wishn.1
/wɪʃ/, U.S. /wɪʃ/ 1. Proverbs.1665 G. Wither Medit. upon Lords Prayer 50 If (as the Proverb is) wishes were Thrushes, we might all eat Birds.1670 J. Ray Coll. Eng. Prov. 157 If wishes would bide, beggers would ride.1721 J. Kelly Compl. Coll. Scotish Prov. 178 If Wishes were Horses, Beggars would ride.1880 G. Meredith Tragic Comedians I. v. 109 He had a saying: Two wishes make a will.† b. in generalized use: Desire. Obsolete. rare.
a. An instance of wishing; a feeling in the mind directed towards something which one believes would give satisfaction if attained, possessed, or realized. (With const. as in wish v. 1 (b), (c), (d).)Most commonly denoting a desire for something not attainable by one's own effort, felt in the mind but not impelling to action; a passive or inactive desire.The ordinary word for this affection of the mind; less emphatic than craving, longing, or yearning, but including these as particular cases.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > [noun]
willeOE
hearteOE
i-willc888
self-willeOE
intent?c1225
device1303
couragec1320
talentc1325
greec1330
voluntyc1330
fantasyc1374
likinga1375
disposingc1380
pleasancea1382
affectionc1390
wish1390
disposition1393
affecta1398
likea1400
lista1400
pleasingc1400
emplesance1424
pleasurec1425
well-willingc1443
notiona1450
mindc1450
fancy1465
empleseur1473
hest?a1513
plighta1535
inclination1541
cue1567
month's mind1580
disposedness1583
leaning1587
humour1595
wouldings1613
beneplacit1643
wouldingness1645
vergency1649
bene-placiture1662
good liking1690
draught1758
tida1774
inkling1787
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > wishing > [noun] > a wish
wishing1377
wish1390
option1593
would1753
1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis III. 254 Bot if mi wisshes myhte availe, I wolde it were a groundles pet.
c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 535/1 Wusche, or wuschynge, exoptacio.
a1500 R. Henryson Praise of Age 6 in Poems (1981) 166 My wis, Off all this warld to mak me lord and kyng.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 289/2 Wysshe desyre, souhait.
1600 W. Shakespeare Henry IV, Pt. 2 iv. iii. 221 Thy wish was father (Harry,) to that thought. View more context for this quotation
1600 T. Dekker Old Fortunatus sig. D2v This Hat..clapt vpon my head, I (onely with a wish) am through the ayre, Transported in a moment ouer Seas.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) i. iii. 62 As one relying on your Lordships will, And not depending on his friendly wish . View more context for this quotation
1648 R. Fanshawe tr. B. Guarini Pastor Fido ii. iv. 64 Fortune beyond my wish hath favoured me.
1694 F. Atterbury Scorner Incapable of Wisdom 15 He comes with strong Wishes that he may find it all a mistake.
1751 T. Gray Elegy xix. 9 Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray.
1751 S. Johnson Rambler No. 178. ⁋12 The whole world is put in motion by the wish for riches, and the dread of poverty.
1825 W. Scott Betrothed v, in Tales Crusaders I. 95 Form but a wish for her advantage, and it shall be fulfilled.
1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam liv. 78 The wish, that of the living whole No life may fail beyond the grave. View more context for this quotation
1850 Ld. Tennyson In Memoriam lxxxviii. 133 I find not yet one lonely thought That cries against my wish for thee. View more context for this quotation
1850 G. C. Lewis Let. 24 Apr. (1870) 223 He..has no wish to be a Church dignitary.
1876 J. B. Mozley Serm. preached Univ. of Oxf. xi. 213 The power of prayer..is..the power of strong wishes.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > [noun]
i-willc888
wilningc888
willingeOE
lustc950
listc1220
desire1303
affection1340
desiring1377
appetite1382
envya1400
wishc1430
desideryc1450
stomach1513
affect1531
wilnec1540
desirefulness1548
woulding1549
desirousness1571
ambition1579
lusting1580
listing1587
maw1601
appetition1603
appetence1610
bosoma1616
orexis1619
desirableness1649
appetency1656
would1753
wanting1801
want-to1903
c1430 Hymns Virgin (1867) 62 Pride..ȝeueþ but woo & wyssche to wage.
a1716 R. South 12 Serm. (1717) VI. 416 Prayer..was never designed to supply the room of Watchfulness, or to make Wish instead of Endeavour.
c. In phrases with prepositions. †with or upon one's wish or wishes, †at wish, according to one's wish, just as one wishes; in readiness for one as one wishes, at one's disposal (= at will at will n.1 Phrases 2d). †at high wish, at the height of the fulfilment of one's wishes. to (one's) wish (rarely wishes), as one wishes; esp. to the full extent of one's desire, as much as one wishes. (Now rare or Obsolete) to a wish (Scottish), †till a wish, just as one would wish, perfectly, exactly.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > perfection > [adverb]
fullfremedlyOE
to envyc1369
to a wish1390
perfectlyc1395
consummately1529
sincerely1583
to the (also a) nail?1611
like a tansy1619
magisterially1625
(up) to the nines (rarely nine)?1719
puffickly1858
quintessentially1866
to the (also a) queen's taste1880
A-OK1961
the mind > emotion > pleasure > contentment or satisfaction > [adverb] > so as to content or satisfy
to a wish1390
satisfyingly1613
contentfully1665
the mind > emotion > pleasure > contentment or satisfaction > [adverb] > so as to content or satisfy > to one's satisfaction
to one's willOE
a-willc1275
at a person's willc1300
fillc1300
to payc1300
at, to greec1374
with or upon one's wish or wishes1390
agreea1425
at wisha1525
to (one's) wish (rarely wishes)1586
to one's heart's content1600
wishfully1607
the world > action or operation > undertaking > preparation > in preparation [phrase] > in a state of preparation or readiness > ready for use > as one wishes
at a person's willc1300
with or upon one's wish or wishes1390
at wisha1525
the mind > emotion > pleasure > contentment or satisfaction > [adverb] > at height of fulfilment
at high wisha1616
1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 330 I have ben ofte moeved so, That with my wisshes if I myhte,..I hadde storven in a day.
1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis II. 39 He ne wol no travail take To ryde for his ladi sake, Bot liveth al upon his wisshes.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 23412 All þat wit-standand þe es Thoru sal þou thril it wit þi wiss [Gött. Thoru sal þou thril wid þi suiftnes].
