Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

Dictionary online

ge-hnesctun

  • verb
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Substitute: ge-hnescan, ge-hnescian; p. ge-hnescte, ge-hnescode To make nesh.
in a physical sense.
to soften hard material
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  • ꝥ hearde hyt gelíðigað and gehnesceaþ. Lch. i. 368, 2.
  • Gehnescige mon mid þý ꝥ forsetene yfel . . . hé þone forheardodan swile gehnesce . . . wirð se swile swá heard swá stán, and ne mæg hine mon gehnescian, ii. 212, 15-22.
  • Hú mon mæg gehnescan þá heardnesse,

      168, 8.
  • Oþ ꝥ ðá corn þurh ðone wǽtan gehnehsode sýn, i. 92, 14.
  • Wurdon þá gyrda gehnexode swilce hit fæðera wǽron, Hml. S. 35, 190. (I a) figurative :-- Ðǽr wǽron gehnescode hiera breóst . . . beóð hira breóst gehnescod

    ibi subacta sunt ubera earum . . . ubera subiguntur

    ,
      Past. 403, 34-405, 2.
to alleviate, relieve pain
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  • Oft hearda wunda beóð mid líðum beðengum gehnescode and gehǽlede

    plerumque dura vulnera per lenia fomenta mollescunt

    ,
      Past. 183, 21.
to make gentle or tender.
of persons
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  • Genehxa þá heardheortnysse mínre þǽre stǽnenan heortan,

      Angl. xii. 500, 14.
  • Ðæt mon ðá heardan heortan gehnescige,

      Past. 154, 3.
of speech
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  • Gehnistun word heora

    mollierunt sermones suos

    ,
      Ps. Srt. 54, 22.
  • Genexode synt his sprǽcu

    molliti sunt sermones eius

    ,
      Ps. L. 54, 22.
to weaken, enfeeble, (i)
to relax the vigour of
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  • Ðonne mon lǽt tóslúpan ðone ege and ðá láre suíður ðonne hit ðearf sié for wácmódnesse, ðonne wierð gehnescad ðonone sió ðreánng ðæs anwaldes,

      Past. 289, 3.
to cause to be yielding (cf. hnesce tó lustum, Hml. Th. ii. 220, 4)
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  • Ðing ðe heora hláford þurh oferflówednysse tó unlustum gehnexað,

      Hml. Th. ii. 92, 19.
  • Oðre mid lyffetungum tó leahtrum gehnexian,

      Hml. S. 16, 174.
Full form

Word-wheel

  • ge-hnesctun, v.