thole (____), v. Now north. dial. or arch. Forms: 1 Þolian, 2-3 -ien, (2
Þale(n), 2-4 Þolye, -ie, -en, 3 (Orm.) Þolenn, 3-4 -yen, 4 Þoole,
tholen, -y, 4-5 Þole, tholie, 4- thole. (Also 4, 6 Sc. thol, 4 (5-6 Sc.)
thoile, 4-6 Sc. thoill, 5 Þoli_e, Þol(l, thoole, thowle, tholl, 6 (7-8
Sc.) thoell, 8 n. dial. thoyl, 6- Sc. and n. dial. thoil.)
[OE. Þolian = OS. tholôn, tholian, OHG. dolôn, dolên (MHG. dolen, doln;
cf. Ger. gedul-d), ON. Þola (Da. taale, Sw. tåla), Goth. Þulan, f.
OTeut. stem *Þul-:–weak grade of root *tel: *tol: *tl to bear, suffer:
cf. L. tuli, tol-erare, toll-ere, Gr. ______.]
1. trans. To be subjected or exposed to (something evil); to be
afflicted with; to have to bear, suffer, undure, undergo.
Beowulf 832 Hie..for Þreanydum Þolian scoldon torn un-lytel.
c897 K. Ælfred Gregory’s Past. C. xxviii. 197 Dauid..lange ær his
[Saul’s] ehtnesse earfoðlice ðolode.
a1000 Cædmon’s Gen. 2240 (Gr.) þeowdom Þolian.
1154 O.E. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1137, Suilc & mare Þanne we cunnen sæin
we Þoleden xix wintre for ure sinnes.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 75 His halie fif wunden Þa he Þolede for us ine Þe
halie rode.
c1200 Ormin Ded. 201 He _aff hiss a_henn lif..To Þolenn dæÞÞ o rodetre.
c1290 Beket 2316 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 173 þis holi man..Þolede martyrdom.
c1320 Cast. Love 410 He scal euere Þolyen deÞ.
13.. Cursor M. 9636 (Cott.) Ded he aght to thole.
1375 Barbour Bruce iv. 659 Feill anoyis thoill _he sall.
c1386 Chaucer Friar’s T. 248 So muche wo as I haue with yow tholed.
c1450 Mirour Saluacioun 212 All yt oure lord Ihu soeffred in his
passionne Oure ladie tholed in sawle.
1530 Lyndesay Test. Papyngo 175 Off bitter deth now mon I thole the
schouris.
1599 Porter Angry Wom. Abingd. in Hazl. Dodsley VII. 370 What a winter
of cold fear I thole.
1717 Ramsay Elegy on Lucky Wood i, What loss, what crosses dost thou
thole!
1884 Freeman in Stephens Life (1895) II. x. 321 They that believed
nothing were to thole all revealed punishments. [Affected archaism.]
absol.
1357 Lay Folks Catech. 132 [Christ] tholed [v.r. suffryd] bodily for
synful man kynd.
c1394 P. Pl. Crede 90 þe cros Þat crist opon Þolede.
c1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 227 How ever thou thole ore thryfe,
Alwey thonk God of alle.
1718 Ramsay Christ’s Kirk Gr. iii. xvi, Ye’s thole for this, ye scaul.
1880 A. Forbes in 19th Cent. Jan. 190 To be told how our
countrymen..toil and thole.
b. to thole an assize, judgement, the laws, etc., to undergo trial. Sc.
1425 Sc. Acts Jas. I (1814) II. 9/2 þe king..forbiddis Þat ony man..be
aponne his assise Þat sall thole Þe law.
1508 Dunbar Flyting 78 For quhilk, brybour, _it sall thow thoill a
breif.
a1578 Lindesay (Pitscottie) Chron. Scot. iii. iv. (S.T.S.) I. 223 The
lordis..quhilk was..thair to thoill ane syse conforme to thair ditta.
1609 Skene Reg. Maj. i. 93 b, It is statute, that na man sould thoill
judgement, or be judged, be ane man of inferiour estate then his awin
peir.
1678 Sir G. Mackenzie Crim. Laws Scot. i. xx. §4 (1699) 108 The Receptor
with us cannot be punished, or thole an Assize, till the principal Thief
be first convict.
1886 St. James’ Gaz. 16 Dec. 3 Mr...would probably by this time have
tholed an assize before the High Court of Justiciary.
2. To endure without resistance or complaint; to submit with patience
to; to bear with, ‘abide’; to put up with, tolerate. Also with inf. or
subord. clause
c950 Lindisf. Gosp. Mark ix. 19 Ða huile mið iuh ic beom, ða huile iuih
ic ðola.
a1000 Cædmon’s Gen. 597 (Gr.) þæt is micel wundor Þæt hit ece god æfre
wolde, Þeoden, Þolian.
1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 9479 So luÞer & prout heo was, Þat me ne mi_te it
Þolie no_t.
c1330 R. Brunne Chron. Wace (Rolls) 15976 Al Þer trauaille & al Þer ylle
þat Þey had Þoled wiÞ gode wille.