1490 Caxton's Blanchardyn & Eglantine (1962) ix. 37 Well syttyng on horsbacke, and tyl a wysshe wel shapen of alle membres.
a1525 (c1448) R. Holland Bk. Howlat l. 847 in W. A. Craigie Asloan MS (1925) II. 121 All yus yir hathillis in hall heirly remanit With all welthis at wiss.
a1542 T. Wyatt Coll. Poems (1969) lxxix. 13 Where it was at wysshe it could not remain?
a1568 R. Ascham Scholemaster (1570) i. f. 8v Though a child haue all the giftes of nature at wishe.
1586 G. Whitney Choice of Emblemes 144 [He] to his wishe, of pilottes made his choise.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Julius Caesar (1623) iii. ii. 259 He comes vpon a wish . View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) iv. iii. 246 The one is filling still, neuer compleat: The other, at high wish . View more context for this quotation
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost ix. 423 When to his wish, Beyond his hope, Eve separate he spies. View more context for this quotation
1703 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion II. viii. 420 Though the Relief of Banbury succeeded to wish, yet the King paid dear for it soon after.
1779 T. Forrest Voy. New Guinea 56 The people, who assisted us so opportunely, were rewarded to their wish.
1787 J. Beattie Scoticisms 106 Every thing succeeds to a wish.
1824 Ld. Byron Don Juan: Canto XV lxviii. 39 A dish Of which perhaps the cookery rather varies, So every one may dress it to his wish.
2.
a. A desire expressed in words, or the expression of such; sometimes nearly = ‘request’: = desire n. 4 (Cf. wish v. 3, 4, 5.)
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > speech > request > [noun] > desire or wish
willOE
yering13..
wishing1377
desirea1400
wish1513
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > wishing > [noun] > a wish > expressed in words
wish1513
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid viii. ix. 31 The wyssis and avowis..By women and the matronys doublit were.
c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) lxxxiv. 264 He sayd ‘I wysshe them here on this table’. He had no sooner made his wysshe but they were set on the table.
a1614 J. Melville Autobiogr. & Diary (1842) 443 My opinioun and wis was, ther sould be na generall meittings.
1714 A. Pope Corr. 27 Aug. (1956) I. 245 I admire your Whig-principles of Resistance exceedingly, in the spirit of the Barcelonians; I joyn in your wish for them.
1819 P. B. Shelley Cenci i. iii. 13 One supplication, one desire, one hope, That he would grant a wish for his two sons.
1908 R. Bagot Anthony Cuthbert xxvi. 339 At Anthony's wish she wore the Cuthbert diamonds.
b. spec. An expression of desire for another's welfare: often as a farewell greeting. Usually, now always, in plural.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > courteous act or expression > [noun] > good wishes
best wishes1595
wish1597
prayers1600
welfare1642
best1922
the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > kindness > [noun] > goodwill or kind intention > a good wish
well wish1595
wish1597
bon-accordc1650
1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II i. iii. 94 Take from my mouth the wish of happy yeeres. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare All's Well that ends Well (1623) i. i. 56 Maddam I desire your holie wishes . View more context for this quotation
1627 J. Taylor Armado Ep. Ded. With my best wishes for the perpetuity of your..felicity.
1735 A. Pope Corr. Nov. (1956) III. 508 Pray tell him my best wishes for his health and long life.
1833 D. C. Murray Hearts v I know nothing about it, Tom,..but you have my best wishes.
1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. xxv. 177 We quitted Chamouni, bearing with us the good wishes of a portion of its inhabitants.
c. An imprecation, a malediction. Obsolete or dialect.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > language > malediction > [noun]
cursea1050
malisonc1300
woea1425
evil thee1509
thunderbolt1559
vae1559
thunder-crack1577
ban1590
wish1597
anathema1603
imprecation1603
execration1605
thunder-clap1610
deprecationa1661
effulminationa1670
Maranatha1769
winze1786
cuss1829
sailor's blessing1876
blessing1878
sailor's farewell1937
the mind > goodness and badness > state of being accursed > curse > [noun] > as everyday imprecation
oatha1225
malisonc1300
reproach1485
thunderbolt1559
revilement1577
thunder-crack1577
revile1579
ban1590
wish1597
thunder-clap1610
expletive1647
rapper1675
cuss1771
winze1786
Goddammit1800
goddam1828
dirty word1842
blank1854
emphatic1868
swear1871
sailor's blessing1876
blessing1878
goldarn1879
swear-word1883
rounder1885
curse-word1897
dang1906
sailor's farewell1937
1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III iv. i. 71 This was my wish, be thou quoth I accurst. View more context for this quotation
1599 W. Shakespeare Romeo & Juliet iii. ii. 91 Blisterd be thy tongue For such a wish, he was not borne to shame. View more context for this quotation
1820 Marmaiden of Clyde x, in Edinb. Mag. & Literary Misc. 6 423 I flang the renyie on his neck With a wiss that sould nae been.
1854 A. E. Baker Gloss. Northants. Words II. 402 ‘He took a many wishes’, was an expression used by a witness in the Sessions Court at Northampton.
3. transferred. An object of desire; what one wishes or wishes for: = desire n. 5.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > wishing > [noun] > object wished for
wisha1400
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 10406 Þai þat stad er in þair blis, Wit-vten want has alle þair wis.
c1400 Mandeville xvii. [xiii.] (1919) 97 Þat faire lady schal ȝeuen him..the first wyssche þat he wil wyssche of erthely thinges.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) iv. ii. 90 Sil. What's your will? Pro. That I may compasse yours. Sil. You haue your wish . View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Cymbeline (1623) iii. v. 20 Your valiant Britaines haue their wishes in it. View more context for this quotation
1667 J. Milton Paradise Lost viii. 451 Thy fit help, thy other self, Thy wish, exactly to thy hearts desire. View more context for this quotation
1713 J. Addison Cato iv. iii. 80 My joy! my best belov'd! my only wish!
1764 S. Foote Lyar i. ii. 11 Surely, the wish of every decent woman is to be unnotic'd in public.
1849 T. B. Macaulay Hist. Eng. I. v. 566 The wish of the government was that he should be executed in England.]
Compounds
wish book n. North American slang a mail-order catalogue.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > selling > [noun] > mail-order catalogue
mail order catalogue1888
wish book1933
1933 Amer. Speech 8 32/1 Wishbook, a mail-order catalogue.
1971 Alberta Hist. Rev. Summer 25/1 That was when we would look at our ‘Wish Book’, the mail order catalogue, until it was out of date, and then tear the pages out in the ‘House of Parliament’.
