hest

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It was Hildeburh's hest, at Hnaef's own pyre the bairn of her body on brands to lay, his bones to burn, on the balefire placed, at his uncle's side.

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Definitions (4)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. noun Archaic Command; behest.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (2)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (1)

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Examples (50)

  • The king prays pardon of his cruel hest,[8] And for amends desires it may suffice. —  A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 7
  • My truth (with other means to serve your grace, Whatever you in honour shall assign) Hath sworn her power true vassal to your hest: For proof let but your majesty command, I shall unlock the prison of my soul; Although unkindly horror would gainsay, Yet in obedience to your highness' will, By whom I hold the tenor of this life, This hand and blade will be the instruments To make pale death to grapple with my heart TANCRED. —  A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 7
  • Follow your hest, go on and conquer the [Greek: gnosis] and when you have got it, just inform me what it looks like, and whether you will be more able to make use of it than the fellow was of the elephant he bought at auction. —  The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 05, No. 32, June, 1860
  • THE CROPPY BOY Horhot ho hray hor hother's hest (He gives up the ghost. —  Ulysses
  • See that ye give effect to all my hest, For my sake and the god's and for our land, A desert blasted by the wrath of heaven. —  Oedipus Trilogy
 

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This word has been looked up 65 times.

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Etymologies (2)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English, alteration of hes, from Old English hǣs; see kei-2 in Indo-European roots.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (1)

  1. from Middle English hest, heste (with excrescent t, as in against, whilst, etc., and with consequent shortening of the vowel), from Anglo-Saxon hǣs, a command, hest (cf. behǣs, behest: see behest), from hātan, bid, order, command: see hight.
 

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/hɛst/
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