1393 Rec. Elgin (New Spald. Cl) I. 7 þis as before wyt al men we wil
nocht thole.
c1430 Syr Gener. (Roxb.) 8490 He might the betre thoole Thurgh gile to
les a little ring, Whan [etc.].
1552 Abp. Hamilton Catech. (1884) 81 Thai that tholis nocht thair father
and mother, suppose thai do thame iniuris and be cummersum.
1584 Hudson tr. Du Bartas’ Judith iii. 179 For thee, we frankly shall
pursue and thole Th’eternall heat and colde of either Pole.
1786 Burns Twa Dogs 96 Poor tenant bodies, scant o’ cash, How they maun
thole a factor’s snash.
c1800 Newcastle Prov. in Brockett N.C. Gloss. (1846) II. 178 He that has
a good crop may thole some thistles.
184. in Contemp. Rev. (1905) July 64 ‘I com’ away,’ said he, ‘for I
couldn’t thoil to see good food wasted.’
1889 Barrie Window in Thrums 38, I canna thole ’im.
absol.
1154 O.E. Chron. an. 1140 §6 (Laud MS.) þa hi ne leng ne muhten Þolen,
Þa stali hi ut & flu_en.
c1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 79 þe man..Þe Þoleð and forbereð and ne wile
seche after wreche.
a1340 Hampole Psalter ix. 41 þaire hert redy to serue Þe and to thole.
c1470 Henry Wallace viii. 663 _eit Wallace tholyt, and leit thaim say
thar will.
1560 Rolland Seven Sages 77 Better it is to thoill heir patientlie, Nor
euer mair in hell condampnit be.
1880 A. Forbes in 19th Cent. Feb. 234 The British soldier can thole as
well as can the Russian soldier.
† b. To endure or bear without giving way; to withstand; to stand. Obs.
c1200 Ormin 9399 þa ma__ itt [the eye] siÞÞenn Þolenn wel þe sunness
brihhte leome.
13.. Cursor M. 7312 (Gött.) It es wel worthi Þat qua May thole na wele,
to thole Þe wa.
c1400 Destr. Troy 9674 No buerne vpon bent his buffettes might thowle.
14.. Songs Costume (Percy Soc.) 60 Her mantill of humilitie, To tholl
bayth wind and weit.
c. To bear, stand, admit of, be capable of; to have room for; esp. in
phrase to thole amends, to admit of improvement. dial.
1770 Jas. Watt Let. to Small 3 Jan., Health and spirits beyond what I
commonly enjoy..; though they would still thole amends.
a1774 Fergusson Cauler Oysters Poems (1845) 7 Fling owre your craig
sufficient doses; You’ll thole a hunder.
1808 Scott Let. to G. Ellis 23 Feb., in Lockhart, The style would..thole
amends, i.e. admit of improvement.
1871 in N. & Q. 4th Ser. VIII. 156/2 It’ll thole a drap mair watter.
† 3. To allow, suffer, permit. (With obj. clause, obj. and inf., or
equivalent pron.) Obs.
c1070 Charter of Leofgifu in Kemble Cod. Dipl. IV. 269 Ic bidde mine
leuedien for Godes louen ðat ðu [ne] Þolie ðat ani man mine quide
awende.
c1175 Lamb. Hom. 71 þole us to bi-wepen ure sunne.
c1200 Ormin 12089 _iff Crist itt nollde Þolenn himm Naffde he Þærto nan
mahhte.
1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 1583 þe toun folc..nolde namore Þolie Þan ssrewe
among hom a wede.
13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1859 þenne he Þulged with hir Þrepe, & Þoled hir to
speke.
c1400 Apol. Loll. 59 þei be Þolid to minister prestly oÞer sacraments.
1466 Dunfermline Regr. (Bann. Cl.) 356, I sall nocht thole, graunt nore
gyff leiffe..to na man.. to draw na drauchtis of wateris throu my
landis.
1513 Douglas Æneis ix. vii. 89 Thoil me to trubble this gret rout of
men.
1552 Abp. Hamilton Catech. (1884) 35 God will nocht thoile you want your
dailie sustentatioun.
1575 Churchyard Chippes (1817) 193 God would not thoell, for one mans
sake alone: That broyles should cause a million make their mone.
1721 Ramsay Prospect of Plenty 83 They’ll never thole this great design
to tak.
4. intr. To be patient, have patience, wait patiently. dial.
1674 Ray N.C. Words 48 Thole a while, i.e. stay a while.
1766 A. Nicol Poems 58 (E.D.D.), I do bid them thole a while Till ance
the spring come in again.
1896 [J. Lumsden] Poems 7 (ibid.) Great is our drouth–but thole a wee.
5. trans. To bear to give; to afford or grant willingly. dial.
1703 Thoresby Let. to Ray Gloss. (E.D.S.), Thoyl, to afford.
1828 Craven Gloss. s.v., I could thole him t’ meat out o’ my mouth.
1863 Mrs. Toogood Yorksh. Dial. (MS.), He is so covetous he cannot thoil
his servants enough food.