wish card n. rare in fortune-telling, a card which predicts the attainment of a desired end.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > foresight, foreknowledge > prediction, foretelling > fortune-telling > [noun] > instruments used in
tarot1872
teacup1883
tea-leaf1883
wish card1922
1922 J. Joyce Ulysses iii. xviii. [Penelope] 726 Ill throw them the 1st thing in the morning till I see if the wishcard come out.
wish-dream n. [compare German Wunschtraum] a dream or fantasy that reflects some hidden wish; also attributive.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > sleep > dream > [noun] > other specific types
gulf-dream1813
dreamlet1828
wet dream1851
dream sequence1893
wish-fulfilment1908
war dream1918
wish-dream1934
the world > physical sensation > sleeping and waking > sleep > dream > [adjective] > resembling specific types of dream
nightmare-like1919
wish-dream1934
1934 R. Campbell Broken Rec. i. 9 Wish-dreams might account for this desire to ‘headlong-hall’ me into the next world.
1945 A. Koestler Yogi & Commissar i. iii. 31 She is not necessarily the wishdream-girl of suburban circulating libraries.
1953 Encounter Nov. 25/2 The wish-dream world of the Stockholm peace campaigner.
1966 New Scientist 28 July 222/1 Black gold in the back lot must be the standard rags-to-riches wishdream in the United States.
wish list n. a list of desired objects or occurrences.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > wishing > [noun] > object wished for > list of
wish list1972
1972 Times 30 May 19/2 It had a presently confidential ‘wish list’ of programmes it would like to see abandoned.
1976 National Observer (U.S.) 10 July 9/3 Wholesale replacement of the nation's taxi fleet is hardly at the top of operators' wish lists.
wish-thinking n. = wishful thinking at wishful adj. 2a(b).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > hope > [noun] > unfounded hope
forlorn hopea1643
wish-thinking1930
wishful thinking1932
a wing and a prayer1943
straw-clutching1962
hope-against-hope1968
1930 J. Jastrow Piloting your Life 170 It would take not a chapter but a volume to describe all the varieties of impediments of thought. If reduced to a schedule they might read like this:..Wish Thinking, believing what you hope or want to be true; [etc.].
1945 R. A. Knox God & Atom viii. 115 Most people who are capable of thinking, and are not deceived by wish-thinking, agree that the world is in ferment.
1958 J. Lodwick Bid Soldiers Shoot viii. 268 In matters of wish-thinking..the Victor of the Pacific, MacArthur, had met his match.
wish-wife n. [after Old Norse óskmær (see wishmay n.)] a light woman.
ΘΚΠ
society > morality > moral evil > licentiousness > unchastity > [noun] > sexual indulgence > unchaste behaviour of woman > unchaste or loose woman
queanOE
whorec1175
malkinc1275
wenchelc1300
ribalda1350
strumpeta1350
wench1362
filtha1375
parnelc1390
sinner14..
callet1415
slut?c1425
tickle-tailc1430
harlot?a1475
mignote1489
kittock?a1500
mulea1513
trulla1516
trully?1515
danta1529
miswoman1528
stewed whore1532
Tib1533
unchaghe1534
flag1535
Katy1535
jillet1541
yaud1545
housewife1546
trinkletc1550
whippet1550
Canace1551
filthy1553
Jezebel1558
kittyc1560
loonc1560
laced mutton1563
nymph1563
limmer1566
tomboy1566
Marian1567
mort1567
cockatrice1568
franion1571
blowze1573
rannell1573
rig1575
Kita1577
poplet1577
light-skirts1578
pucelle1578
harlotry1584
light o' lovea1586
driggle-draggle1588
wagtail1592
tub-tail1595
flirt-gill1597
minx1598
hilding1599
short-heels1599
bona-roba1600
flirt1600
Hiren1600
light-heels1602
roba1602
baggage1603
cousin1604
fricatrice1607
rumbelow1611
amorosa1615
jaya1616
open-taila1618
succubus1622
snaphancea1625
flap1631
buttered bun1638
puffkin1639
vizard1652
fallen woman1659
tomrigg1662
cunt1663
quaedama1670
jilt1672
crack1677
grass-girl1691
sporting girl1694
sportswoman1705
mobbed hood1707
brim1736
trollop1742
trub1746
demi-rep1749
gillyflower1757
lady of easy virtue1766
mot1773
chicken1782
gammerstang1788
buer1807
scarlet woman1816
blowen1819
fie-fie1820
shickster?1834
streel1842
charver1846
trolly1854
bad girl1855
amateur1862
anonyma1862
demi-virgin1864
pickup1871
chippy1885
wish-wife1886
tart1887
tartleta1890
flossy1893
fly girl1893
demi-mondaine1894
floozy1899
slattern1899
scrub1900
demi-vierge1908
cake1909
coozie1912
muff1914
tarty1918
yes-girl1920
radge1923
bike1945
puta1948
messer1951
cooze1955
jamette1965
skeezer1986
slutbag1987
chickenhead1988
ho1988
1886 J. S. Corbett Fall of Asgard I. 227 Her wouldst thou profane as though she were some wish-wife.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1928; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
wishn.2
/wɪʃ/, U.S. /wɪʃ/ local (now Sussex).
A piece of meadow, now of marshy meadow; a piece of flat ground lying in the bend of a river and thus liable to be flooded.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > farming > farm > farmland > grassland > [noun] > meadow land > meadow > water-meadow
wish898
ing1483
salt meadow1656
water meadow1719
water-meada1722
flow-meadow1834
pré salé1903
898 in Birch Cart. Sax. II. 219 Concedo..terram..in loco qui dicitur Fearnleag & an miclan wisce vi æceres mæde.
c1150 in Kemble Cod. Dipl. III. 175 To stucan wisc æt ðæne mearcbeorh.
1516–17 Ledger Bk. Battle Abbey in Trans. Philol. Soc. 1895–8 542 Menewyssh..Borderswyssh..Hodisdaliswyssh.
a1600 in Sussex Archaeol. Coll. (1851) 4 306 A true & certeine note how ye Drinker dooth faule to every~mans lande or yard wishe in the parishe of Kingston, nigh Lewis, at ye time of trading of ye wishe.
