Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To raise; lift; elevate; hoist.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To hoist.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive, obsolete except in dialects or after Shakespeare to hoist
  • verb intransitive (obsolete): to hoist, be raised

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Probably from Middle Dutch hisen (modern hijsen) or Middle Low German hissen.

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Examples

  • French trot, everie step being ready to hoise him out of his saddle, hearing Giottos discreete answers to every ydle question he made (for indeede he was a very elegant speaker) began to peruse and surveigh him, even from the foote to the head, as we use to say.

    The Decameron 2004

  • Withouten further speech, we hoise our saile to sea:

    The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation 2003

  • To top both stones and darts good fellowes hoise apace:

    The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation 2003

  • But nowe it is high time for vs to weigh our ancre, to hoise vp our sailes, to get cleare of these boistrous, frosty, and misty seas, and with all speede to direct our course for the milde, lightsome, temperate, and warme Atlantick

    The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation 2003

  • I hoise [22] up Parnell partly to spite the envious Irish folks here, particularly Tom Leigh.

    The Journal to Stella 2003

  • He heard a clip-clopping hoise, and then around the corner came an archaic pony-trap, full of young people in what seemed at first sight to be fancy dress: the men in tight black trousers studded at the calf with silver buttons, their white shirts open almost to the waist; the women in wide skirts of frills and layers and bright colours, scarlet, emerald, gold.

    The Satanic Verses Rushdie, Salman 1967

  • [Sidenote: The saieng of king William Rufus.] but hee commanded to hoise vp sailes, and to make all spéed that could be for life, incouraging the shipmaster with these words, "that he neuer heard as yet of anie king that was drowned."

    Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland (2 of 6): England (2 of 12) William Rufus Raphael Holinshed

  • Item, if the fleet should happen to be scattered by weather, or other mishap, then so soon as one shall descry another, to hoise both topsails twice, if the weather will serve, and to strike them twice again; but if the weather serve not, then to hoise the maintopsail twice, and forthwith to strike it twice again.

    Sir Humphrey Gilbert's Voyage to Newfoundland Edward Hayes

  • Item, if the fleet should happen to be scattered by weather, or other mishap, then so soon as one shall descry another, to hoise both topsails twice, if the weather will serve, and to strike them twice again; but if the weather serve not, then to hoise the maintopsail twice, and forthwith to strike it twice again.

    Sir Humphrey Gilbert’s Voyage to Newfoundland. Paras. 1-49 1909

  • I hoise [22] up Parnell partly to spite the envious Irish folks here, particularly Tom Leigh.

    The Journal to Stella Swift, Jonathan, 1667-1745 1901

Comments

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  • to hoise (third-person singular simple present hoises, present participle hoising, simple past and past participle hoised or hoist)

    September 7, 2008

  • Online Etymology Dictionary entry for hoist:

    "hoist

    1548, probably originally past tense of M.E. hysse (1490), which is probably from M.Du. hyssen "to hoist," related to Low Ger. hissen and O.N. hissa upp "raise." A nautical word found in most European languages, but it is uncertain which had it first. In phrase hoist with one's own petard (see petard) it is originally the past tense."

    Cambridge International dictionaries entry (for hoist):

    "hoist was found in the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary at the entries listed below.

    * hoist

    * be hoist(ed) with/by your own petard"

    More conversation, for those interested, is on the page for petard. :)

    September 7, 2008