þreat

See also: threat

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *þrautaz, *þrautą.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /θræ͜ɑːt/
• Rhymes: -æ͜ɑːt

Noun

þrēat m

1. crowd, swarm, throng, troop, army
   • late 9th century, Old English Martyrology

     Sē Antonius ġesēah þǣs Paules sāwle swā hwīte swā snāw stīgan tō heofonum betweoh engla þrēatas; ond tweġen lēon ādulfan his byrġenne on þǣs wēstenes sande; þǣr resteð Paules līchoma mid yfellīċe dūste bewrigen, ac on dōmes dæġe hē āriseð on wuldor.

     Antonius saw Paul's soul, as white as snow, ascend to heaven among throngs of angels; and two lions dug his tomb in the sand of the desert. There lies Paul's body, covered by filthy dust, but on Judgement Day he will arise in glory.

2. violence, force, compulsion, oppression, punishment, retaliation, mistreatment

Declension

Strong a-stem:

	singular	plural
nominative	þrēat	þrēatas
accusative	þrēat	þrēatas
genitive	þrēates	þrēata
dative	þrēate	þrēatum

Related terms

• þrēatian
• þrīetan

Descendants

• Middle English: thræt, thrat, threte, thret
  • English: threat
  • Scots: thret, threte, threit