1651 in Sussex Archaeol. Coll. (1872) 24 282 Lands settled vpon her by the name of Marshland, called Castle Wish als Colbrands lying within the parish of Westham.
1696–7 in Sussex Archaeol. Coll. (1849) 2 121 Ye two acres croppe in ye Northwish.
1850 Sussex Archaeol. Coll. 3 305 In both these parishes [sc. Lewes and Southease] were particular brooks [i.e. marshes] called Wishes, and in each also there was a small piece of brookland called the Drinker.
1857 Sussex Archaeol. Coll. 9 156 ‘The Wish’ in East Bourn, close to the sea.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1928; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
wishadj.
/wɪʃ/, U.S. /wɪʃ/Categories »
(dialect): see wisht adj.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1928; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
wishv.
/wɪʃ/, U.S. /wɪʃ//wɪʃt/. Forms: α. Old English wyscan, wiscan, Middle English wusshe, Middle English wysche, (1600s Scottish) wische, Middle English–1500s wisshe, Middle English–1500s wys(s)he, (Middle English wusse, wisse, Middle English wussche, whusshe, wiche, wesche, wesse, Middle English wusche, wiesshe, wosshe, weesshe, 1500s wys(c)h, wishe, whysshe, wyszhe), 1500s– wish. β. Scottish (and northern) Middle English–1500s wisse, wis, Middle English–1800s wiss, 1500s wys(s, whiss, 1500s–1600s viss, 1600s wosse, 1800s wuss. past tense Old English wyscte, wiscte, Middle English wyst, weste, 1500s (1800s) wisht; Middle English wissede, etc., Middle English–1500s wisshed, Middle English–1500s Scottish wissit, etc., 1500s– wished. past participle Middle English iwist, 1500s wysht, 1500s–1700s wisht; Middle English–1500s wisshed, etc., 1500s– wished. 1. † b. figurative of a thing: To ‘require’: = desire v. 3.
a. transitive. To have or feel a wish for; to desire.The ordinary word for this; now always less emphatic than the synonyms covet, crave, long (for), yearn (for); in earlier use occasionally in the sense of these. Sometimes softened by could or should (would): cf. can v.1 17, shall v. 19c, will v.1 26b; or strengthened before a subordinate clause ( 1b, 2c) by such phrases as to God, to goodness, to heaven.
(a) with simple object (in Old English usually in the genitive). Now dialect; superseded in standard English by wish for (see 2), or colloquial in certain contexts by want (want v. 10).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > wishing > wish [verb (transitive)] > wish for
wishc897
willOE
willOE
c897 K. Ælfred tr. Gregory Pastoral Care i. 29 Ne cuæð he ðæt forðdyðe he ænegum men ðæs wyscte oððe wilnode.
971 Blickl. Hom. 103 [Hie] his tocymes wyscton.
c1000 Ælfric Homilies I. 594 Ic sceal his rode sigor swiðor wiscan ðonne ondrædan.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 165 Ðe sune wussheð þe fader deað, ar his dai cume.
c1400 (?c1380) Pearl l. 14 Ofte haf I wayted wyschande þat wele.
1488 (c1478) Hary Actis & Deidis Schir William Wallace (Adv.) (1968–9) x. l. 719 Sum wald haiff had Boyd at the suerdis lenth, Sum wyst [1570 wissit] Lundy.
1490 W. Caxton tr. Foure Sonnes of Aymon (1885) xxiii. 496 Now have I that I desired, and wysshed soo longe.
a1510 G. Douglas King Hart ii. 3 [He] wantis nocht in warld, that he wald wis.
1567 Compend. Bk. Godly Songs (1897) 9 Thy nychtbouris wyfe..Thow couet not to the, nor wis His hors, his oxe, [etc.]
1597 T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke 116 Causing you thinke the night long and wish the daylight.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) iii. i. 54 I would not wish Any Companion in the world but you. View more context for this quotation
1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan ii. xxvii. 159 Not as wishing liberty of private revenges.
1748 S. Richardson Clarissa VI. lxxxiii. 305 I charge you,..as you wish my peace, not to say any-thing of a letter you have from me.
1816 W. Scott Black Dwarf i, in Tales of my Landlord 1st Ser. I. 29 ‘Wussing your health, sirs,’ said the shepherd.
1819 P. B. Shelley Cenci i. ii. 10 You know My zeal for all you wish, sweet Beatrice.
1854 C. Dickens Hard Times ii. i. 141 Would you wish a little more hot water, ma'am?
1901 W. R. H. Trowbridge Lett. Mother to Elizabeth xxix. 144 [The maid] flew into a rage, and wanted to know if I wished a month's notice.
(b) with object clause with may or (formerly) present subjunctive, occasionally indicative: expressing a desire that the event may happen or that the fact may prove to be so, and often implying some want of confidence or fear of the opposite (now commonly expressed by hope: see hope v. 3b). Also expressing a request (see 5).
ΚΠ
OE Deor 25 Sæt secg monig sorgum gebunden, wean on wenan, wyscte geneahhe þæt þæs cynerices ofercumen wære.
c1000 Ælfric Genesis xvii. 18 Ic wisce þæt Ismahel lybbe ætforan ðe.
a1586 Sir P. Sidney Arcadia (1590) ii. x. sig. T7 I wish that it may not proue ominous foretoken of misfortune.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) iv. iii. 41 I wish all good befortune you. View more context for this quotation
1649 in J. Stuart Misc. Spalding Club (1852) V. 381 I heartellie wosse that anie that lowes religione..keepe themselwes free of anie accessione..to swche wnhape men.
1661 P. Henry Diaries & Lett. (1882) 86 I wish I suffer no prejudice by it.
1691 T. Shadwell Scowrers iv. i. 37 I wish the house is not rob'd.
1716 J. Addison Drummer ii. 14 He say's he's a Conjurer, but he looks very suspicious; I wish he ben't a Jesuit.
1756 Monitor No. 35. 1 325 He is certainly bewitched: I wish the old hag upon the green has done him no mischief.
1808 J. Austen Let. 1 Oct. (1995) 140 She hears that Miss Bigg is to be married in a fortnight. I wish it may be so.
1823 W. Scott Quentin Durward II. xi. 260 I wish we have not got King Stork, instead of King Log.
1860 E. Eden Semi-attached Couple xii Mrs. Tomkinson wished to goodness there might soon be..‘a little staying company’ in the house.
