now rare exc. with gerund or vbl. n.
a1225Ancr. R. 404 Ase þauh a mon þet heuede longe i-swunken and failede..a last, of his hure. c1315Shoreham 3 Yf thou nelt nauȝt climme thos, Of hevene thou hest y-fayled. 1398Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xii. iii. (1495) 412 Yf she faylyth..of the pray that she resyth to. 1470–85Malory Arthur ii. x, He fayled of his stroke, and smote the hors neck. 1577Hanmer Anc. Eccl. Hist. (1619) 145 Some failed of the purposed end. 1646Sir T. Browne Pseud. Ep. i. x. 39 Fayling of his first attempt to be but like the highest in heaven. 1713Steele Guardian No. 17 ⁋7 His man never failed of bringing in his prey. 1737Johnson Let. 12 July in Boswell, Could not fail of a favourable reception. 1815W. H. Ireland Scribbleomania 165 She never can fail of bewitching the reader. 1844H. Rogers Ess. I. ii. 83 To fail of part of the admiration due to other endowments. 1875Jowett Plato (ed. 2) IV. 249 Mere perception does not reach being, and therefore fails of truth.
13. To become insolvent or bankrupt. Said of individuals and of mercantile houses, banks, etc.
1682J. Scarlett Exchanges 127 If that Endorser fail and be insolvent. a1734North Lives (1826) III. 291 Mills, with his auctioneering, atlasses, and projects, failed. 1796Hull Advertiser 25 June 2/3 Twelve capital houses have failed in different parts of Italy. 1868Bentley Wealth & Politics ii. 81 Thirty-one banks failed in little more than three months.
14. a. intr. To be unsuccessful in an examination, to be ‘plucked’. b. trans. (colloq.) Of an examiner: To report (a candidate) as having failed; to ‘pluck’.
1884Pall Mall G. 6 Mar. 11 He ‘fails’ them all, turns to mistress, ‘Your children are perfect idiots’.
c. trans. To be unsuccessful in (an examination).
1906Westm. Gaz. 22 Apr. 3/1 Such [sc. Indian] men applying for positions write, ‘I am a failed B.A.’. 1909H. G. Wells Tono-Bungay iii. ii. 244 He failed some dreadful examination and had to go into the militia. 1925E. Wallace Mind of Mr. J. G. Reeder v. 168 He..had a sketchy knowledge of the law (on his visiting cards was the inscription ‘Failed LL.B.’). 1971Daily Tel. 7 Oct. 2/2 The RIBA said that students in the five schools were failing examinations because of low teaching standards.
IV.
†15. trans. nonce-use. To deceive, cheat (L. fallĕre).
1590Spenser F.Q. iii. xi. 46 So lively and so like that living sence it fayld. |