> as lemmas

c1330 (?c1300) Bevis of Hampton (Auch.) l. 3563 (MED) Wiþ his hint fot he him smot And to-daschte al is brain.]

1565 J. Hall Courte of Vertue f. 142 Some in a bushe would closely lurke For thys most fylthy gaynes, And wyth a club most murderously, Knocke out the true mans braynes.

a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) i. i. 196 To knocke out an honest Athenians braines . View more context for this quotation

1632 J. Hayward tr. G. F. Biondi Eromena 178 [He] ranne his head at the wall with such a horrible force as he therewith dash'd out his braines.

1691 J. Dryden King Arthur i. i. 6 Lift high thy thund'ring Arm, let every blow Dash out a mis-believing Briton's Brains.

1731 Gentleman's Mag. 1 221/2 As Mr. Richards..was viewing a Windmill by Bow, the Sweeps turning of a sudden dash'd out his Brains.

1754 S. Foote Knights i. 14 If you tell Father, he'll knock my Brains out; for he says I'll disparage the Family.

1782 Young Philosopher I. xxxiv. 239 I retreated back a few steps, and catching up a large stone, I threatened to dash his brains out, if he did not leave me instantly.

1811 L. Aikin Juvenile Corr. xiii. 67 They began to beat him with great clubs, and soon knocked his brains out.

1852 S. Moodie Roughing it in Bush I. i. 3 He started up and knocked his head, for he was very tall, against the ceiling. ‘Confound your low cribs! I have nearly dashed out my brains.’

1864 Ld. Tennyson Boadicea 68 Dash the brains of the little one out.

1919 Outing Mar. 313/2 He then threw him down, set his foot upon his head, and scalped him alive; then took up one of the broken guns and knocked out his brains.

1968 G. Jones Hist. Vikings i. ii. 39 Even with horses his touch was not held to be infallible: according to the Kálfsvísa he fell off one..at Lake Väner,..and according to Snorri fell off another at a sacrifice and knocked his brains out on a stone.

2003 V. O. Carter Such Sweet Thunder 512 For an instant Amerigo contemplated dashing his brains out on the rails below.