1872 ‘G. Eliot’ in J. W. Cross George Eliot's Life (1885) III. 157 I wish that you may happen to know her.
(c) with object clause with past subjunctive (or indicative, e.g. was for were): expressing an unrealized or unrealizable desire (see also will v.1 32a), or in modern use sometimes a mild request (cf. 5). to wish to God: to wish intensely.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > wishing > wish [phrase]
Christ wouldeOE
God wouldeOE
lief I were1297
to hope (also wish, etc.) to Christa1375
to wish to Godc1385
willc1460
would to God (also Heaven)c1460
goodness1623
971 Blickl. Hom. 93 Hie..wyscaþ þæt hie næfre næron acennede from fæder ne from meder.
c1000 Ælfric Deut. xxxii. 29 Ic wisce ðæt hi wiston & undergeaton..hyra ende [L. utinam saperent].
1340 Ayenbite (1866) 56 Hi wesseþ þet hi hedden nykken of crane and wombe of cou.
1362 W. Langland Piers Plowman A. v. 92 Þenne I wussche hit weore myn.
c1385 G. Chaucer Legend Good Women Thisbe. 755 Thys wall they woldyn threte And wysshe to god hyt were doun ybete.
1476 in C. L. Kingsford Stonor Lett. & Papers (1919) II. 11 Wherfore I wyst fulle hertly dyuerse tymez þat ȝe hadde ben here.
a1561 G. Cavendish Metrical Visions (1980) 539 Therfor my frayltie I may bothe Curse and ban. Whissyng to God I had neuer knowen man.
1578 J. Lyly Euphues f. 31 I wish my wish were as effectually ended as it is heartely looked for.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) i. v. 24 That which rather thou do'st feare to doe, Then wishest should be vndone. View more context for this quotation
1625 J. Ussher Let. in R. Parr Life J. Usher (1686) Coll. lxxiv. 315 I could wish that Mr. Lisle would take some pains in translating the Saxon Annals into our English Tongue.
1681 in 10th Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1885) App. i. 133 I haiue gotten a tasch upon me that I wisch from my hart it was well of my handes to your satisfaction.
1711 J. Addison Spectator No. 121. ¶8 I could wish our Royal Society would compile a body of Natural History.
1817 Ld. Byron Let. 25 Mar. (1976) V. 188 Heigh ho! I wish I was drunk—but I have nothing but this d—d barley-water before me.
1832 Ld. Tennyson New Year's Eve iv, in Poems (new ed.) 96 I wish the snow would melt..I long to see a flower so.
1885 ‘F. Anstey’ Tinted Venus ii. 24 ‘I wish to heaven I did,’ cried the manager.
1890 ‘L. Falconer’ Mademoiselle Ixe (1891) 75 I wish to goodness your people would give a dance, Evelyn!
1932 ‘N. Shute’ Lonely Road vii. 178 I wish to God we'd gone back to the boat.
1941 L. A. G. Strong Bay 7 I wish to God I knew how to begin.
1976 Daily Mirror 11 Mar. 7/2 Christopher..has been sent to Borstal... His mother said: ‘I wish to God we had checked up on him.’
(d) with infinitive as object (usually, now always, with to).Occasionally with admixture of the idea of intention or request for permission (cf. 5), as ‘I wish to say a few words’.
ΚΠ
a1325 (c1250) Gen. & Exod. (1968) l. 1060 He wisten him bergen fro ðe dead.
1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis I. 149 Sche wissheth forto ben unbore.
a1500 (?c1450) Merlin vii. 113 So that the moste hardy of hem..sholde wiesshe to be at home in his owne contree.
a1513 W. Dunbar Poems (1998) I. 234 I wissitt to be The grytast erle or duk in France.
1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil Æneid xii. xiv. 17 Wys now to fle vp to the starnis on hycht.
1560 Bible (Geneva) Jonah iv. 8 Ionah fainted, and wished in his heart to dye.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Winter's Tale (1623) ii. i. 125 I neuer wish'd to see you sorry, now I trust I shall. View more context for this quotation
1632 J. Milton Epit. On Shakespear in W. Shakespeare Comedies, Hist. & Trag. (ed. 2) sig. A5 Kings for such a Tombe would wish to die.
1776 Trial Maha Rajah Nundocomar for Forgery 23/2 Any body that wishes to see him may.
1850 D. M. Mulock Olive xxv I wish to talk to you.
1876 J. B. Mozley Serm. preached Univ. of Oxf. xi. 213 If men really wish to be good, they will become good.
1893 Law Times 95 305/2 If she wished to be sure of her income she should of all things avoid dabbling in the shares of new companies.
(e) with accusative and infinitive, or in passive with infinitive (usually, now always, with to).Sometimes expressing a request: see 5b.
ΚΠ
a1538 T. Starkey Dial. Pole & Lupset (1989) 117 Aftur a maner..the wych I wold wysch to be put in use wyth us.
c1560 A. Scott Poems (S.T.S.) xv. 39 Away I went,..Wissing all luvaris leill to haif sic chance.
?1567 M. Parker Whole Psalter cx. 326 Pursued to death: and wysht to sinke.
a1586 Sir P. Sidney Astrophel & Stella x I rather wish thee climbe the Muses hill.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) iv. iii. 130 If you can pace your wisdome, In that good path that I would wish it go. View more context for this quotation
1657 J. Sergeant Schism Dispach't 406 I love the Presbyterians so well as not to wish them renounce their reason.
1753 S. Richardson Hist. Sir Charles Grandison I. xix. 130 [He said that] every man who saw me must wish me to be his.
1891 F. W. Farrar Darkness & Dawn I. xv. 127 Nero..wished Junia Silana and Calvia Crispinilla to be of the party.
(f) with object and complement (n., adj., participle, adverbial phrase): now chiefly in imprecations or the like.
ΚΠ
14.. How Plowman lerned Pater Noster 152 in W. C. Hazlitt Remains Early Pop. Poetry Eng. (1864) I. 215 He wysshed them at the devyll therfore.
