† ofsetv.
Obsolete.
transitive. To beset, oppress.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > rule or government > oppression > oppress [verb (transitive)]
ofsiteOE
forthringOE
overlayOE
ofsetOE
to tread down, under foot, in the mire, to the ground, to piecesc1175
overseta1200
defoulc1300
oppressa1382
overpressa1382
overchargec1390
overleadc1390
overliea1393
thringa1400
overcarkc1400
to grind the faces (occasionally face) ofa1425
press?a1425
downthringc1430
vicea1525
tread1526
to hold (also keep, bring, put) one's nose to the grindstonea1533
tyrannizea1533
wring1550
downpress1579
bepress1591
defoil1601
ingrate1604
crush1611
grinda1626
macerate1637
trample1646
OE Prognostics (Tiber.) in Archiv f. das Studium der Neueren Sprachen (1910) 125 53 Dulcia edere, in multis criminibus opprimitur significat : swete etan on manegum leahtrum bið ofsett hit ge[tacnaþ].
OE Ælfric Old Test. Summary: Judges (Laud) iii. 8 in S. J. Crawford Old Eng. Version of Heptateuch (1922) 402 He hig ofsette & geswencte forðearle.
a1325 St. Edward Elder (Corpus Cambr.) 232 in C. D'Evelyn & A. J. Mill S. Eng. Legendary (1956) 117 (MED) He wolde habbe ywend to Ssefteburi..Ac he was so ofcet wiþ werre þat he ne miȝte for none þinge.
a1375 (c1350) William of Palerne (1867) 2648 (MED) Þei hadde..ofsette hire so harde..þat prestli to hire puple to palerne sche ferde.
a1400 in F. J. Furnivall Polit., Relig., & Love Poems (1903) 268 Hou þi lotleschipe to scharp detz is of set.
c1450 (c1350) Alexander & Dindimus (Bodl.) (1929) 987 (MED) We ben ofset wiþ no sinne for unsely godus.
c1600 (c1350) Alisaunder (Greaves) (1929) 395 In sorowe bene they ofsett, to siken in hert.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2004; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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v.OE