1477 in C. L. Kingsford Stonor Lett. & Papers (1919) II. 22 I thank you hertely þat hyt plesyd you to wyshe me with you.
c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) lxxxiv. 264 He sayd ‘I wysshe them here on this table’. He had no sooner made his wysshe but they were set on the table.
a1529 J. Skelton Magnyfycence (?1530) sig. Giii I se well there is no better rede But sygh and sorowe and wysshe my selfe dede.
?1533 W. Tyndale Expos. Mathew vii. f. cij Who is so welbeloued..but that there be ynow..that wolde, for his good wishe him to hell.
1581 J. Lyly Euphues (new ed.) f. 20v I wished my selfe heere.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) i. i. 14 Wish me partaker in thy happinesse, When thou do'st meet good hap. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) v. xi. 15 Had I as many Sonnes, as I haue haires, I would not wish them to a fairer death. View more context for this quotation
1621 M. Wroth Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania 16 She..wished the beast further, yet taking her wonted strength of heart..she said thus.
1711 R. Steele Spectator No. 27. ⁋2 We every day wish ourselves disengaged from its allurements.
1724 A. Ramsay Vision in Ever Green I. ix Mailpayers wiss it to the devil.
1811 J. Austen Sense & Sensibility III. i. 28 We all wish her extremely happy. View more context for this quotation
1819 G. Crabbe Tales of Hall II. xvii. 206 Perch that were wish'd to salmon for her sake.
1823 C. Lamb Let. 21 Nov. (1935) II. 407 I wished both magazine and review at the bottom of the sea.
1847 C. Dickens Dombey & Son (1848) xxii. 213 Let us remember James by name, and wish him happy.
1902 V. Jacob Sheep-stealers xi She could only move uneasily on her seat, and wish him miles away.
(g) after as or than: often elliptical (so also with rel.) for various constructions, esp. (c), (d), (e).
ΚΠ
1523 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles I. clxiv. 83/1 The aduentures of amours and of war, are more fortunate and maruelous, than any man canne thynke or wysshe.
1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 783/1 I am as well nowe, I thanke God, as I coulde wysshe.
1560 Bible (Geneva) Psalms lxxiii. 7 They haue more then heart can wish.
1698 J. Collier Short View Immorality Eng. Stage 227 He..goes off as like a Town Spark as you would wish.
1751 T. Gray Elegy 11 He gain'd from Heav'n ('twas all he wish'd) a Friend.
1866 ‘G. Eliot’ Felix Holt II. i. 38 Nothing had come just as she had wished.
1868 L. M. Alcott Little Women I. xiii. 212 You should do just what your grandfather wishes.
(h) in passive: esp. in predicative phrase to be wished = desirable.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > wishing > [adjective] > that is to or may be wished for
to be wished1531
wishable1548
optable1569
wished1586
volible1675
1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour ii. ix. sig. Ri It is to be wisshed, that they, whiche..haue any autoritie, maye be like to the lawes, whiche in correctynge be ladde only by equitie.
1597 T. Morley Plaine & Easie Introd. Musicke Ded. sig. A2 More to be wished and much more durable.
1604 W. Shakespeare Hamlet iii. i. 66 'Tis a consumation Deuoutly to be wisht . View more context for this quotation
1697 D. Defoe Ess. Projects 232 'Twere to be wish'd our Gentry were so much Lovers of Learning, that Birth might always be join'd with Capacity.
1788 C. Reeve Exiles II. 124 At length the day so long wished and expected came.
1876 Jrnl. Soc. Arts 2 June 708/1 The returns from the Cheltenham district were not so complete as might be wished.
1918 Pall Mall Gaz. 29 June 8/1 The first venture..was not, perhaps, as successful as could have been wished.
ΘΚΠ
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
1600 Abp. G. Abbot Expos. Prophet Ionah 599 I do not find that expositors speake so fully to the matter of this wind, as me seemeth this text doth wish.
2. intransitive. To have or feel a wish; in early use often, to long, yearn.
a. with after (obsolete), for: = 1 (a); also indir. passive = 1 (h).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > wishing > wish [verb (intransitive)]
wishc1200
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 3 Men..wisten ȝerne after ure lauerd ihesu cristes tocume.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 135 Þu hauest longe iwist after strene, and god haueð herd þine bede.
a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Coll. Phys.) l. 23548 Ilk man sal haf til his, Al þat he wil eftir wis.
1481 W. Caxton tr. Myrrour of Worlde 107 The deth wold they haue and weesshe after it incessantly.
1526 Bible (Tyndale) Acts xxvii. 29 They cast iiij. ancres out of the sterne: and wysshed for the daye.
1578 J. Lyly Euphues f. 19 By so much the more you are welcome by how much the more you were wished for.
1740 S. Richardson Pamela II. 163 I can only wish for more Worthiness.
1757 R. Griffith & E. Griffith Lett. Henry & Frances I. lxii. 107 I wished for you..in vain all Night, the life-long Night.
1836 C. Dickens Sketches by Boz 1st Ser. I. 189 Having nothing to do, and nothing to wish for, she naturally imagined she must be very ill.
1867 J. Spedding Publishers & Authors 75 Buy the volumes as they come out, if you wish for them.
b. absol.
ΚΠ
1546 J. Heywood Dialogue Prouerbes Eng. Tongue ii. iv. sig. Giii Better to haue than wishe.
1570 in J. Cranstoun Satirical Poems Reformation (1891) I. xii. 185 Than war I fane, bot all in vane, To wis and will nocht be.
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1888) I. 228 Quha can wiss aboue thir thrie?
a1616 W. Shakespeare All's Well that ends Well (1623) i. iii. 208 If your selfe..Did euer, in so true a flame of liking, Wish chastly, and loue dearely. View more context for this quotation
1850 D. M. Mulock Olive xxi It had been one of her childish superstitions always ‘to wish at the new moon’.
1904 W. W. Jacobs Dialstone Lane iii. 37 ‘I could see it at any time I wished’, she said sharply. ‘Well, wish now’, entreated Mr. Tredgold.
c. transitive with cognate object.
ΚΠ
c1400 Mandeville xvii. [xiii.] (1919) 97 Þat faire lady schal ȝeuen him..the first wyssche þat he wil wyssche of erthely thinges.
1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost ii. i. 178 Thy owne wish wish I thee in euery place. View more context for this quotation
1849 E. C. Gaskell Lizzie Leigh (1913) 426 Wishing all manner of idle wishes.
1914 ‘I. Hay’ Knight on Wheels xi If you wish a wish and then feel in my pocket, old lady, you may find something.
3. transitive. To express a wish for; to say that one wishes…(with various const. as in 1); spec. to imprecate, invoke (an evil or curse).
ΘΚΠ
the mind > will > wish or inclination > desire > wishing > wish [verb (transitive)]
unneeOE
willOE
wishc1000
yon1481
apprecatea1631
want1931
c1000 Ælfric Homilies II. 308 Alexander ða wiscte: ‘Eala gif ðu wære hund!’
?1476 J. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 497 I wysshyd to hym þat he and I hadde been at Norwyche.
1526 W. Bonde Pylgrimage of Perfection i. sig. Bviiv Than he cryeth out, and wyssheth that he neuer had hadde eyes to se.
1560 Bible (Geneva) Job xxxi. 30 Nether haue I suffred my mouth to sinne, by wishing a cursse vnto his soule.
1597 W. Shakespeare Richard III i. iii. 215 If heauen haue any grieuous plague in store, Exceeding those that I can wish vpon thee. View more context for this quotation
1673 W. Cave Primitive Christianity iii. i. 221 He was consumed by such a disease as he had wished upon himself.
1724 A. Ramsay Vision in Ever Green I. xxvii He..wischt I happyness micht bruke.
a1732 F. Atterbury Serm. Several Occas. (1734) I. 134 The prophane Folly..of wishing that Damnation to ourselves, which we other ways but too well deserve.
1781 in Jrnl. Friends Hist. Soc. (1918) 72 She was senceable to the last..often wished she might be like her..D[ea]r Grandmother.
4.
a. spec. (with to or simple object) To desire (something, usually good) for or on behalf of a person, etc.: esp. in formulæ of greeting or expressions of goodwill; hence as in 3, to express such a wish for, esp. as a formal greeting:e.g. to wish (one) good morning, good-bye (= bid v.1 9), a merry Christmas, a happy New Year, many happy returns of the day (see return n. 8b), etc.; also intransitive in to wish (one) well (see well adv. 2a(c)), and intransitive or transitive (usually with negative) in to wish (one) ill (where ill may be taken as adverb or noun). to wish (one) joy of: see joy n. 9d.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > courteous act or expression > use courteous actions or expressions to [verb (transitive)] > wish (something good) for another
wishc900
c900 Laws Alfred Introd. xlix. §3 Ða apostolas & þa eldran broðor hælo eow wyscað.
c1374 G. Chaucer Troilus & Criseyde ii. 406 I bidde wisshe yow no more sorwe.
1393 W. Langland Piers Plowman C. xx. 328 Þer ne is syk ne sory..Þat he ne may..boþe wusshen and wylnen Alle manere of men mercy and for-ȝeuenesse.
1516 in State Papers Henry VIII (1849) VI. 50 Not to thintent he schulde have hys parte off thys intolerable troble.., for I wolde not wysche itt to a dogge.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Psalms cxxix. 8 We wish you good lucke in the name of the Lorde.
1535 Bible (Coverdale) Job xxxi. 30 I neuer suffred my mouth to do soch a sinne, as to wysh him euell.
1552 R. Huloet Abcedarium Anglico Latinum Wyshe ille to any thinge, fascino.
1578 J. Lyly Euphues f. 34 I would neither wishe thee a greater plague, nor him a deadlyer poyson.
a1586 Sir P. Sidney Apol. Poetrie (1595) sig. L3v I will not wish vnto you..to be rimed to death.
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 359 To salute thame baith, wisse thame gude morne.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) v. i. 218 Let griefe and sorrow still embrace his heart, That doth not wish you ioy. View more context for this quotation
1623 J. Heminges & H. Condell in W. Shakespeare Comedies, Hist. & Trag. To Rdrs. sig. A3 And such Readers we wish him.
1720 D. Defoe Mem. Cavalier 39 They wished the Swedes Success.
1816 J. Austen Emma I. x. 183 I wish Jane Fairfax very well; but she tires me to death. View more context for this quotation
1821 W. Scott Kenilworth I. vii. 158 I have been prayed for, and wished well to in your congregations.
1885 Law Times 79 345/2 [He] wished the officials good night, and left the room.
b. To desire, or express a desire for, the welfare or misfortune of (a person); only in evil wished, ill-wish v., well-wished adj.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > behaviour > bad behaviour > unkindness > ill will, malevolence > intend ill [verb]
willa1500
ill-will1568
evil wished1577
ill-wish1865
1577 E. Hellowes tr. A. de Guevara Chron. 325 All three were so euil wished in the Common wealth, that the least euill which they would them..was but death.
1604 T. Bodley in Buccleuch MSS (Hist. MSS Comm.) (1899) I. 48 I leave you both as well wished, as if you were to enjoy the best wishes bestowed this new year's day in England.
5. In expressions of desire for something to be done by another, thus conveying a request; hence, to request, entreat; formerly sometimes, to bid, command:† c. To invite, ‘bid’ (a person to a place). Obsolete. rare.
a. a thing or action (with various const. as in 1): cf. desire v. 5.
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
society > authority > command > command or bidding > command [verb (transitive)]
i-bedea800
highteOE
bid971
bibedec1000
ordainc1325
warnc1380
commanda1382
tella1475
mand1483
wishc1515
hest1582
behight1591
order1609
mandate1623
warrant1632
c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) lxxxiii. 259 He came to Huon & wysshyd ye fetters fro all there fete [Fr. soubhaita leurs fers hors de leurs iambes].
1553 T. Wilson Arte of Rhetorique 38 To wishe of God to purge oure hartes from all filthines and vngodlie dealinge.
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 236 I wisse rather..that in hope of barnes he take Margaret rather than Magdalen for his bedfallow.
a1626 F. Bacon Elements Common Lawes (1630) 42 The Statute of 27. H. 8. of vses, that wisheth that the cestuy que vse shall have the possession in qualitie and degree as hee had the vse.
1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 1414 Brethren farewel, your company along I will not wish . View more context for this quotation
1703 Clarendon's Hist. Rebellion II. viii. 471 To confer with the Lord Digby, who..should find the best way to make the Earl of Antrim to communicate the Affair to him, and to wish his Assistance.
1842 C. Dickens Amer. Notes II. vi. 172 Whatever we wished done was done with great civility and readiness.
1875 B. Jowett tr. Plato Dialogues (ed. 2) I. 429 I wish that you would tell me about his death.
b. a person to do something: cf. desire v. 6.
ΚΠ
1583 T. Stocker tr. Tragicall Hist. Ciuile Warres Lowe Countries iv. 55 [The] Captaine..wished them quietly departe, without thei liked to be saluted with Cannon shotte.
1604 T. Dekker & T. Middleton Honest Whore i. v. 183 Hye to the Constable, And in calme order wish him to attach them.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Measure for Measure (1623) v. i. 79 Duk. You were not bid to speake. Luc. No,..Nor wish'd to hold my peace. View more context for this quotation
1728 J. Swift Phyllis in J. Swift et al. Misc. Prose & Verse (ed. 2) II. 134 The Groom was wish'd to saddle Crop.
1854 C. Dickens Hard Times ii. i. 141 Would you wish the gentleman to be shown in, ma'am?
1859 J. Ruskin Two Paths i. §35 There is another thing I wish you to notice specially in these statues.
ΘΚΠ
society > authority > command > command or bidding > command [verb (transitive)] > summon
lathec900
hightOE
clepec1000
ofclepeOE
ofsendOE
warna1250
callc1300
summonc1300
incalla1340
upcallc1340
summonda1400
becallc1400
ofgredec1400
require1418
assummonc1450
accitec1475
provoke1477
convey1483
mand1483
whistle1486
vocatec1494
wishc1515
to call up1530
citea1533
convent1540
convocate1542
prorogate1543
accersit1548
whistle for1560
advocatea1575
citate1581
evocate1639
demand1650
to warn in1654
summons1694
invoke1697
to send for1744
to turn up1752
requisition1800
whip1857
c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) lxxxiii. 259 He..causyd them to syt downe at his owne table that he had wysshyd thether [Fr. eut fait venir].
6. To recommend (a person) to another, or to a place, etc. Obsolete or dialect.Originally probably belonging to wis v.1 2, to direct.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > approval or sanction > commendation or praise > recommendation > recommend [verb (transitive)]
commendc1400
recommise1427
recommendc1460
recommit?1521
prefer1567
wish1612
value1670
moyen1897
society > communication > information > action of informing > give (information) [verb (transitive)] > give information about
wisc1000
inform?a1425
partake1561
intelligence1593
report1797
wish1818
tip1883
1612 B. Jonson Alchemist i. iii. sig. C2v I was wish'd to your Worship, by a Gentleman,..that say's you know mens Planets. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Taming of Shrew (1623) i. i. 111 If I can by any meanes light on a fit man to teach her that wherein she delights, I will wish him to her father. View more context for this quotation
1633 Match at Mid-night iv. i He sayes he was wisht to [a] very wealthy Widdow, but of you he has heard much Histories, that he will marry you.
1751 E. Haywood Hist. Betsy Thoughtless I. xvi. 196 Now I have been wished to several fine women, but my fancy gives the preference to you.
1818 W. Scott Heart of Mid-Lothian xi, in Tales of my Landlord 2nd Ser. II. 254 She passed that interval of time in the lodging of a woman, an acquaintance of that person who had wished her to that place.
1846 W. E. Brockett J. T. Brockett's Gloss. North Country Words (ed. 3) II. (at cited word) Can you wish me to a customer?
7. To influence in a magical or occult way by wishing; to bewitch by a desire or imprecation. dialect.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > enchantment or casting spells > [verb (transitive)] > by wishing
wish1848
1848 E. C. Gaskell Mary Barton I. vii. 115 We mun get him away from his mother. He cannot die while she's wishing him.
1865 E. B. Tylor Res. Early Hist. Mankind vi. 134 When he hears that he has been ‘wished,’ he..takes to his bed at once.
8. To foist or impose (something or someone) on (to) someone; to endow with at another's wish.
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society > authority > subjection > obedience > compulsion > compel [verb (transitive)] > force or impose something upon
to lay on11..
join1303
taxa1375
intruse?a1500
oversetc1500
beforcec1555
impose1581
threap1582
fasten1585
intrude1592
thrust1597
enforcea1616
forcea1616
entail1670
top1682
trump1694
push1723
coerce1790
press1797
inflict1809
levy1863
octroy1865
wish1915
1915 N. L. McClung In Times like These x. 164 Women have never chosen the liquor business... It has been wished on them.
1926 Publishers' Weekly 22 May 1725/1 Mr. Remington..has not been able to be with us... That is why we are able to wish that good job on him.
1934 E. Waugh Handful of Dust i. 20 Who was the old girl you wished on me at that party last night?
1954 ‘N. Shute’ Slide Rule 1 An unwanted kitten that they had wished on to my children.
1962 Listener 5 July 14/2 The plan was to build a much larger school than was needed, at the same time ‘wishing’ additional housing on the village to justify it.
1971 Guardian 9 Jan. 13/2 We owed money everywhere... I wouldn't wish that on any of today's young housewives.
1983 M. Babson Fool for Murder xviii. 166 It really was most unfair of Uncle Wilmer to wish it on Wanda-Lu... He wasn't the one who'd have to keep the place tidy.
9. I wish, corrupt form of iwis: see wis v.2
Draft additions May 2001
int. colloquial (originally U.S.). you (or I) wish: (as a response suggesting, esp. with resignation, irony, or sarcasm, that the stated prospect, however desirable, is highly unlikely: you (or I) might wish it, but in vain; some hope; not a chance.
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1989 R. A. Spears NTC's Dict. Amer. Slang (1991) 103/1 Don't you wish! and You wish! exclam. ‘I'm sure you wish it were true.’.. There's no school tomorrow? You wish!
1991 Z. Edgell In Times like These xxix. 172 ‘But I will be by then,’ Eric said. ‘You wish,’ Lisa laughed.
1991 R. P. MacIntyre Yuletide Blues xvii. 124 ‘Vodka?’ Dad says. ‘I wish,’ says Daphne. ‘It's sugar water or something.’
1995 Just Seventeen 5 Apr. 21 But Ellen thinks I'm going out with Tom. Like, I wish.
1998 M. Binchy in Irish Times (Electronic ed.) 17 Jan. Someone tells you you're looking great, you must have lost a stone and you answer ‘I wish’... Or else, you say..that you're going to de-clutter your house.., and someone says in a down-putting way ‘You wish’, meaning in your dreams you're going to do this.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1928; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.11390
n.2898
adj.v.c897- refrigerativeness
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